Thao & Dianna Agron From "Glee" Debut New Video for Oxfam America

Dianna Agron (Quinn from Fox's Glee) recently shot a video for our friends Thao with the Get Down Stay Down's song "Body", which debuted exclusively on the Oxfam America website.

As Thao explains:

“Last winter, Dianna contacted me to see about directing her first music video for my band. I so readily agreed, the internet could not deliver my consent fast enough. We met one day on Skype while I was on tour in Europe and Dianna was on set. "Body" (from the band's latest record Know Better Learn Faster) was shot on Valentine's Day on Dianna's bed.

Dianna and I offered the exclusive premiere to Oxfam America in hopes of directing traffic to Oxfam's site and encouraging action to support Oxfam's efforts, particularly on behalf of the world's poorest, who are hit hardest by the effects of climate change.”

The video also features a candid (and funny) three-minute spoken introduction from Dianna and Thao, giving fans some insight into their friendship, Thao’s work with Oxfam, and how the video came to be.



Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - "Know Better Learn Faster" mp3

Take Action with Oxfam America! Tell your Senators: The hardest hit communities can’t wait another decade!

Take to the high seas with The Dead Weather in NYC Monday night!

Jack White's always reminded me of a pirate character, so it's kind of fitting that our friends at FILTER are throwing a listening party for the new album from The Dead Weather, "Sea Of Cowards" on a Hudson River cruise boat Monday night:



RSVP here.

Learn how to Tweet to get a free mp3 from the new album here.

JJ: Seaside Sounds

JJ no.3 actually came out last month, while winter was still lingering here in Boston. But as the sun re-emerges and the air warms with the promise of spring, I find myself listening to the Swedish duo’s third album more or less constantly—right now, their tropical-tinged, sample-inflected hazy pop songs just sound perfectly uplifting.

On “Let Go,” Elin Kastlander’s voice is as gentle as an ocean breeze and as gritty as sand—striking a perfect balance between sweetness and salty melancholy. When she sings, “Let go / let your skin show / that you’ve been in the sun today / let’s go / let your mind blow / all your sorrows away,” I’m ready to start making plans for my next beach vacation.

Download JJ’s “Let Go” on MP3 (sunscreen not included).

- Anna K

Patrick Watson Brings Distinctive Sound to US Tour

Montreal musician/self-titled band Patrick Watson—whose clanking, clattering, crooning, unpredictable Wooden Arms was one of my favorite albums from 2009—are heading out on their first US tour for a long time. Catch Watson and his band at the dates below… but why no Boston, hmm, guys? Don't tell me I'm going to have to go all the way to NYC to get my fix.

Patrick Watson - 2010 Tour Dates
Apr 21 Rimouski @ Salle Desjardins-Telus Rimouski, Quebec #
Apr 22 Sept-Iles @ Salle de Spectacle Jean-Marc Dion Sept-Iles, Quebec #
Apr 23 Baie-Comeau @ Théâtre de Baie-Comeau Baie-Comeau, Quebec #
Apr 25 Québec @ L'Impérial de Québec Québec, Quebec #
May 04 Laval QC @ Église Sainte-Rose Laval, Quebec
May 06 Brooklyn NY @ Bell House Brooklyn %
May 07 New York NY @ 92YTribeca New York %
May 08 Washington DC @ Rock & Roll hotel Washington %
May 17 Chicago IL @ Schuba's Chicago
May 19 Denver CO @ Larimer Lounge Denver
May 22 Los Angeles CA @ Hotel Café Los Angeles
May 24 San Diego CA @ Casbah San Diego
May 26 San Francisco CA @ Café du Nord San Francisco
May 28 Portland OR @ Doug Fir Portland, Oregon *
May 29 Quincy WA @ Sasquatch Festival Quincy
# w/ Timber Timbre
% w/ Doveman
* w/ Laura Marling

And to get a feel for the band's distinctive sound, download the rain-spattered, string-haunted lament “Tracy's Waters” on MP3.

-- Anna K

New Album From The Futureheads in June, Get The Single Here Now.

The Futureheads' fourth album, The Chaos, gets a US release on June 1 via Dovecote Records.

