Filed under: 20 Watts Radio | Tags: 20 Watts Radio, Aimee Mann, Bachelorette, Ben Folds, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Daft Punk, Dirty Projectors, Emiliana Torrini, Fanfarlo, Freelance Whales, Glasser, HEALTH, Mouth's Cradle, Popular Damage, Ra Ra Riot, Sarah Aument, Sean Bones, Sigur Ros, Spoon, sufjan stevens, Super Mash Bros., The Blood Brothers, The Cool Kids, The Dodos, the felice brothers, The Flaming Lips, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Tallest Man On Earth, The xx, Vivian Girls
20 WATTS RADIO: THURSDAY Jan 28th ON AUDIOCANDY
Preview: Make sure you check out Audiocandyradio.com
Finally  it is Thursday night and 20 Watts Radio is on Audiocandy. Second week of school could not pass fast enough, but if you are one of the miserable slaves to educations with friday morning classes, 20 Watts has the best music to help you get two hours closer to the weekend. Make sure you tune in and don’t miss out on out great selection of awesome tunes. Not to mention we just may have a special guest making an appearance tonight. Show starts at 10pm sharp: OUR BRAND NEW AND AWESOME TIME SLOT ON AUDIOCANDY. To tune in Click Here.
Show Playlist Below:
1. Henney Buggy Band- Sufjan Stevens
2. Â Penn Station- The Felice Brothers
3. Delivery Man- The Cool Kids
4. The Way We Get By- Spoon
5. Red And Purple – The Dodos
6. Silver Trembling Hands- The Flaming Lips
7. Adler Girl Pt. II (I Can Change!)- Super Mash Bros.
8. I’m A Pilot- Fanfarlo
9. Everything with You- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
10. Digital Love- Daft Punk
11. Where Do My Bluebird Fly- The Tallest Man On Earth
12. Exclusive- Popular Damage
13. Glad (Delorean Remix)- Glasser
14. Dancehall- Sean Bones
15. The National Grid- Bachelorette
16.  Crystalized – The XX
17. When I’m Gone- Vivian Girls
18. Walking 10-22- Sarah Aument
19. Glósóli- Sigur Ros
20. Each Year – Ra Ra Riot
21. We Ride Skeletal Lightning- The Blood Brothers
22. You Don’t Know Me- Ben Folds
23. Dandelion-Â Charlotte Gainsbourg
24. Freeway- Aimee Mann
25. Knotty Pine (with David Byrne)- Dirty Projectors
26. Today Has Been OK- Emiliana Torrini
27. Broken Horse- Freelance Whales
28. Death + -Health
29. Vivienne (demo)- Mouth’s Cradle
–Irina Dvalidze
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: bloc party, Charity, Devendra Banhart, Editor's Picks, Grizzly Bear, indie music, Indie Rock Coloring Book, Metric, non-profit, of Montreal, Ra Ra Riot, Rilo Kiley, t-shirts, The National, The Yellow Bird Project
The Yellow Bird Project
Was your New Year’s resolution to be more involved in charities and community service? Yeah, mine wasn’t either. But, on a quest to find new and awesome tees to wear for this new decade, I came across The Yellow Bird Project. The YBP is a non-profit operating from Montreal, with a three-fold mission: 1) to raise money for various charities through the sales of their totally kick-ass t-shirts, 2) to raise the public’s awareness of certain charities through the endorsement of indie rock artists, and 3) to raise the profile of artists they like. Now, before you yawn so wide that you pass out, keep in mind that these t-shirts (which you can buy to support whichever charity the tee happens to represent) are designed by the indie artists which they endorse. Cool, right?
The YBP was started in 2006 and its first contributing artists was the one and only Devendra Banhart. Now, four years later, the organization has grown and has the support of artists like, Metric, Grizzly Bear, Bloc Party, Ra Ra Riot, Of Montreal and Rilo Kiley, among others. Plus, if you (like me) are awaiting the arrival of your t-shirt designed by The National, which also happens to support Safe Space, you can play the local YBP game: Color Me Indie, for a chance to win an Indie Rock Coloring Book. What’s cooler than that? My new t-shirt. That’s what.
