[playlist] Hump Day Power Play (11-7-2012)

Now That's What I Call 2008!

2008 was a fantastic year in music. So fantastic, in fact, that it inspired me to start blogging about the great acts and albums of that time. After years of anonymous music writing on Wikipedia (fighting with editors on which bands were truly "notable" and Wiki-eligible), I decided to take my own shot at promoting my favorite acts, and thus Three Colours was born. Feeling a hint of nostalgia this week, I put together an HDPP with some of my favorite songs from '08. Hard to believe that was nearly 5 years ago!

Stream the playlist below (or by clicking here).

:: Hump Day Power Play (11-7-2012) ::
01 :: "Gamma Ray" - Beck
02 :: "Mexican Dogs" - Cold War Kids
03 :: "Balloons" - Foals
04 :: "A-Punk" - Vampire Weekend
05 :: "No One Does It Like You" - Department Of Eagles
06 :: "Bang Your Drum" - Wolf Parade
07 :: "Shake Shake Shake" - White Denim
08 :: "Mercy" - Plants and Animals
09 :: "Psychotic Girl" - The Black Keys
10 :: "Kim & Jessie" - M83
11 :: "Can You Tell" - Ra Ra Riot
12 :: "For Emma" - Bon Iver
13 :: "Ragged Wood" - Fleet Foxes
14 :: "Boats" - The Aliens
15 :: "Wedding Bell" - Beach House

:: Get Spotify ::

[playlist] Hump Day Power Play (5-9-2012)

Spirit Animal Mix

One of my favorite questions to ask random strangers is, "What's your spirit animal, and why?" I'm more interested in the "why", since it's always interesting to see how one personifies their chosen animal. In almost all cases, their animal is somehow wise (e.g., elephant, owl, lion, eagle). If one were to image search "spirit animal" in Google, you'd find awesome pictures like the one above. If one were to ask me, I'd probably tell you the wolf is my spirit animal. Why? Well according to this quiz, it's because I'm loyal, devoted, and passionate... At any rate, it turns out I also happen to like a lot of bands named after animals, so I figured putting my favorite of those bands into this week's Hump Day Power Play was only fitting.

Hear it by simply clicking here. Playlist is below.

:: Hump Day Power Play (5-9-2012) ::
01 :: "Sea Ghost" - The Unicorns
02 :: "Modern World" - Wolf Parade
03 :: "What The Stars Have Eaten" - Deadboy & The Elephantmen
04 :: "No One Does It Like You" - Department of Eagles
05 :: "Revival" - Deerhunter
06 :: "Melody Day" - Caribou
07 :: "Sing It Softly in a Sigh" - Halcyonaire
08 :: "Little Brother" - Grizzly Bear
09 :: "Mykonos" - Fleet Foxes
10 :: "All Fires" - Swan Lake
11 :: "You're a Wolf" - Sea Wolf
12 :: "Revolving Doors" - Gorillaz
13 :: "Qui Dorm, Només Somia" - Deerhoof
14 :: "505" - Arctic Monkeys

Get Spotify (if you don't already have it).

[video] Father John Misty - "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"

New Tunes from Josh Tillman

At the end of last year, J. Tillman took an indefinite hiatus from the amazing Fleet Foxes to pursue a new musical project. Playing under the moniker Father John Misty, Tillman has just shared his first single "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" (mp3 below), along with the sweet music video above starring Aubrey Plaza of NBC’s Parks and Recreation. His debut LP, entitled Fear Fun, is set to release via Sub Pop on May 1. Compared to his solo work, this track has a lot more rock. Extremely catchy, and hopefully a glimpse of what's to come. Check it out. By the way, Father John Misty has a few tour dates in California.

Father John Misty Tour Dates
Feb 29 :: Oakland, CA - New Parish
Mar 03 :: Grass Valley, CA - Center for the Arts
Mar 04 :: Santa Cruz, CA - Crepe Place

[video] Fleet Foxes - "The Shrine / An Argument"

Sean Pecknold's latest creation

Magical, imagination-provoking imagery drives this incredible Fleet Foxes' music video. Sean Pecknold has honed his mastery of animation and created one of his best films to date. I will say, the saxophone "solo" in this beautiful song is a bit grating when listening through Helplessness Blues, but watching the two-headed dragon scene in the video makes it much more tolerable.