Here's the first single, a slice of the kind of punky-pop the band is best known for:

The Futureheads - "Struck Dumb" mp3

The Futureheads on Myspace
The Futureheads Official Website
The Futureheads Twitter

Eastergaze with Serena-Maneesh and the Depreciation Guild

Instead of hunting for eggs or using peeps to recreate 20th-century masterworks, I spent my Easter Sunday at TT the Bear’s, having my eardrums vibrated by the fuzz-drenched double bill of Serena-Maneesh and the Depreciation Guild .

The latter’s forthcoming Spirit Youth has already found a home on my spring playlist, especially songs like “Trace,” “My Chariot,” and the elated, giddy guitar-swirl of “Dream About Me.” Despite a slightly muddy live sound mix that buried Kurt Feldman’s soft vocals, the Depreciation Guild played a tight and energetic live set, with fluttery synths and tight drums sharpening the intensity of their blurred, noise-drenched sound.

Download The Depreciation Guild – "My Chariot" MP3

Meanwhile, headliners Serena-Maneesh started a little short-handed with the absence of core member Hilma—I have to admit I missed not only her distinctive stage presence, but also her whispery-soft vocals, which add a fascinating lightness to the band’s more abrasive moments. However, singer-guitarist Emile Nikolaisen more than made up for her absence, draped in a ragged blanket and shaking maracas frantically on new songs like the addictive “Ayisha-Abyss” from the newly released No:2: Abyss in B Minor. I picked up a vinyl copy after the show, and if it’s even half as awesome as their last, self-titled album, it will definitely be a worthwhile purchase.



The tour is almost over, alas, but if you move quickly you can catch both bands on these (non-religious-holiday) dates:

4.5 - Milford, CT @ Daniel Street
4.6 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
4.7 - Washington, DC @ DC9
4.8 - New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge

-- Anna K

New Portishead song - "Chase the Tear"

Just when I thought Portishead couldn't possibly get any more awesome, they've gone and released a new song in honor of International Human Rights Day: the propulsive yet hauntingly lovely "Chase the Tear."

You can watch a video of them performing the song below, and make sure you go to 7 digital and download the MP3; it's only 99 cents, and all proceeds go toward Amnesty International.

Portishead - Chase The Tear from Mintonfilm on Vimeo.

- Anna K

Video of the Week - Au Revoir Simone -"Shadows"

From their excellent album Still Night, Still Light, here's the stunning video version of "Shadows" by Au Revoir Simone.



ARS play the Highline Ballroom on January 7. More info here.

Au Revoir Simone - "Through the Backyards" mp3

6-Pack Download from of Montreal, White Rabbits, Jemima Pearl, and Halloween Music From Shiny Toy Guns

Here are six free tracks to add to your Halloween party mix. The of Montreal track kind of makes me want to dress up as Kevin Barnes this year.

Brontosaurus Chorus - "Louisiana" mp3

Shiny Toy Guns - “It’s Halloween At The House Of Spooks” mp3

of Montreal - “Brush Brush Brush” (from Yo Gabba Gabba Soundtrack) mp3

White Rabbits - "Percussion" mp3

Get Busy Committee - "My Little Razorblade" mp3

Jemima Pearl - "Looking For Trouble" mp3

The extrawack! six-pack with Polvo, Budos Band, & More.

OK, so based on letters we've received here, you guys have actually missed our monthy Bakers Dozen Downloads...so apologies for not posting them up the last few months!

To make things more managable, instead we'll try to put together more frequent posts of six awesome, legal, and free downloads. Here's the first bunch. Take 'em to the beach with you and tell us what you think.

All Tiny Creatures - "Stockhauxen" mp3

Polvo - "Beggar's Bowl" mp3

A Brief Smile - "Motorcycle" mp3

Azari & III - "Hungry For The Power" mp3

Céu - "Bubuia" mp3

Budos Band - "The Proposition" mp3

Matthew Barber Playing NYC 2X Next Week...Download & Tix Contest Here

I'm a sucker for a good pop song.

Seriously, as long as the hooks are huge and the lyrics dance off the singer's tongue, I'm in.

And show me an album loaded with good pop songs? There's a good chance it'll stay in my player for weeks. Case in point is the new album from Toronto's Matthew Barber, "Ghost Notes".

