Happy Halloween

Halloween (or Hallowe'en), a contraction of All-Hallows-Eve, is an annual holiday observed on October 31, and common activities include guising/trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

And of course the legislators are wanting to change it to the last Saturday in October, regardless of the date. So while we wait on the outcome of that, enjoy some seasonal music for the day.

Screaming Jay Hawkins - I put a spell on you


Screaming Lord Sutch - Jack The Ripper

Brilliant live clip of the late Lord Sutch doing "Jack The Ripper" in South London sometime in late 1964.
The clips shows kids' fashions just on the cusp between the early and late 60's period. Reflecting the early 60's, we still have girls with beehive haircuts, and besuited boys looking like Joe 90 clones. Looking forward, we see other boys and girls with short hair, in t-shirts or mod-like jumpers. Mini-skirts were still 3 years in the future though.....

Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & The Crypt Kickers - Monster Mash

No really good original videos seem to exist, so we'll go with this. Pans People Dancing to Bobby "Boris" Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers" -Monster Mash - circa 1973.

Ramrods - Ghost Riders in the Sky


Warren Zevon - Werewolves Of London


Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare


Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me


Jimmy Cross - I Want My Baby Back


Round Robin - I'm The Wolfman

Lanie Lane

Lanie Lane once shared a video on here before, so it's time she got her own post.
With her retro look and her smoky voice, is it any wonder Jack White wanted to record her? In addition to the Jack White produced single, Lanie Lane has a new album released, To The Horses. Amazing stuff. Look out for it.

Ain't Hungry

Taken from Lanie's very first vinyl offering, the 'Ain't Hungry' / 'My Man' single which is out now on Third Man Records. Produced by Jack White, it is available on beautiful 7" vinyl.

My Man

The Basement Sydney 2011

What Am I To Do

Live at The Manly Fig last year.

Betty Baby

at the Silverlake Lounge in Los Angeles on 5 October 2011

Rebecca Culhane

Rebecca Culhane hails from Mitchell, South Dakota, US. And although I've seen some of her videos on YouTube, I never really put it all together until I saw she had released an album. Each one of her songs has been a little gem, put them all together and you have a winner.

Running Round

Official music video for Culkay (Duo comprised of Rebecca Culhane and Josh Kay) to their song "Running Round" Directed by Amy Lynn.

So Beautiful

Cannot Help It


Memory

Hayseed Dixie

One of my favorite quotes attributed to Hayseed Dixie is "If loving the banjo is wrong, then we don't want to be right". And they certainly live by that creed.
I have to give props to rrijsdijk for providing the footage here, of what seems like a great evening of the Hayseeds. Git yer stompin' shoes on and have yerselves a little hoe down.

How often do you get the Bangles mixed with Deliverance?
Eternal Flame

Hayseed Dixie played live @ W2 in DenBosch, Holland on Sunday the 4th of September 2011. What a night!!

Another Queen classic from the boys, who could forget Bohemian Rhapsody.
Fat Bottom Girls


Covering KISS without makeup.
Detroit Rockcity

Hayseed Dixie was formed in the summer of 2000 on the front porch of a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee, when after drinking enough whiskey to float a battleship across the Sahara Desert, it became suddenly obvious to the boys that the "Lost Highway" of Hank Williams and the "Highway To Hell" of AC/DC were the same damned road. The rest of the world first got a taste of the boys on April 17, 2001 with the release of their first album, titled "A Hillbilly Tribute To AC/DC".

The band has since gone on to record 8 further albums containing both original songs and reinterpretations of previously known works, albeit in their own inimitable style. Having sold over half a million albums worldwide and having played nearly 1,000 live shows on every continent except Antarctica, Hayseed Dixie are acknowledged as the creators of the musical genre "Rockgrass."

Amber Rubarth

Amber Rubarth has a beautiful new album currently on release.
Amber Rubarth won the 2010 NewSong Mountain Stage Contest and will be recording with Grammy-Award winning producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Tom Waits) this Spring, followed by a nationally-syndicated NPR Mountain Stage concert!
Well that album is out now.  You owe it to yourself to check it out.

