Classic Video: Max Tundra - "Ink Me"

This is one of my favourite videos. It encapsulates everything that's bonkers yet lovable about Ben Jacob's music. I'm really looking forward to hearing his new record, whenever he finally finishes it. Hurry up Max! it's been nearly five years already!

Aaron Eckhart to play Harvey Dent in "The Dark Knight"

It has been announced that Neil LaBute regular and devout Mormon Aaron Eckhart is to play Harvey Dent in the upcoming Batman sequel "The Dark Knight". Many an actor has been linked with the coveted role over the past few months including Ryan Phillipe, Liev Schreiber, Josh Lucas and Justin Timberlake! (seriously, I read this). Now, all Batman fans worth their salt know that Harvey Dent is the alter ego of the villainous Two-Face, but word has it that in this movie Dent will be a good guy, helping Batman bring his arch-nemesis The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, to justice before assuming primary bad guy status in the next sequel. I personally think this is inspired casting; Eckhart is a fantastic character actor and his square-jawed charisma is a good fit for the conflicted district attorney. Also rumoured to be joining the cast is Maggie Gyllenhaal who is set to replace Katie Holmes as assistant D.A Rachel Dawes, probably due to the fact that Holmes is now a weird scientologist who'll probably be too busy ridding herself of all those nasty body thetans, but then she was crap in the first movie anyway so it's probably for the best. Christopher Nolan has shown himself to be shrewd when it comes to casting choices in the past and despite my initial reservations about Heath Ledger playing The Joker, I remain convinced that "The Dark Knight" will be another resounding success for the British director. Filming begins in March with a tentative release date of May 2008.

"Grind House" Trailer!

This is the new trailer from the forthcoming Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez collaboration "Grindhouse", which will be divided up into two 90 minutes features, "Planet Terror" which will helmed by Rodriguez, and "Death Proof" which will be directed by Tarantino. Pretty cool trailer.

New El-P - "I'll Sleep When You're Dead"

El-P (Jaime Meline) has been a long time coming with the follow up to his 2003 classic "Fantastic Damage", and when I heard his new lp "I'll Sleep When You're Dead" featured cameos aplenty from the likes of The Mars Volta (boo) and Cat Power I thought it was a sign he had succumbed to the hip-hop tradition of having guest stars on every track which would have been a shame for someone as unconventional as he. Luckily, this proved not to be the case, and in truth, the supporting players are barely noticeable and are incorporated seamlessly into the mix. When I heard the new record, although it was a promo copy and I had to endure hearing "this promo belongs to Matthew Snider" every few minutes, I was glad to hear that El-P hadn't deviated too far from his previous album; "Dead" has the same syrupy but dense and atmospheric production but is perhaps slightly more listener-friendly than before, which isn't a bad thing, as "Fantastic Damage", brilliant album though it is, took me a while to get in to. I've posted the tremendous opener "Tasmanian Pain Coaster", which bears all his usual hallmarks i.e. tinny lo-fi beats and lightning quick rhyming, and is one of the record's highlights, of which there are many.

El-P - "Tasmanian Pain Coaster" (mp3) - http://www.mediamax.com/dirkmcsteel/Hosted/01%20Tasmanian%20Pain%20Coaster.mp3

Ron Howard to remake "Cache"

I read a truly bone-chilling rumour today on Variety. Apparently Brian Grazer has bought the rights to remake Michael Haneke's 2005 masterpiece "Cache" (Hidden) and if that wasn't bad enough, consider the news that Ron Howard is eyeing the directors chair. To me, this is unspeakable horror. Ron Howard is the absolute definition of mediocrity, in fact, I bet if I went out and looked up mediocre in the dictionary, it would have a picture of Howard's ugly ginger grin staring straight out at me. "Hidden" was a highly complex and profoundly disturbing picture which made incisive points about collective French guilt when it comes to the treatment of Algerian immigrants in their country. The idea that the director of "Backdraft" and "Far and Away" would have the gall to tackle this kind of material brings tears to my eyes. The article also said to "expect the suspense and consequences to be amped up", which basically means that they'll be taking the basic premise of the original, which is a middle class couple receiving threatening letters and videotapes from an anonymous source, and then Americanizing it, turning it into a formulaic cat and mouse thriller, thereby stripping the story of any intellectual content, much like the 1994 remake of The Vanishing. The dastards!