Barber's a pretty great lyricist, but the music really shines as well on this album, which is split between rock stompers, folky pop, and piano-driven slower songs, all of which are catchy as hell.

Must musicians can't pull off the rock/folk split-personality thing well. Many have tried and failed, but the few who do it well are legendary...Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Bob Dylan come quickly to mind. Not to say that Matthew Barber belongs to that lofty group just yet, but "Ghost Notes" would certainly not be out of place in a stack of that gang's CD's, next to the backyard boombox, waiting to be spun on a lazy weekend afternoon.

Having said that, I'm very interested in hearing Barber play these songs live. Thankfully, he's out on the road for a few dates, and is giving New Yorkers a couple chances to check him out:

Matthew Barber Live:
May 12 Living Room - NYC
May 13 Union Hall - NYC (with Jill Sobule)
May 14 Milltown - Carrboro, NC
May 15 Farm 255 - Athens, GA
May 16 Criminal Records - Atlanta, GA

extrawack! wants to give one lucky reader a pair of tickets to Barber's show at Union Hall in Brooklyn on Wednesday night. The third email to extrawack@gmail.com with "Matthew Barber" in the subject line gets them.

Matthew Barber - "Easily Bruised" mp3

Matthew Barber MySpace

Matthew Barber - "And You Give" video:

Bothering The Neighborhood With The Bronx

As the weather gets nicer, I love rolling down the windows of my Scion and cranking big-riff jams in the CD player.  This past weekend I took the opportunity to enjoy the recent album from The Bronx, The Bronx (III), in a way I'm sure my neighbors didn't appreciate.  Tough luck.  It's awesome.

Imagine my surprise, when after one of these neighborhood musical education trips, I found a note in my email letting me know that there's not one, but two dope new videos from the album!

For your pleasure, here they both are.  I'm partial to the video for "Past Lives", which features some truly extra-wack dance moves.

The Bronx - "Knifeman" mp3

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Black Moth Super Rainbow For Free At The Seaport!

Although they've not officially announced their summer free show line-up, The Seaport Music Festival apparently already has some great shows lined up.

According to the good folks at Oh My Rockness, here are some of the shows they've confirmed:

Fri 7/03
6:00 PM
Here We Go Magic, Bachelorette

Fri 7/10
6:00 PM
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Fri 7/24
6:00 PM
Black Moth Super Rainbow

Fri 8/07
6:00 PM
Casiokids, The Wave Pictures, Slow Club

Those are some seriously good shows...

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Come Saturday" mp3

Hey XTC Fans! Dukes of Stratosphear Reissues Coming Soon. Two Downloads To Get You Started Here...

Wow! Just got a press release stating that Andy Partridge's Ape label will be re-releasing the two excellent Dukes of Stratosphear albums on April 21, complete with bonus demos and new liner notes! I'll let that email speak for itself:

The Dukes of Stratosphear came about in the 80s with a release of an EP (25 O'Clock) by those cheeky lads in Swindon, UK, otherwise known as XTC. It was a side-project put out semi-anonymously, without fanfare, which came about from a shared love of 60s-inspired psychedelic, Lewis Carroll-tinged power pop.

Not surprisingly, the band was unmasked in fairly short order, due to the distinctive vocal stylings and musical sensibilities of Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, et al. They followed it up with a full length release (Psonic Psunspot), and both titles were re-released together in the late 80s as Chips from the Chocolate Factory.

Flash-forward to 2009-Andy Partridge's own Ape label has reissued them AGAIN, this time with previously unpublished demo versions as well as video! Did you know that Colin originally wrote Vanishing Girl as No One at Home and sang on the demo (Andy sang the album version)? I didn't, and I am a crazy XTC/Dukes junkie. Despite its homage and nod to the summer of love era, it is a sound that remains somewhat timeless.

If you are unfamiliar with The Dukes of Stratosphear, prepare yourself for a treat and to have your ears and mind blown.

The Dukes of Stratosphear - "My Love Explodes" mp3
The Dukes of Stratosphear - "Braniac's Daughter" mp3

Freak out to the Dukes' "What In The World" here:

SXSW: Mess With Texas 3 Lineup Announced

The best party of SXSW week last year looks to do it again this year...