Mirror

With Jason Mraz, as heard on Amber Rubarth's new album A Common Case of Disappearing, available now on iTunes. Recorded live at the Hotel Cafe on October 12, 2011.

Rough Cut


Full Moon in Paris

Seasoned music producer and Norah Jones collaborator, Peter Malick, packed up his studio and moved it home to his living room and garage. For its maiden session he brought in indie artists Amber Rubarth, Courtney Jones, and a veritable A-List of players from the LA singer-songwriter scene. On Peter's first day in the new space and first day on Record 1.5 we rolled cameras to capture the new 'studio' in action.

In this video Amber Rubarth invites over her friends to help her record "Full Moon in Paris." Peter Malick balances the common limitations of home recording like a reduced number of microphones and a lack of isolation with the more important goal of capturing a special moment while not letting "bleed" decide important production decisions.[Propellerhead]

Free Download of the the finished product here.

And of course there is this EP you can get for free also, Amber is generous to us.

Beats Antique

Stumbled across this album, Bandcamp is a great browsing place. Beats Antique is an electro-acoustic, experimental , dance band from Oakland, CA. Gotta love your local groups.
You have to remember their earlier album, Blind Threshold.
What struck me again on this album was the variety of their sound, and that great gypsy presence is still there.

Check out the album, Elektrafone, I'm sure you will find a place for it in your collection.



Beats Antique is -


David Satori - viola, violin, banjo, guitar, drums, percussion, keys, programming and composition
Sidecar Tommy - drums, percussion, bass, keyboards, programming and composition
Zoe Jakes - programming, composition, keyboards, drums


Guest musicians -
Sylvain Carton - baritone sax, bass clarinet, clarinet, mandolin - 1, 2, 8
Seth Ford Young - double bass - 8
Dina Maccabee - viola, violin - 5
Peter Jaques - trumpet - 1
Tarran Gabriel (The Tailor) - longneck banjo and composition - 8
Henry Hung - trumpet - 1
Dan Cantrell - accordion, Saw - 8
Scott Larson - trombone - 3, 8, 9
Jay Standards - trumpet - 3, 8, 9
Ill gates - production - 9
The Glitch mob - production - 10


Produced, Recorded and Engineered by Beats Antique 2011 - At Big Cactus Studio Oakland CA and Prairie Sun Studios Sebastopol CA with additional Recording and Mixing by Isha Erskine
Mastered by eo (reveleymastering)


All rights reserved
Antique Records
Copyright Beats Antique 2011

Stealing Sheep

Could Stealing Sheep be the next big thing? No I'm not talking about wooly rustlers, this is about the amazing UK psychedelic indie pop group by that name.

Introducing Liverpool’s psych-folk darlings, Stealing Sheep. They create lo-fi, DIY pop in the shape of noisily drenched old time vocals, spiraling psychedelic guitars, hypnotic beats and sixties style drone synths. They started writing in the summer of 2010 and started their first tours of the UK’s folk clubs and café’s in October.

They have this amazing EP on release, Noah & the Paper Moon. Check it out.

Shoot the Ducks to Win

live at The Kazimier

The Mountain Dogs


Live backstage footage from Liverpool O2 Academy

Anna Ternheim

We've been waiting a while to re-visit Anna Ternheim, but finally a new album. And well worth the wait. Anna’s fifth studio album The Night Visitor features twelve new songs, is her first album of new songs since 2008′s Leaving On A Monday, an album that won the Swedish Grammy for Album of the Year and earned Ann Ternheim the award for Best Female Artist. A deluxe special edition version of Visitor includes a second CD Live On The Porch. Make sure you don't miss it.
Meanwhile check out some of the tracks.

Walking Aimlessly

This is the official video for track seven.

Not on the album, but just an amazing performance by two beautiful ladies.
Off the Road

Featuring the amazing Ane Brun

Back to the album, here is a great live version of one of the tracks, maybe a birthday treat for someone. :0)
Dearest Dear

Anna Ternheim performing Dearest Dear at Mälsåkers Slott October 24th 2011.
Difficult to get great video when they perform in the dark :0)

Ghost of a Man

Also at Mälsåkers Slott October 24th 2011.