Plush - "Fed"

"My creation has drowned me", croons Liam Hayes on opening track "Whose Blues", and, bearing in mind the fascinating back story which surrounds the making of "Fed", it's not hard to discern what he's talking about. After the release of his debut single "Three Quarters Blind Eyes/Found a Little Baby" in 1994, Hayes didn't actually release his debut album until four years later; "More You Becomes You" was a spare though beautiful set of delicate piano ballads clearly heavily influenced by Burt Bacharach's more instropective moments, but as accomplished as that record was, it was rumoured that "More You Becomes You" was just a stopgap to buy the chicago native some time while he worked on his magnum opus. Hayes has always had a reputation for being an obsessive perfectionist, and this stubborness almost drove him to the brink of financial and personal ruin while overseeing the torturous recording process for "Fed"; he had actually written the songs which make up the album by the late 90's, but spent the next three years painstakingly recording and then repeatedly re-recording his songs with the help of engineer Steve Albini and a stellar assembly of renowned soul veterans including arranger Tom Tom MMLXXXIV and drummer Mason Jennings until he was satisfied with the results. Naturally, the cost of hiring these talents was hard on Hayes pocket; By the time "Fed" was released in 2002, he had incurred a debt of almost 100,000 dollars, and perhaps unsurprisingly, found that no label in the United States were willing to pay the licensing fees required to distribute the record, which left Hayes in limbo, considering he had borrowed money from his friends and family to realise his vision. Eventually Japanese label After Hours agreed to buy the rights but only on the condition that the album could never be released outside Japan, which must have been a particularly bitter blow for Hayes, to spend eight years crafting your defining statement only to discover that most people will likely never hear it. Hayes still remains five years after it's release a mostly unknown quantity, and this is a shame as this man's ambition, dedication to his craft and sheer talent puts most other singer-songwriters today in the shade. His style is unique in the modern music scene as he really doesn't sound like any contemporary artists. The songs on "Fed" evoke the likes of Todd Rundgren and Harry Nilsson without descending into imitation and he expertly fuses elements of R & B and blues into a powerful and distinctive whole. The complete opposite of his previous album which was simple and minimal, "Fed" is overloaded with horns, strings and brass, almost to the point where it seems like the songs are gonna burst at the seams due to sheer excess. The fact that it somehow works is a credit to Hayes and Albini who have created a lush and richly textured sound which I guess isn't surprising really considering the amount of time and money which was expended on the project. "Fed" is also unique in that the lyrics often document the making of the album, giving a window into Hayes's anguish during the process, and the overriding theme is that of a socially maladjusted man who is obsessively fixated on his goals to the detriment of his personal relationships. However, this is not to say that the record is bleak, far from it; in fact, the 14 tracks are positively overflowing with jauntiness and good vibes; Hayes does a nice line in self-deprecation - poking fun at his uncomprising nature on "Blown Away" with the line "somebody told me I was great/maybe it was my mother", and also on the brilliant pop moment "Greyhound Bus Station", which contains the gem "everyone said that I was too far gone/to sing this song". I have no doubt that "Fed" will come to be regarded as one of the great "lost" albums due to the fact that people love mythology when it comes to music, as Kevin Shields and Brian Wilson would no doubt testify, but above all else, what grants this album classic status in my opinion, is that fact that the likes of "I've Changed My Number" and "No Education" are loaded with memorable hooks and feature some of the most beautiful vocals you're likely to hear anywhere, courtesy of Hayes fragile but expressive voice, which squeezes every last ounce of emotion out of every note. I'm one of the dedicated few who plumped up the cash to buy a copy of the cd from Japan, and I've decided to post it in it's entirety on this blog, for the simple reason that I don't think people should be denied the chance to hear a release of this quality.

Plush - "Fed" - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IGX8E35J

Ricky Jay Card Trick

This is a clip from "Ricky Jay Plays Poker", where the great magician shows a card trick to some friends including the actor John C.Reilly.