The Mess With Texas 3 initial lineup for March 21 has been announced, and includes the following:

The Black Lips
Soft Pack (formerly The Muslims)
King Khan & the Shrines
The Thermals
Akron/Family
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
Circle Jerks
Japanther
Crystal Antlers
Monotonix
Trash Talk
Jason Lytle
The Bronx
Vetiver
Abe Vigoda
Vivian Girls
Gentlemen Jessie
Death Set
and more to be announced!

Seriously awesome. And free. And awesome.

Monotonix - "Ride" mp3

February's Bakers Dozen Downloads - The Proclaimers, Heartless Bastards, Gramercy Arms, Abe Vigoda, and more!

OK, so we've only got a week left in this short month, but better late than never! Here are thirteen sweet tracks for the takin', all extrawack! approved for your pleasure.

Heartless Bastards - "The Mountain" mp3

The Proclaimers - Life With You mp3

Gramercy Arms - Automatic mp3

Tortured Soul - "Did You Miss Me" mp3

Kelly Joe Phelps - "Western Bell" mp3

Abe Vigoda - "Don't Lie" mp3

Seth Walker - "Rewind" mp3

Heroes Of The Dancefloor - "Hooky" mp3

Jar-e - "An Idea" mp3

Laura Gibson - “Spirited” mp3

Buraka Som Sistema - “Kalemba (Wegue Wegue) Hot Chip Remix” mp3

Throw Me the Statue - "Ship" mp3

The Slate Pacific - "13 Kinds Of Chemicals" mp3

Video of the Week: "Count It Off" - The Saturday Knights

I was hipped to this video by The Saturday Knights by a friend of mine who happens to be a friend of the filmmaker, so I checked it out mostly as a favor to her. Turns out it is awesome, and now I can't get the song's hook out of my head. It's a perfect follow up for those who dug Kermit The Frog's appearance in LCD Soundsystem's "New York I Love You" video last year. It's also an official selection at this year's SXSW Film Festival.


"Count It Off" - The Saturday Knights from Lincoln Leopard Films on Vimeo.

The Saturday Knights - "Dog Park" mp3

Andrew WK & Cheeseburger @ Santos For Free This Friday Night

Adult Swim + Andrew WK + Cheeseburger +Jon Glaser + Free Admission = Awesomeness.

Friday night @ Santos Party House. What's not to like? See you there!



Cheeseburger - "Tiger" mp3

Skate at the Seaport with Neckbeard Telecaster Friday Night

Brooklyn's most hirsute band, Neckbeard Telecaster, kicks off the South Street Seaport Ice series of concerts this Friday night at the skating rink there.  Shows are free to watch, and you can even skate during the shows for a reasonable skate-rental fee.  The rifftastic Grand Mal opens.  

Gig poster of the year so far?:

Neckbeard Telecaster - "Near Quitting Time" mp3

Ben Sollee Hits The Road In February, Gets Remixed by Computer vs Banjo

extrawack!'s favorite cellist and musical renaissance man, Ben Sollee, has announced a tour with his sometime co-conspirator Daniel Martin Moore starting February 17 in Indianapolis. Here's the whole shebang:

Feb 17 Local’s Only - Indianapolis, Indiana
Feb 18 Mad Hatter Club - Covington, Kentucky
Feb 19 12th & Porter - Nashville, Tennessee
Feb 20 Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, North Carolina
Feb 21 The Pour House - Charleston, South Carolina
Feb 25 The Social - Orlando, Florida
Feb 26 Club Downunder - Tallahassee, Florida
Feb 27 Bottletree - Birmingham, Alabama
Feb 28 Proud Larry’s - Oxford, Mississippi
Mar 3 House Of Blues - Houston,
Mar 4 Stubb's Jr. - Austin, Texas
Mar 5 House Of Blues - Dallas, Texas
Mar 7 The Bluebird - St. Louis, Missouri

To celebrate the announcement, a new remix of Ben's "Panning For Gold", off his current album Learning To Bend can be found below. The remix is by Nashville's Computer Vs. Banjo, and lends an otherworldly vibe to the already excellent track.

Ben Sollee - "Panning For Gold (Computer vs Banjo Remix)" mp3
Daniel Martin Moore - "Stray Age" mp3