Check out the video for "The Shrine / An Argument" above. And also take a gander at Fleet Foxes's live show as they continue their international tour.

Fleet Foxes tour dates:
EUROPE:
November 29, 2011 :: Heineken Music Hall / Amsterdam, Holland$
November 30, 2011 :: Forest National Club / Brussels, Belgium$
December 01, 2011 :: O2 Academy / Leeds, UK$ SOLD OUT

AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND:
December 29-31, 2011 :: Falls Festival / Lorne, Vic & Marion Bay, Taz, Australia
January 02, 2012 :: Sydney Opera House/ Sydney, Australia
January 03, 2012 :: Sydney Opera House/ Sydney, Australia
January 04, 2012 :: Sydney Opera House / Sydney, Australia
January 06, 2012 :: Palais Theatre / Melbourne, Australia SOLD OUT
January 07-08, 2012 :: Southbound Festival / Busselton, Australia
January 10, 2012 :: Tivoli/ Brisbane, Australia
January 11, 2012 :: Tivoli / Brisbane, Australia SOLD OUT
January 13, 2012 :: Hunter Lodge / Wellington, New Zealand
January 14, 2012 :: Town Hall / Auckland, New Zealand

JAPAN:
January 17, 2012 :: Big Cat / Osaka, Japan
January 18, 2012 :: Club Quatro / Nagoya, Japan
January 20, 2012 :: Studio Coast / Tokyo, Japan

$ w/ Vetiver

[review] Fleet Foxes @ Moore Theater (5-3-2011)

Fleet Foxes drop album / wow Seattle

The last time I had seen Fleet Foxes live was back in 2008 when they made their first ever appearance as a headliner at the Moore Theater. At the time, I remember the band was seemingly surprised yet humbled to have filled all the seats in the house. It was almost like they still hadn't bought into their fame, yet. The band even joked about this issue, saying that they'll probably have to play the Moore lobby next year. They couldn't have been more wrong.

After a near-two year hiatus, the Fleet Foxes have emerged from their den with an amazing follow-up to their '08 self-titled LP. According to P4K, their new album Helplessness Blues is rated at a very impressive 8.8 (vs. Fleet Foxes' 9.0). I only mention this because it becomes relevant later in this review. To celebrate the May 3 release of their sophomore record, Fleet Foxes treated Seattle with their very own home show/record release party at the Moore Theater. Unfortunately to some, the concert sold out in mere minutes, which prompted the band to host a second show on the preceding night.

Luckily, I was able to snag tickets for last night's show, and experienced one of the best concerts I've witnessed in my time here in Seattle. Best show? Well for that, you have to have the right ingredients, and for starters, you'd have to make sure the opener is equally loved and adored by Seattleites. The solution? Put The Cave Singers on the bill as stage support. As expected, the night got kicked off right with a 45-minute set from The Cave Singers. They played a lot off their new LP No Witch, and of course the classics like "At the Cut," "Shrine," "Leap," and "Dancing On Our Graves." The Cave Singers sounded as good as ever, and were able to get the home crowd fired up for the main event.

After a quick set change, Fleet Foxes entered the stage with a surprisingly new-found swagger. Something seemed different - maybe it was confidence - but I couldn't help by notice how reinvigorated they appeared. After introductions and quick romp through "The Cascades" and "Grown Oceans," we learned that May 3 not only marked the release of Helplessness Blues, but it also happened to be drummer Josh Tillman's and guitarist Skye Skjelset's birthdays. Last night's rowdy crowd promptly sang "Happy Birthday" upon learning this fun fact. Later in the night, a more formal celebration was performed when cupcakes & candles were brought on stage for the two bandmates, and again, "Happy Birthday" was sung by the 1500 fans in attendance.