Is this guy cool or what? - Ricky Jay

Ricky Jay is a man who has long been a source of fascination for me. Maybe it's because I watched him in countless bit parts through the years in movies like The Spanish Prisoner and Boogie Nights, thinking he was just another grizzled character actor without being aware of his reputation as one of the greatest conjuring and sleight-of-hand artists of the past century. Born in Brooklyn in 1948 or thereabouts (an exact date is hard to come by since he is notoriously guarded about his childhood), Jay first performed magic on television aged 7, and by age 14, under the alias "Tricky Ricky", he was being touted as America's youngest magician. Thereafter followed a spell at a number of different colleges after leaving home, without ever graduating, and several years spent honing his craft, including two appearances on the Tonight Show and a number of gigs as the opening act for bands such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. His ability to manipulate a deck of cards is legendary; By 1976 he had entered the Guiness Book of Records after throwing a playing card 190 feet at 90 miles an hour and he could pierce the inside of a watermelon (which he calls the "thick, pachydermatous outer melon layer") from across a room, as detailed in his rare 1977 book "Cards as Weapons". In an anecdote relayed by Mark Singer in his brilliant New Yorker piece from the mid 90's, Deborah Barton, a screenwriter from Los Angeles where Jay lives, invited him to a New Year's party at her home with a dozen or so other people. After midnight everyone gathered around a living room table to watch Jay perform some close-up card magic at Barton's request and after several dazzling illusions Jay seemed ready to call it a night when one of the other guests, a man named Mort had the temerity to say "Hey Ricky, why don't you do something truly amazing?" Barton recalled that at that moment Ricky gave Mort a look as if to say "Mort, you have just fucked with the wrong guy". Jay then told Mort to pick a card, any card. "The three of hearts" said Mort. After shuffling, Jay then gripped the deck in the palm of his right hand and sprung it, cascading all fifty-two cards so that they travelled the length of the table and pelted an open wine bottle. "O.K., Mort, what was your card again?",Ricky asked. "The three of hearts". "Look inside the wine bottle". Mort discovered curled up inside the neck, the three of hearts. Needless to say the party broke up immediately. Indeed, Jay's magic has often confounded even other magicians, who although occasionally labelling him an elitist, have compared him favourably with Houdini and it's refreshing to see a magician with an air of mystery who aspires to create a genuine sense of wonder, especially when compared to celebrity "magicians" like David Blaine (yawn) and David Copperfield. In his thirty-odd years in the business, Jay has gained a lot of famous friends including playwright and filmmaker David Mamet who in addition to casting Jay in many of his films including House of Games and Heist, has also directed two of the conjurer's stage productions, "On the Stem" and "Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants" (the 52 assistants in questions being his deck of cards) which was also the subject of a HBO special. Mamet, with his long-standing interest in con-men and the art of deception seems to have something of a kindred spirit in Jay, has referred to him on more than one occasion as "my hero", and has often sought his advice when writing a new screenplay. He's not the only one; Jay's consultancy firm Deceptive Practices, which he set up with Michael Weber, has provided "arcane knowledge on a need to know basis" on movies as diverse as "Leap of Faith", "The Prestige", "The Illusionist" and "Forrest Gump" where they advised Robert Zemeckis on the best way to conceal Gary Sinise's legs when he was playing the amputee Lieutenant Dan. Oh, and by the way, when they say "need to know" that's exactly what they mean; actor Hugh Jackman revealed in an interview recently that when he worked with him on "The Prestige", Jay refused to teach him any tricks, even minor ones, such is his seriousness about his craft, which he considers the oldest of all the arts after music. Jay is a noted scholar on the history of conjuring and the bizarre and has written several books on the subject including "Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women" and "Jay's Journal of Anomalies" where he reveals tales of 18th century oddities such as human levitators, dentist magicians, circus fleas who were trained to pull miniscule chariots and Monetto the time-telling dog! Jay's live appearances are rare although he did recently perform in the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles, reviving his "52 Assistants" show for the first time in over a decade, and it's quite disappointing living in Ireland as I do that I will most likely never get a chance to see this great man perform magic in person. As the pundit Charles Krauthammer once wrote: "some people can tell their grandchildren that they saw Muhammed Ali box, you'll be able to tell yours that you saw Ricky Jay deal".

