MP3: "Joy Kicks Darkness" (sample) - Ash

With the introduction of their unique A-Z singles subscription service last month, members of the indie band Ash have created a new type of music distribution model. For a one-time subscription fee of approximately $20, subscribers will receive 26 vinyl and digital copies of new songs - one every two weeks - until October 2010. Regardless of when subscribers sign up, they will receive all 26 vinyl and/or digital singles. The first single, "True Love 1980", was released last month.

After deciding they would never again release a traditional LP record, and instead only put out series of singles, Ash devised the A-Z subscription series (see the promo video below). By doing so, the band has set out into a brave new world where the musicians take back more control of their work while simultaneously focusing on building a stronger relationship with their most dedicated and loyal fans.

If you think about it - from a marketing standpoint, and other angles like promotion, fan retention and publicity - the idea is genius. Don't be surprised if other artists and bands follow a similar path to releasing new music (we'll have more about this later in a feature called "Is the LP Concept Dead?").

To find the subscription that works best for you - including iTunes - visit the band's official web store. Check out the FAQs page for full details.

There are hundreds of new music videos that have come out in the past few weeks and months, but the following are favorites here in the cafe. Included in this installment of New Music Videos are song reels from the awesome 'buzz' band Surfer Blood, plus Matt & Kim, Monsters of Folk, Japandroids, Fool's Gold, The Horrors, Little Comets and an album promo video of Julian Casablancas' Phrazes for the Young. First, though, check out this just released (11/16) video of Beck and The Record Club (including Wilco and Feist members) covering former Moby Grape and Jefferson Starship member Skip Spence's "Little Hands," followed by an MP3 of the original song.


MP3: "Little Hands" - Skip Spence


MP3: "Swim (To Reach The End)" - Surfer Blood


MP3: "Daylight" - Matt & Kim


MP3: "Say Please" - Monsters of Folk


MP3: "Crazy/Forever" - Japandroids


MP3: "Whole New Way" - The Horrors


Julian Casablancas - Album Preview Video for Phrazes for the Young
MP3: "11th Dimension" - Julian Casablancas


MP3: "Surprise Hotel" - Fool's Gold



In Case You Missed:

Names in Songs, Mix II: Freelance Whales, Conor Oberst, The Kinks, Animal Collective, The Dodos & Yo La Tengo

The Musical Genius of Singer-Songwriter Will Stratton

Today's Best Indie Rock Releases: Zack Martin, Anders Ponders, Tommy T, Pants Yell and Bears In Heaven

The Interestingly Eccentric Indie Rock of Brooklyn's One Man Band Brad Oberhofer

Indie Cover Songs, Vol. V: The Format, Ruby Weapon, Radiohead, Broken Social Scene, Dr. Dog & Band of Horses

Band of The Week: Long Beach Folk Pop Band Avi Buffalo

Today's New Indie Releases: Orba Squara, The Swell Season, The Whigs, I Love You, Glass Ghost, Pugwash, Lullwater & More

Labels: Indie Rock Videos

"Ready, Able" - Grizzly Bear from Veckatimest (2009)

Kicking off this latest installment of Indie Rock Videos is the just released official video (above) of Grizzly Bear's "Ready, Able" from their highly acclaimed 2009 LP, Veckatimest. Check out Yo La Tengo performing "Here To Fall" from their latest LP, Popular Songs, on a rooftop in Brooklyn last month for Pitchfork TV.

Following Yo La Tengo is another Pitchfork TV premier of No Age's video for the title track off their latest EP, Losing Feeling. Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan stopped by David Lynch Foundation's studios recently to talk about the song crafting process, including his contribution to Lynch's film soundtrack for Lost Highway.

Beck and The Record Club continue to dazzle with their cover versions of Leonard Cohen songs; during the summer, the club launched their project with various cover songs from The Velvet Underground. Featured below is the video for the Cohen cover of "Sisters of Mercy," (plus the original track) featuring Beck, Devendra Banhart and MGMT. Lastly, watch a new video from The Valentines, a UK rock band that you probably unfamiliar with, but hopefully will hear more from in the near future. The vid was sent in by director Liam Simpson.