Black Light Shines

Mälsåkers Slott October 24th 2011.

Electric Lady Lab - Touch Me

You remember Electric Lady Lab, well they have this amazing new video out for their new single. And it's got the great "cartoon" character from aHa, pretty damn cool. And of course the song is amazing, what else would we expect from Electric Lady Lab.
The more I hear this new track the more I like it. I think I am now certified "addicted" to Touch Me. Great song guys.

Touch Me

Electric Lady Lab is the first band ever to get permisson from aHa to use "The Sun Always Shine On TV" and the voice of Morten Harket. Video directed by Michael Sauer Christensen (GAUCHO film). Shot In Copenhagen, Denmark October 2011. Special thanks to The Animation Workshop, Viborg

There's even a making of video. How's your Danish? But enjoyable even if you don't speak the lingo.

Følg Electric Lady Lab bag scenerne under optagelserne til videoen til "Touch Me"

Now all we need is a live version of the song. Well here you go.
Touch me - Live Hjørring

Big ups to SampsonB for the video, here's what he wrote:

After having received a very nice message from the fab "Electric Lady Lab" I'm re-uploading my recording of them performing their stunning new single "Touch me". The song contains a sample of A-ha's old classic "The sun always shine on TV" and if you like me also love Morten Harket's voice you'll be glad to know that it's still included somewhere in this great song :D

So all we are missing is a re-mix right? Well you don't have to wait, here it is.
Touch Me (Svenstrup & Vendelboe Remix)

Tin Can Radio

Tin Can Radio are an Aussie Indie band, also Drum and Bass, Powerpop, and Disco Punk is in their genre bag. All in all a pretty cool band. Could be interesting if they ever made it up to the States. But then again Australia is pretty big, you think?  Gotta love that bus.

The band members are:
Jack Potter - Bass, MPC, Synth, BVo's
Simon Irving - Guitar, MPC, BVo's
Tom Wearne - Vocals, Trumpet, Guitar, Synth
Al Murray - Drums, Meat flute
Rob Nobillia - Synths, Keys, Sexaphone, BVo's

Their music will make you happy, check out their new single Hot Trash, and I bet you can't keep still. Very infectious. Great sounds.


Hot Trash

Directed by: Rachel Baring Designed by: Katren Wood
Tin Can Radio Unearthed profile
triple j Unearthed NIDA coproduction 2011

"Hot Trash is about change. The guitars will make you float round the room and accidentally punch your fist through the ceiling," explains front-man and guitarist, Tom Wearne.

To get a feel for them and hear some more of their sounds check out this tour movie when they were heading round Perth and Alice Springs.
Chase The Sun, Hold The Night Tour


Here's part two of the tour.


And finally today a tremendous live performance from Tin Can Radio

Live recording of Tin Can Radio on Revolt Melbourne's Mainstage May 2011
documented by Hollow moon and Revolt Productions Pty Ltd

You can check out more tracks here.

or here:

Kathryn Calder

Kathryn Calder is one of those artists who belies her age. She began her professional music career as a teenager, and by the time that most people are just stepping into their first independent record store, she had recorded 2 EPS and 4 CDs with the Victoria based Immaculate Machine (from whom she parted ways in 2008), and toured the world and recorded three albums as the newest member of The New Pornographers.

Kathryn is of course from Canada, so much vocal talent up there. Must be the wheaties.
She has this beautiful new album just released, Bright and Vivid, check it out.

Great video, great song. Love it.
Who Are You?

Who Are You? from Kathryn Calder's sophomore album,
Bright and Vivid, out Oct. 25th, 2011 on File Under: Music.
Directed by Jesse Ewles and Cameron Tomsett.

A live version of another track from the album.
City of Sounds

Kathryn Calder performs 'City of Sounds' on the Tipi Stage at the End of the Road Festival, Larmer Tree Park, Dorset on the 4th of September 2011.

Down the River

The next day, live at End of the Road 2011 on September 5, 2011.

Another cool video from Kathryn, from her previous album.
Arrow

Black Cherry Perry Mississippi Medicine Show

Always a lover of the blues I'm ever on the lookout for "new" blues bands. Of course I'm also a huge fan of the originals, sadly not too many of them around nowadays.
But let's check out this band with the glorious name Black Cherry Perry Mississippi Medicine Show.