Benoit Pioulard - "Triggering Back" (video)

"Triggering Back" is the first single from Benoit Pioulard's brilliant debut album "Precis", my favourite record of last year.

Classic Album: Jim O'Rourke - "Insignificance"

When discussing the most influential and relevant people in modern alternative music, the name of Jim O'Rourke can never be far from the lips of any serious music fan. In addition to his own solo records and his work with David Grubbs in Gastr Del Sol, one only has to look at the quality and breadth of his collaborators (Smog, Stereolab, John Fahey, Fennesz) to see why he is held in such high regard by his peers. A true musical maverick, his impressive career spans many genres and then some; from laptop ambient to improvised jazz to alternative rock, he has had considerable success at whatever he has tried his hand at. 2001's "Insignificance", the third in his trio of records named after Nicolas Roeg films (after Bad Timing and Eureka), was a pretty radical departure from his previous work, and followed on from the shift towards a more conventional sound hinted at on his earlier EP "Halfway to a Threeway". The addition of Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotchke from fellow Chicagoans Wilco as part of his backing band this time around obviously played a large part in this, as this is the first of O'Rourke's albums to feature his vocals on every track, and the addition of a full band resulted in rousing and immediate guitar rock of the highest order, with touches of his trademark production magic sprinkled throughout the lean seven tracks. O'Rourke also showed himself to have a surprisingly deft lyrical touch, with witty, sarcastic lines such as "If I seem to you just a little bit remote/you'd feel better if you call me a misanthrope/or whatever floats your boat/as for me, I'd rather sink my own" or "Memory Lame's" humorously nasty "Listening to you/ reminds me of a motors endless drone/and why the deaf are so damn lucky" examples of his wry, tongue-in-cheek style. O'Rourke has a fragile, distinctive voice which contributed to the record's reflective mood, and added a layer of poignancy to the crunching rock of tracks like "Therefore I Am" and "All Downhill From Here", resulting in an indie rock record of great warmth and subtlety. It's just a shame then, that since this album's release, O'Rourke has yet to release a follow up, instead preferring to work with the likes of Sonic Youth (revitalising the band in the process), Beth Orton and Joanna Newsom, before taking an indefinite hiatus to concentrate on his ambition to be a filmmaker. Let's hope it doesn't last.

http://www.mediamax.com/dirkmcsteel/Hosted/03%20Therefore,%20I%20Am.mp3- "Therefore I Am" (mp3)

The Shins - "Wincing the Night Away"

In the three long years since their last release, "Chutes Too Narrow", The Shins have undergone a considerable shift in status thanks to the scene in the otherwise awful "Garden State", where Natalie Portman's character declares The Shins to be the band that will "change your life". Before this movie's release, they were a delightfully clever though unassuming indie-pop quartet from Albequerque who had garnered a sizeable fanbase through James Mercer's literate, idiosyncratic lyrics and knack for a winning hook, though I doubt they were anyone's idea of the kind of band that could make a breakthrough beyond the hipster in-crowd and into the mainstream. This is partly due to the fact that they were (and are) incredibly dull in a live setting with nary a trace of charisma or stage presence among them, often relying on the supreme quality of their songs to see them through without having to engage the audience. Listening to their new album "Wincing the Night Away", it's clear that Mercer has attempted to beef up their sound and experiment a little more this time; opener "Sleeping Lessons" starts out typically gently with soft lulling keyboards before exploding into life half way through in a manner which is reminiscent of the Arcade Fire track "Un Annee Sans Lumiere", and gives you the brief impression that you're gonna hear a departure from their tried and trusted formula on "Wincing". This is not the case. Despite mildly successful dalliances with hip-hop beats on "Sea Legs" and "Split Needles", the best tracks on the record are when The Shins do what they best; writing effortlessly catchy and melancholic guitar pop which the likes of "Phantom Limb", "Red Rabbits" and "Turn on Me" deliver in spades. A writer for Village Voice recently remarked that The Shins are a "good band plagued by claims of greatness", which I think is pretty much on the money - These guys were never meant to be world-beaters, and it seems to me that the unreasonable expectations placed on the band probably accounted for the unusually long delay between this record and the last one. Indeed, many long-time fans cried foul when "Wincing" first arrived on the internet in November, a classic example of ridiculous hyperbole building up a head of steam which no record could live up to. In my opinion, this record, though excellent in patches, pales in comparison to "Oh, Inverted World" and especially high-water mark "Chutes Too Narrow", with a few too many tracks that don't really go anywhere, but if you give it time to grow on you and live with it for a while, then it's charms are hard to deny.... Just don't expect it to change your life :.)

