the shins - new slang

“New Slang (Acoustic at SXSW)” by The Shins // Live from the Lot (2012)

What more really needs to be said about this song? It’s a perfect pop song and here the band does nothing particularly radical with the track outside of some melodic shifts and female backing vocals. That being said, it’s still a wonderful chance to revisit a modern classic in a present day acoustic/in-studio setting (recorded at Google’s SXSW “Live from the Lot” party). You can buy the full 5 track EP now at Google. 

(buy) “Live from the Lot” by The Shins (via Google Music)

Damien Rice - One

“One (U2 Cover)” by Damien Rice // AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered (2011)

After hearing Jack White work his way through “Love is Blindness” from the forthcoming tribute album to Achtung Baby, I found myself wondering what some of these other covers were going to bring to the table. Cue Damien Rice. Now, truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of Rice’s work outside of a handful of songs that I actually find myself loving more with age, but there is a bulk of his work that never grabbed me. This cover of the U2 classic, “One”, is one that I can see myself loving. While not as heartbreakingly lovely as the Johnny Cash rendition, it’s still an intimate, somber affair worth a listen. 

* AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered can be found in next issue of Q Magazine, released on October 31st

The Walkmen - Mr. Lonesome

“Mr. Lonesome” by The Walkmen // Originally by Johnny Cash (Live @ KEXP 9/7/2011)

The Walkmen swung by Seattle’s KEXP to perform a  handful of tracks while in town on tour, and it turns out they were in a Johnny Cash kind of mood because they played all Cash covers. OneThirtyBPM was kind enough to upload those and share them with the music loving world. Here, is my personal favorite of the bunch, their acoustic take on “Mr. Lonesome”. 

(listen) The Walkmen - Cover Johnny Cash (via OneThirtyBPM & KEXP)

Teen Daze - The Harvest (Daytrotter Session)

“The Harvest” by Teen Daze // Daytrotter Session (2011)

Teen Daze recently dropped by Daytrotter to record some acoustic renditions of his usually electronic leaning tracks. This track, from his forthcoming album, A Silent Planet, has shifted from being a dreamy, chillwave gem into a somber, heartbreaking acoustic number. It’s pretty remarkable how much the songs shift in an acoustic, in-studio setting and it’s further proof of what a talented musician Teen Daze (in all of his various incarnations) has become since his early bedroom pop/ chillwave tracks. 

* Note: The first 19 seconds are silent. It’s not a blank file. 

(download) Teen Daze // Daytrotter Session @ Daytrotter

Sondre Lerche - Side Two

“Side Two” by Sondre Lerche // Faces Down (2002)

In sticking with my vibe of playing older tracks on the weekend, I wanted to dig out some sad bastard goodies because, well - why not? This track is one of my favorite songs of all time, hands down. I don’t know why I’m so drawn to the sparse instrumentation and the somber tone, but I have been since the first time i heard it on the day the album was released in the United States. It’s a lovely, if sad song. It’s my first oldie of this weekend. Hope you like sad shit. It might be a long weekend.

The Album Leaf - Story Board

“Story Board” by The Album Leaf // One Day I’ll Be On Time (2001)

I don’t know what it is about the pretty simplicity of this track that reminds me so much of the autumn months, but it certainly does. It’s dreamy acoustic guitar carries most of the weight but once that quiet synth comes in at about the three minute mark everything just starts to melt away. It feels like a somber movement in a film score to some small town drama that only ever existed in my head. I’ve loved this thing since the first moment I heard it, in the back of a van heading through Pennsylvania in the spring of 2001. I still like to dig it out from time to time.

Release The Sunbird - We'll Begin Tomorrow

“We’ll Begin Tomorrow” by Release the Sunbird // Come Back to Us (2011)

Sometimes it’s just nice to step back from the constant rush of new music that’s chasing the latest trends and genres and to just hear something that’s simple and stripped back. Rogue Wave’s first few albums were that kind of music for me. Straight up indie-rock with catchy melodies and sweet instrumentation. Zach Rogue’s new project, Release the Sunbird, feels like an acoustic off-shoot of those sounds. It’s an album of mostly acoustic, singer-songwriter material that just feels like a stack of familiar, sweet memories. It’s got a great autumnal quality as well. I know it might not be the sort of thing that I usually post, but it’s worth a listen for sure and you can even hear the whole album over at NPR right now.

(Stream Release the Sunbird’s “Come Back to Us @ NPR now) // (“Come Back to Us” is release on July 26th, via Brushfire Records)

Ryan Adams - Nutshell (Alice in Chains)

“Nutshell” by Ryan Adams // Originally by Alice in Chains

Ryan Adams has been selling a 7” on his most recent European tour that features a great new song, (“Empty Room”) and this wonderful, stripped back cover of an Alice in Chains track. This is that track. Definitely worth a listen.

Deleted Scenes - Bedbedbedbedbed (Acoustic Version)

“Bedbedbedbedbed (Acoustic Version)” by Deleted Scenes // Bedbedbedbedbed EP

The new EP from Deleted Scenes covers a wide variety of sounds in a very limited amount of time, tracking from an experimental cover of a Smiths song to some damn near dubstep beats and back around to this track, a sweet little acoustic version of one of their dark, warped-beat, electronic tracks. Personally, I’m kind of in love with the stripped back version of Bedbedbedbedbed (the album version is quite good too). The vocals are more prominent and the simple guitar has a perfect accompaniment in the pretty strings that  flow in and out of the instrumentation. Definitely worth a listen. Highly recommended.

(Deleted Scenes @ Bandcamp)

Shanza - Kids (MGMT Cover)

“Kids” by Shanz // Originally by MGMT

I’m always amazed at the random discoveries of talented people on Tumblr. Especially when they’re solidly cool people. That’s surely a bonus. In this case, Shanz was kind enough to let me share her gorgeous, dark, atmospheric take on MGMT’s “Kids” with those of you following my site. She absolutely knocks it out of the park. I think you’ll all agree.

(via izxcp)