Vocalist/harp player Black Cherry Perry conceived the Mississippi Medicine Show in the fall of 2003, while on a trip to the Mississippi Delta, just south of Memphis. Scouring juke joints and festivals, he saw first hand how the Delta musicians approached their music and their performance. A chance meeting with a young gypsy woman in West Helena, Arkansas helped create a musical vision that has since become the Mississippi Medicine Show. Led by charismatic singer/harmonica player, "Black Cherry Perry", Black Cherry Perry's Mississippi Medicine Show has burst onto the Calgary music scene. "Blues for people who don't like blues" is one description that's been given about the band. "Dancing blues", "party blues" and even "biker blues" are other declarations audiences have used to describe the blending of The Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters, Led Zeppelin, Willie Dixon, ZZ Top, SRV and CCR into the band's unique musical and visual presentation. This is a band that loves playing together, and loves the songs themselves. This is reflected in the way audiences respond to their infectious live performances.

The band is made up of:
Glen "G-Man" Moman guitar/vocals
John "The Chauffeur" Clark bass/vocals
Aaron "The Marauder" McEathron drums/vocals
...and of course Choke the Chicken
Keep an ear open for their latest release The Book of Spells.  Good stuff.

But it's still the blues, whichever way you want to put it. First up a couple of tunes from Olympic Plaza - Noon August 17, 2011 - sadly this camera had a problem with the bass sounds. But still riveting performances, thanks amarok50.
Good Morning Judge


Coupe De Jour

Rock and Roll

Choke the Chicken

Men in Slow Motion

Why are all the best commercials for beer?
This one has to be one of the best commercials I've seen in a long, long time.
And it's not that I'm a fan of Carlton Draught, as far as I know you cannot get it in the USA.
So enjoy this commercial responsibly

Kimya Dawson

Kimya Dawson is a unique singer / songwriter who deserves world wide recognition.
Maybe her new album, Thunder Thighs, will help.
It certainly should, give it a listen, a real listen, and you will be blown away by her lyrics.
This is one totally awesome album. I cannot recommend it enough.

Live acapella from Thunder Thighs

Live acapella,Oberlin Ohio - Thunder Thighs Oct 18th

Miami Advice

Feat. Aesop Rock, and The Olympia Free Choir

All I Could Do

Kimya Dawson performs All I Could Do for her chickens Marmon, Camilla, and Dakota. This song will appear on her upcoming LP Thunder Thighs, released October 25th!

Kimya at Ted x Boulder

Ex- Moldy Peaches singer/songwriter Kimya Dawson is most widely known for the Grammy nominated, Platinum selling soundtrack for the movie JUNO. Kimya's forth coming solo album "Thunder Thighs" has major and minor themes including oceans, cancer, transgendered heroes, feeling safe in your own skin, saving public libraries and making big albums in a small, familial way. The album features guest performances by rapper/producer Aesop Rock + members of the Strokes, Mountain Goats, and more. Thunder Thighs is being self released on Kimya's own label Great Crap Factory on October 25, 2011

La Sera

La Sera is the brand new project of Katy Goodman (Vivian Girls, All Saints Day). And they have a new self titled album on release.
Recorded in Seattle with a tambourine, guitar, and layers upon layers of heavenly vocals, La Sera muses on death, love, and love lost within the span of two minute choiral pop blisters.
Check out some of their recent appearances. I'm digging them.

A really cool cover of a song written by Michael Nesmith, originally recorded by the Greenbriar Boys in 1966, but best known as a hit for Linda Ronstadt.
Different Drum

La Sera perform in live concert at Make Music Pasadena Festival in Pasadena, California on 06/18/2011.

A new song at SXSW this year.


Never Come Around

Live in Austin (SXSW) earlier this year.

Devils Hearts Grow Gold

Official video for "Devils Hearts Grow Gold," featuring a daylight slow-mo mosh pit, confetti explosions, dice, and none other than Sean Tillmann (Har Mar Superstar) playing the role of the devil. Directed by Vice Cooler. The debut CD/LP from La Sera is out now on Hardly Art.