http://www.mediamax.com/dirkmcsteel/Hosted/PhantomLimb.mp3 - The Shins - "Phantom Limb" (mp3)

http://www.mediamax.com/dirkmcsteel/Hosted/TheShins-TurnOnMe.mp3 - The Shins - "Turn on Me" (mp3)

The Arcade Fire - "Neon Bible" (mp3's)

Despite my seething resentment and bitterness at failing to secure tickets to see this group play Dublin in March, my disappointment was eased by my landing a copy of the new record "Neon Bible", which has finally leaked onto the internet, and in my opinion, the new record is at the very least the equal of their classic debut. "No Cars Go" is the standout for me, a reworked version of an earlier track featured on their Arcade Fire EP.

http://www.mediamax.com/dirkmcsteel/Hosted/02%20Keep%20The%20Car%20Running.mp3 - "Keep The Car Running" (mp3)

http://www.mediamax.com/dirkmcsteel/Hosted/10%20No%20Cars%20Go.mp3 - "No Cars Go" (mp3)

http://www.mediamax.com/dirkmcsteel/Hosted/04%20Intervention.mp3 - "Intervention" (mp3)

New High Llamas! "Can Cladders"

For the poor unfortunate souls who are unaware of The High Llamas, they were formed in London in 1991 by Sean O'Hagan, originally from Luton but based in County Cork during his late teens and early twenties when he was a member of the group Microdisney with Cathal Coughlan. O'Hagan, along with Jon Fell, Marcus Holdaway and Ron Allum, have now released seven albums of Beach Boys/Burt Bacharach inspired psychedelic pop. Indeed, it's very hard to write about the Llamas without mentioning the clear debt owed to Brian Wilson, something which has clearly rankled O'Hagan in the past, with his understandably not wanting to be seen as derivative of someone else's work, and in fairness to him, there is a lot more to this band than mere hero-worship, with a strong emphasis on electronic experimentation clearly brought on by their frequent collaborations with Stereolab. The quality of O'Hagan's songwriting, while never producing a breakthrough hit, has gained the group a small but devoted following, with the likes of "Green Coaster" and "Literature Is Fluff" timeless tracks that transcend imitation, and on their new release, "Can Cladders", they eschew the proggy folk of their last record "Beet, Maize & Corn" for a return to the sunshine pop of earlier albums "Gideon Gaye" and "Hawaii". In fact, I would say "Can Cladders" contains some of their strongest material yet, with the likes of "The Old Spring Town" and "Bacaroo" featuring beautiful backing vocals and are good examples of O'Hagan's genius gift for arrangement. These guys will most likely never get the acclaim they deserve, but along with the aforementioned Stereolab, they have a vibrancy and colour which makes them one of the more interesting bands in an otherwise mostly dire English music scene.

The High Llamas - "Bacaroo" (mp3) - http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/63443/llamas-bac-mp3.html

2007 Preview!

This isn't what I would call a comprehensive list, but instead of running through the many records that I am looking forward to in 2007, which would take a lifetime, I thought it would be a better idea to pick a few of the most eagerly anticipated releases, some of which I have heard already.