"Here To Fall" - Yo La Tengo from Popular Songs (2009)


"You're A Target" - No Age from Losing Feeling EP (2009)


"Eye" - Smashing Pumpkins from Lost Highway soundtrack (1996)


"Sisters of Mercy" (Original Version) - Leonard Cohen from Greatest Hits (1975)


Stream "We Are The Band" and other songs from this up and coming UK band (not to be confused with The Valentines band of four decades ago).

Other Posts You Might Enjoy:

In The Reels: 'Where The Wild Things Are' and Karen O and The Kids Soundtrack

New Music Videos from The Bright Light Social Hour, Pearl Jam, The Flaming Lips and IndieDoc Film 'East of Sunset'

Indie Cover Songs, Vol. V: The Format, Ruby Weapon, Radiohead, Broken Social Scene, Dr. Dog & Band of Horses

Ears To The Music, VIII: Mountain Goats, Chll Pll, Shaky Hands, Mission of Burma, Land of Talk, The Very Most & More

Today's Best Indie Releases: Julian Casablancas, Yeasayer, The Swimmers and the Nocturnal States Compilation

Band of The Week: Long Beach Folk Pop Band Avi Buffalo

Special Playlists:

Alternative and Indie Christmas Songs Playlist Mix Series

The Definitive Collection of Indie Halloween Songs

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Labels: Beck, Grizzly Bear, Indie Rock Videos

The long-awaited major movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's timeless classic Where The Wild Things Are premiered in theaters nationwide this weekend. As everyone who has fond memories, and some scary ones too, of the words and illustrations that made the wild things an unforgettable tale, we are excited to see the much anticipated film by accomplished director Spike Jonze. The clip below shows Jonze and Sendak discussing the adaptation and also delves into why Sendak feels the film is a great compliment to his original work.

Labels: Indie Rock Soundtracks, Indie Rock Videos

"Back and Forth" - The Bright Light Social Hour from s/t EP (2009)

The first video presented in this special indie and alternative rock video special feature is from the Austin band The Bright Light Social Hour who created quite a buzz at the Austin City Limits Festival on Friday, grabbing the Sound & Jury award.

Also check out new music videos from Pearl Jam, The Flaming Lips, Sufjan Stevens, The Dodos, Yo La Tengo, The Antlers, Fanfarlo, Portugal The Man, Port O'Brien, Volcano Choir, Sunset Rubdown and a special preview of the new indie rockumentary East of Sunset.













The new indie film East of Sunset examines the indie rock music scene in communities east of the Sunset Strip, such as Silverlake and Echo Park. The film features LA-area popular bands like The Happy Hallows, The Henry Clay People, Le Switch, The Transmissions, The Movies, plus bands and artists that broke out from the strip to a national and international audience over the years, including indie rockers like Silversun Pickups, Everest, Beck, Elliott Smith, Earlimart and The Airborne Toxic Event.

In addition to performances, the film features interviews with Los Angeles music writers and DJs as well as band members of some of the most popular of the hundreds of bands and artists making the scene in east LA. The film was produced and directed by Ryan Maples and it is being distributed in partnership with Thrillhouse Productions. Check out http://www.EastofSunsetFilm.com

Labels: Indie Rock Videos

Norway's Hove Festival was held a few weeks ago featuring a powerful three-day line-up of musical acts, including Panic at the Disco, Beck, Foals, The Kooks, MGMT (formerly Management), The Raconteurs, and a rare performance by indie rock legends the Brian Jonestown Massacre (photo, above).

The BJM, who were featured with The Dandy Warhols in the compelling rockumentary film, DiG!, was, by all accounts, and considering a history of brawling and drug and alcohol abuse, awesome. This is how you want to see BJM in concert.