— Isabel Alcantara, Photo Editor
Filed under: News of Note | Tags: Air, Beach House, Billy Corgan, Brand New, Courtney Love, Dave Grohl, Grizzly Bear, Guitar Hero 5, Jennifer's Body, Joe's Pub, Kings of Leon, Krist Novoselic, Kurt Cobain, Matt Bellamy, muse, New York City, News of Note, nyc, Pitchfork, Princeton, Ra Ra Riot, Smashing Pumpkins, Stereogum, subpop, sufjan stevens, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Two Dancers, White Lies, Wild Beasts
Muse decided to stream their new album The Resistance for 24 hours
PREVIEW: DOWNLOAD Muse’s “United States of Eurasia” MP3
Hype for The Resistance has practically reached the point of parody. Filter reported on how Muse streamed The Resistance in full, for a full 24 hours. The fact that they had fans piece together a song before they could hear it just goes to show that this band will stage any stunt get more exposure — redundant when you’re in one of the biggest acts in the world. What else can you do, Matt Bellamy, streak in a performance art display singing the lyrics to “Uprising”? [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor’s Pick #157: Muse’s United States of Eurasia]
As many probably knew, Jay-Z is going all out to promote his latest effort, The Blueprint 3, which dropped Tuesday. To kick off the world tour, he played a secret show at NYC’s Gramercy Theater last night which apparently also included a fire alarm. SPIN‘s got photos and additional details for those so inclined.  [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor’s Pick #173: Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” (Alicia Keys, Blueprint 3), 20 Watts Reviews Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3]
Stereogum reported on Wild Beasts‘ live NYC debut, held two nights ago downtown at Joe’s Pub. Considering the quality of Wild Beasts’ two albums, particularly the recent Two Dancers, one would expect them to play in a dedicated rock venue. Not the case with this sit-down establishment, but that’s all right when you take into account that many popular indie acts — including Brand New, Sufjan Stevens, and The Rural Alberta Advantage — prefer smaller venues. Rock club or not, Wild Beasts played a great show by all accounts. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: 20 Watts Reviews Two Dancers]
NME.com reports that British alternative rock band White Lies released a rare track for download today. The song “Taxidermy” is a live favorite and was only available before on the band’s 7″ single “To Lose My Life.” White Lies will be touring the U.S. soon along with shows supporting Kings of Leon from September 25 through October 16. Close dates include New York City and Toronto on September 25 and September 26 respectively. White Lies also have their track “Death” on the Jennifer’s Body soundtrack. The film, starring Megan Fox, hits theatres September 18. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Lykke Li Covers Kings Of Leon ]
In preparation for their latest album Air have released a music video for the song “Sing Sang Sung,” and it’s featured on Pitchfork today.  “Sing Sang Sung” is the first single off the French electropopper’s forthcoming album Love 2. The album, which drops October 6, was entirely produced at the band’s own studio.[Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Air Releases a Studio Recording of “Do the Joy”]
Pitchfork also reports that Smashing Pumpkins‘ Billy Corgan has launched a website today called Everything From Here to There. According to the site, which is likely to be a blog about Corgan’s personal beliefs, “If you are drawn to the Hidden Truths, drawn to God as something beyond limitation, and drawn to Love as the greatest force in the Universe, then you have come to the right place at the right time. Â This is a place of Love.” [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Industry News, Week 4]
Subpop has just added Beach House to it’s already unrivaled indie roster. Beach House are the gorgeous, sleepy, dream-pop duo that brought you Beach House and Devotion, and they announced their move to the Seattle-based label today.  They’ll release their third album in early 2010 after completing a tour with Grizzly Bear. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Jay-Z Endorses Indie Rock, Grizzly Bear’s “While You Wait for the Other”]