LCD Soundsystem - "Sound of Silver"

James Murphy is on a roll at the moment, after his quite brilliant concept album "45:33", commissioned by Nike, wowed critics and fans in late 2006. So anticipation for his sophomore record "Sound of Silver", due in March, is unsurprisingly huge. Even less surprisingly, the album leaked in it's entirety onto the net last month, most likely meaning his entire fanbase has heard the record four months before it's designated release date. Being one of the unscrupulous evil pirate scum who downloaded it, my opinion of it is thus: I have to admit I was a teensy bit disappointed the first time I heard the record, maybe due to the fact that there isn't an equivalent to the first record's "Yeah" or "Tribulations" on this one. However, after a few listens I began to appreciate the subtle new direction Murphy has taken, with more than one of the tracks informed by krautrock groups like Can and Neu!, suggesting he is keen to prove he is capable of more than gimmicky party tracks like "Losing my Edge" and "Daft Punk is Playing at my House". Opener "Get Innocuous" may be his best track yet, a motorik-driven track with an insistent rhythm and vocals by regular Juan Maclean cohort Nancy Whang. Murphy then delivers obligatory single "North American Scum", which will be the most familiar to fans of his earlier music. Murphy's love of The Fall is well documented and there is a real Fall feel to this track, the song actually bearing a strong resemblance to "Theme From Sparta F.C." by the legendary Manchester group. Further standouts include the unconventional love song "Someone Great", which incorporates elements of "45:33", the anthemic "All My Friends", and the title track, with a strong level of consistency throughout the tight 9 tracks. Overall, an impressive second album, which manages to be a departure of sorts but not at the expense of their by now signature style.

LCD Soundsystem - "North American Scum"(mp3) -
http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/58464/03-North-American-Scum-mp3.html


Air - "Pocket Symphony"

Okay, any fans of Air who love both debut "Moon Safari" and last record "Talkie Walkie" but who were left cold by second album "10,000hz Legend" should probably not await this one with baited breath. "10,000hz Legend" was a difficult, challenging record, prompted by the duo's eagerness not to replicate their debut, and their unwillingness to compromise left them with an album which they have since disowned themselves. I personally liked "Legend", but was still relieved when they reprised the Serge Gainsbourg inspired dream pop of their debut for 2005's "Talkie Walkie", where beautiful songs like "Cherry Blossom Girl" and "Surfing on a Rocket" were given an extra dimension by Nigel Godrich's production. For some reason, when I heard both Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon were to be making guest appearances on "Pocket Symphony", I predicted that this would be a return to a more sombre, low-key reflective Air and I was right: There are very few moments of typical Air pop on this record, very little that warrants repeated listens in my opinion. In fact, I have to say, having heard the album quite a few times by now, that the record is one of the most tedious things these ears have heard in a while. "Symphony" starts off well enough with "Space Maker", a lovely instrumental, before the Air by-numbers "Once Upon a Time", which tries to replicate the formula of their classic material without success. This is followed by the Cocker collaboration "One Hell of a Party", which for me is the obvious standout and one of the few fully-fleshed out tracks on the album. After fourth track "Napalm Love", you come to the realisation that Air have seemingly completely run out of fresh ideas and the whole thing becomes incredibly boring and tiresome by the end.

Air - "Space Maker" (mp3) -
http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/58566/01-Space-Maker-mp3.html



Explosions In The Sky - "Suddenly I Miss Everyone"

With the release of this and Do Make Say Think's "You, You're a History in Rust", it seems the much maligned genre of "post-rock", is in line for a resurgence. Texans Explosions In The Sky have wisely decided to ignore ever-changing trends and stuck to what they do best on "Suddenly I Miss Everyone", their fourth album. For people who don't know, EITS sound like U2, but unlike U2, they don't use a vocalist, meaning they have all the epic beauty of the famed Irish band's music, but none of the annoying and overbearing distraction of a Bono to mar it. This time round, they conjure the grandeur of first album "Those Who Tell The Truth Will Die" on great tracks like "Welcome, Ghosts" and "It's Natural To Be Afraid", meaning long-time fans will be delighted by the "if it ain't broke" approach, and non-fans will be unimpressed by the band's unwillingness to experiment with their tried and trusted formula.