Peggy Sue

Peggy Sue, the singers not the song. I guess it was just a matter of time. After my initial disbelief, it was kind of like when I first heard of someone else using the name Elvis, I really liked the sounds that Peggy Sue produce. And their second album, Acrobats, is pretty amazing. Check out this review. Here's a couple of songs from it, you can make up your own minds.

Song & Dance

"Song & Dance" is taken from the album Acrobats, out yesterday in the U.S on Yep Roc Records and available from 12th September in the UK and the rest of the world on Wichita Recordings.

Cut My Teeth


Funeral Beat

live performance at Meltdown Festival for Bandstand Busking

Lucy Wise and the B'Gollies

Some fresh sounds on a fine fall day. Lucy Wise and the B'Gollies hail from Australia, Melbourne I believe. Lucy is a mighty fine fiddler, with a beautiful voice. The rest of the B'Gollies are also talented in there own right (more info below).

Check out a couple of live performances and that will give you the urge to go seek out their self titled new album. Might good stuff.

Ruthie's Song

Fairbridge Festival 2011

Something Pocket Sized

Lucy Wise at Fairbridge, fresh from the National Folk Festival in Canberra.

Here's a touch of Lucy as a solo violinist, a couple of years ago.
Winderslide

Lucy Wise playing an old time fiddle tune she learned from Rayna Gellert.

From a very musical Margaret River family, Lucy Wise is 20, but well seasoned. A wonderfully natural singer and uncommonly gifted writer, she leads an excellent band. Prediction: within this decade she will be a noted songster, worldwide. Lucy Wise & the B’Gollies is Lucy’s first full-length album as singer-songwriter. Her songs are vivid, intimate, observant, often poignant. They are never self-important, pretentious, whining. In this context (she plays many instruments) Lucy sings and plays acoustic guitar, Appalachian dulcimer and ukulele. Sound Engineer Mischa Herman is also the accordionist.The other three B’Gollies – double bassist Holly Downes, violinist Chris Stone and acoustic guitarist/harmony singer Graham McLeod – are also an excellent trio in their own right, as String Contingent. Holly is one of the select few bassists who can really use the bow.[exystence]

Still Corners

Still Corners is a band formed in 2008 in London, England. Built on the siren-like vocals of Tessa Murray and atmospheric songs of Greg Hughes, they create a wash of Lynch-esque inspired love songs.

The group’s self-released EP titled “Remember Pepper?” (2008) quickly gained momentum with the indie blogoshere and paved the way to their first string of live shows with Leon Dufficy on guitar and Luke Jarvis on bass.

By 2010 Still Corners had garnered wide critical success with a string of singles including the Don’t Fall In Love/Wish 7-inch on cult label the Great Pop Supplement and the haunting Endless Summer.

Building on a reputation for edgier live shows mixing in film projections, Still Corners have just completed their first US and UK tours. Their full length Sub Pop debut is due October 2011.

See below for upcoming tour dates.  And glad to see they have a local gig.

Creatures Of An Hour (Album Trailer Video)

Check out the album

Endless Summer

This session was recorded by FaceCulture in the attic of café De Pont in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on September 22, 2011. Dream pop duo Still Corners plays the song Endless Summer, which is on their debut album Creatures Of An Hour (2011).

Here's a great live appearance at SXSW.
Cuckoo

Live at SXSW (Austin TX) 2011 [reappear2wintheprize]

Wish

directed by Lucy Dyson

Check out some of their releases here.

Upcoming USA tour dates.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 Drake Underground, Toronto, Canada
Thursday, October 27, 2011 Schubas Tavern, Chicago, IL
Friday, October 28, 2011 7th St Entry, Minneapolis MN
Monday, October 31, 2011 Media Club, Vancouver Canada
Tuesday, November 1, 2011 Sunset Tavern, Seattle WA
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 Mississippi Studios, Portland OR
Friday, November 4, 2011 Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco CA
Saturday, November 5, 2011 Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles CA

Check out their mixtape.
Still Corners 'Cuckoo' single launch mix by LeonDufficy