Beck performing at Norway's Hove Festival 2008
Other favorite rock and indie artists and bands at the 2008 Hove Festival included Yeasayer, Foals, Flogging Molly, Les Savy Fav, The Cool Kids, Stars, Dinosaur Jr., Paramore, The Go Team and a dozen others. Access the full video playlist.

We've all seen enough low-quality, hand-held videos of music concerts and festivals on YouTube and other popular social media networks. But it is rare to find high-quality video and audio, not to mention full sets, from some of indie's biggest groups and artists for free.

The videos are hosted by NRKP3 in Norway. There is no information listed about how long the shows, complete with thrilling crowd shots, roaming camera cranes and top-notch production, will be available for unlimited, free viewing. See 'em while you can.

Labels: Beck, Festivals, Foals, Hove Festival, Indie Rock Videos, MGMT, Panic at the Disco, Raconteurs, The Kooks, Yeasayer

There's been surprisingly few notable new indie releases so far this July. Still, there's some great music that has come out in the past two weeks, including new albums from artists like Earlimart, The Great Northwest, Tilly and the Wall, Girl Talk, Travis and Wolf Parade.

The two remaining band members of Los Angeles band Earlimart, Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray, have released their newest album, Hymn and Her, this month, building off the success of last year's Mentor Tormentor.

"Acoustic guitars chime over drum loops, keyboards bubble in the background, and harmonies thicken the melodies,' according to Allmusic.com.

"Yet Hymn and Her still sounds intimate, as if the band mates have discovered how to funnel their densely populated songs into warm, mellow washes of sound."

MP3: "Song For" by Earlimart off Hymn and Her

Following a three-year hiatus recording solo projects, Montreal's Wolf Parade band members Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner with a new album titled At Mount Zoomer, and an impressive follow-up to their 2005 hailed debut Apologies to the Queen Mary.

MP3: "Call It A Ritual" by Wolf Parade from At Mount Zoomer
MP3: "Chief John" by The Great Northwest from the new CD The Widespread Reign - available July 29, 2008

MP3: "Pot Kettle Black" by Tilly and the Wall from O

MP3: "Cacophony" by Tilly and the Wall from O

Here's the YouTube video for "Pot Kettle Black":

Labels: Earlimart, Free Indie MP3s, Indie Rock Videos, MP3s, The Great Northwest, Tilly and the Wall

UPDATE: Colbert Claims Victory - Read now

Last night, Steven Colbert of The Colbert Report - one of my favorite TV personalities after John Stewart and David Letterman - accused The Decemberists indie rock band of stealing his idea of the green-scene animation contest.

On an episode of the show last month, Colbert asked his viewers to create an animation enhancement of a video Colbert made against a green back scene.

The low budget, shoddy shot video shows a crazed Colbert swinging around wildly making geeky gestures that only he can with a "laser sword" (a comic take on Star Wars) against a green back scene.

Nowadays, many movies ("Shrek" being one of the first), music videos and other visual media are recorded using a green back scene. The green screen (it was blue in the early days) allows animators to more easily add and fill in animated characters, special effects, backgrounds, spatial data and so on, thereby creating, a cyber collaboration, if you will.

On November 13, prior to the issue being reported on CNET, IRC posted a profile of The Decemberists that included a mention of their green-screen animation contest and its likeness to the Colbert video.

I was surprised, and somewhat excited last night when at the top of his program, Colbert blasted The Decemberists for holding a similar "fill in the green-scene" contest for their new music video O Valencia!.

So I asked the obvious question: Does Stephen Colbert read my blog?

If so, it's OK, I love you Stephen, even though your a conversative Republican (or at least play one on TV).

If you can't admit you regularily read my indie rock blog showcasing the best of indie music, then shame on you, Mr. Colbert!

A T-shirt is in the mail.

Now my challenge: Who got the story right the first time?

A - Indie Rock Cafe
B - The Colbert Report
C - CNET News
D - Stereogum
E - Pitchfork

Labels: Indie Rock Videos, Steven Colbet, The Decemberists