Explosions In The Sky - "Welcome, Ghosts" (mp3) -
http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/58512/02-Welcome--Ghosts-mp3.html





Modest Mouse - "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank"

One of the albums I'm personally looking forward to the most. I always eagerly await a new Modest Mouse record, having being a fan for quite a few years now, and my anticipation for this one has been increased dramatically by the remarkable addition of the legendary Johnny Marr on guitar, which even Marr admits has raised eyebrows in some circles. Their last album "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" was very disappointing to me, a classic example of a band on their major-label debut who lost track of the things that made their music so great, and aside from the breakthrough hit "Float On" and "The World at Large", there was little on the record that could compare to their unquestioned masterpiece, 2000's "The Moon and Antarctica". I heard new single "Dashboard" recently and I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with it, and I hope it's not indicative of the rest of the album, but bearing that in mind, I'm still hopeful that they'll deliver the goods with "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank", a "carnival romp" according to frontman Isacc Brock.

Modest Mouse - "Dashboard" (mp3) -
http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/58505/Modest-Mouse---Dashboard-mp3.html



El-P - "I'll Sleep When You're Dead"

El-P's last record "Fantastic Damage" was a dense, chilling, impenetratable vision of a hellish society on the brink of apocalypse and therefore pretty hard going at times. Just like El-P's (real name Jaime Meline) former band, the seminal underground rap group Company Flow, there were few concessions made to the listener in terms of accessibility, but those who showed patience were rewarded with one of the best true hip-hop releases of recent years. It's been five years now since "Damage", so it will be interesting to see if the notorious perfectionist can repeat or better his success last time around. I've been fortunate enough to have heard two tracks from the new album, "Smithereens" and "Everything Must Go", and from the sound of those two, it's clear that El-P hasn't softened or compromised his sound. Guests on the album include Yo La Tengo's James McNew, Cat Power, Trent Reznor and The Mars Volta. "I'll Sleep When You're Dead" is due in March.

El-P - "Everything Must Go" (mp3) -
http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/58492/El-P---Everything-Must-Go-mp3.html


The Arcade Fire - "Neon Bible"

Recently I came across a review on the influential webzine Pitchfork Media of a track from the new Arcade Fire LP called "Intervention". The response to the song was decidedly lukewarm, with the reviewer in question remarking on the band's perceived lack of sincerity compared to their first record, feeling that the band had gone for the grandstanding emoting of a Bruce Springsteen to hawk their new LP through the airwaves with a radio-friendly single. Well, I personally love Springsteen, I love "Intervention" and I think it's a great taster for the forthcoming big second album "Neon Bible", and having heard two other new tracks from the album recently, "Black Mirror", and "Black Waves/Bad Vibrations", my initial fears about the likelihood of the band recreating the magic of "Funeral" have been allayed.

The Arcade Fire - "Black Mirror" (mp3) -
http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/58471/arcade-fire-black-mirror-mp3.html


Sondre Lerche - "Phantom Punch"

Having heard this album in advance of it's February release, I can honestly say it's one of my favourite records in a while. Lerche has honed his lounge-pop style to perfection this time around, with his better grasp of English making for sharper lyricism than on his previous records, 2002's "Faces Down" and 2004's "Two-Way Monologue". The norwegian wunderkind has always worn his Prefab Sprout influence on his sleeve, even going so far as to namecheck the McAloon brothers on the sleeve of his last album, and "Phantom Punch" is full of brilliant examples of the kind of clever songcraft and arrangement that Paddy McAloon was famous for at his peak. From the infectious opener "Airport Taxi Reception" to the classic pop of the title track, Lerche has really come into his own and developed a singular, distinctive style which sets him apart from his peers. Great stuff.

Sondre Lerche - "Phantom Punch" (mp3) -
http://www.sharebigfile.com/file/58483/04-Phantom-Punch-mp3.html

New Bright Eyes Track "Endless Entertainment"

"Endless Entertainment" from Conor Oberst's forthcoming album "Cassadaga", due in April and featuring guests such as M. Ward, Gillian Welch and greatest living drummer, Janet Weiss, formerly of Sleater Kinney. I've been a semi-fan of Bright Eyes since "Fevers and Mirrors", and though I've always found his voice to be a little grating, there's no doubting his talent. This track, though nothing mind-blowing, is an unbeat, jaunty number and hints at a possible slight change of direction on the new record.

Bright Eyes - "Endless Entertainment" (mp3) - http://upload2.net/page/download/X1OBg7cRHNt3z0r/Bright+Eyes+-+Endless+Entertainment.mp3.html