Filed under: Editor Picks | Tags: All Points West, Dirty Projectors, Editor's Picks, Fleet Foxes, Girl Talk, Grizzly Bear, hip-hop, indie rock, Jay-Z, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, The National, Vampire Weekend, Williamsburg Waterfront, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Jay-Z is apparently a huge fan of Grizzly Bear
PREVIEW: Download Jay-Z’s “Run This Town” (Ft. Rihanna and Kanye West) MP3
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 20 Watts Reviews Jay-Z’s “Run This Town”
With Jay-Z prepping the release of his ridiculously hyped new album, The Blueprint 3, it’s surprising that he would have time to go to any concerts — much less Grizzly Bear’s free appearance on the Williamsburg Waterfront (previously graced by Girl Talk and Dirty Projectors this summer) this past Sunday, Aug. 30. However, the rapper did the 12,000 hipsters at the waterfront one better, by giving the indie rock scene one of the most notable stamps of approval it’s ever received:
“The thing I want to say to everyone — I hope this happens because it will push rap, it will push hip-hop to go even further — what the indie rock movement is doing right now is very inspiring. It felt like us in the beginning. These concerts, they’re not on the radio, no one hears about them, and there’s 12,000 people in attendance. And the music that they’re making and the connection they’re making to people is really inspiring. So, I hope that they have a run where they push hip-hop back a little bit, so it will force hip-hop to fight to make better music, because it can happen, because that’s what rap did to rock.” (MTV) Continue reading
Filed under: Releases of the Week | Tags: 31 Knots, Barsuk Records, Brent Knopf, Danny Seim, Death Cab for Cutie, Intuit, Loch Lomond, Menomena, Mirah's band, Ra Ra Riot, Ramona Falls, Releases of the Week, The Helio Sequence, They might be Giants
Brent Knopf of Menomena releases a “solo” side-project Ramona Falls’ Intuit
PREVIEW: Download Ramona Falls “Melectric”
WE GIVE IT: 17/20 Watts
Barsuk Records, responsible for such acts as Death Cab for Cutie, They Might Be Giants and Syracuse’s own Ra Ra Riot, has another memorable venture to add to its hall of fame. Brent Knopf of Menomena, following in the footsteps of his fellow band member Danny Seim, has embarked on a “solo” side-project of his own — if you can call a collaboration with 35 different musicians as a solo-project, that is. Knopf teamed up with members of The Helio Sequence, Mirah’s band, Loch Lomond and 31 Knots, to name a few, for his new endeavor Ramona Falls’ Intuit.
Intuit, due this Tuesday, is charming, melodic and full of sentimental nostalgia that immediately captures the soul. Knopf creates an unexpectedly impeccable harmony by exploring a range of sounds we rarely have the pleasure of hearing. Rather than relying on mechanical jingles, he finds bliss in seemingly basic instrumentals. Continue reading
Filed under: Features, XCLUS!VES | Tags: All Points West, Jay-Z, Ra Ra Riot, The Knux, Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeahs Yeahs
–Jett Wells
Filed under: Emerging Artists, Free 4 All | Tags: Beach Boys, Bloomsbury-EP, Calypso Gold, Cocoon of Love, Crash Test Dummies, Princeton, Ra Ra Riot
Princeton are a three-piece from LA, not Jersey
PREVIEW: Princeton songs streamed free on imeem
Don’t let the name fool you! Princeton may not be from Princeton, NJ, or even go to Princeton University, but their EP Bloomsbury is filled with nerdy analogies and euphemisms. Unlike the EP’s title reference, the band’s first album Cocoon of Love, which drops September 29, show no signs of Victorian England.
“Calypso Gold,” the band’s first single off Cocoon of Love, starts off with a fresh opening sound of maracas comparable to The Beach Boys‘ “Kokomo,” the song quickly takes a turn toward electric and new wave. There is a definite indie influence in the band’s sound, but there is something refreshing about Princeton’s lead singer’s deep voice, reminiscent of that of Crash Test Dummies‘ Brad Roberts. Continue reading