As stated, the crowd was really into the show, and the band's in-between-song banter was quality comedy. A memorable moment came when some ass from the crowd yelled "Hey! Pitchfork called and said they want to suck your dick!" Tillman quickly quipped, "They can do that over the phone?" and lead singer Robin Pecknold added his two cents by stating "no, they actually dinged us 0.2 points... it's more like a hand job." The crowd began to snicker, but bassist Christian Wargo was sharp to remind Pecknold of their mothers' presence in the audience, which caused only an eruption of more laughter.

Fleet Foxes sounded simply amazing throughout the night, somehow being more impressive live than on record. Harmonies were in perfect pitch, and the addition of "flutist/bassist/violinist" Morgan Henderson (of Blood Brothers and Past Lives) added all the needed subtleties for the multi-textured FF sound. The band blasted through all the best tracks as if creating their very own live "greatest hits" compilation. Fleet Foxes nearly hit the 2-hour mark and ended the night with an encore performance of their new album's title track. A full set list is posted below, but highlights included older tracks like "Mykonos," "Ragged Wood," "White Winter Hymnal," and my favorite, "Blue Ridge Mountains," as well as the new tunes "Grown Ocean," Montezuma," "The Shrine / An Argument," and "Helplessness Blues."

It was hands-down one of the best shows I've ever seen in Seattle - truly majestic.

Set list: Fleet Foxes @ Moore Theater (5-3-2011)
01 :: The Cascades
02 :: Grown Ocean
03 :: Drops In The River
04 :: Battery Kinzie
05 :: Bedouin Dress
06 :: Sim Sala Bim
07 :: Mykonos
08 :: Your Protector
09 :: Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
10 :: White Winter Hymnal
11 :: Ragged Wood
12 :: Lorelai
13 :: Silver Dagger (Joan Baez cover)
14 :: Montezuma
15 :: He Doesn't Know Why
16 :: The Shrine /An Argument
17 :: Blue Spotted Tail
18 :: Blue Ridge Mountains
Encore
19 :: Helplessness Blues

BUY :: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (for only $3.99! $7.99)

While Fleet Foxes have no beef with file sharing, just buy it - it's 8 bucks.

[reminder] Fleet Foxes @ The Moore (Tonight & Tomorrow)

Fleet Foxes w/ Cave Singers - May 2-3

Just a reminder, the Fleet Foxes are kicking off their record release of Helplessness Blues this Tuesday with a pair of home shows at the Moore Theater. With local stage support from The Cave Singers, these shows are sure to be nights to remember.

Unfortunately for people just hearing about this, tickets are sold out (they actually sold out within minutes of going on sale). The first show is tonight (May 2), and the record-release party is tomorrow night (May 3). The two bands will then embark on a cross-country tour (dates posted below). Be there! Also, check out the fan-made music video above of the title-track.

Approximate set times

• Doors open at 6:30 pm
• Cave Singers: 7:30 pm
• Fleet Foxes: 8:45 pm

Fleet Foxes tour dates:

05.02 - Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA *
05.03 - Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA *
05.05 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA *
05.06 - Spreckels Theatre - San Diego, CA *
05.07 - Hollywood Palladium - Hollywood, CA *
05.08 - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ *
05.10 - Stubb's Waller Creek - Austin, TX *
05.11 - Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, TX *
05.13 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN *
05.14 - The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA *
05.15 - DAR Constitution Hall - Washington, DC *
05.17 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA *
05.18 - The United Palace Theatre - New York, NY *
05.19 - The United Palace Theatre - New York, NY *
05.21 - Tower Theatre - Upper Darby, PA *
05.25 - Astra - Berlin, Germany
05.26 - Dachau Summer of Music - Munich, Germany
05.28 - Primavera Sound - Barcelona, Spain
05.30 - Bataclan - Paris, France
05.31 - Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
06.01 - Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
06.02 - Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
06.23 - Civic Hall - Wolverhampton, UK
06.25 - Custom House Square - Belfast, Ireland
06.26 - Live at the Marquee - Cork, Ireland
06.28 - Manchester Apollo - Manchester, UK
06.29 - Corn Exchange - Edinburgh, UK
07.01 - Eden Sessions - St. Austell, UK
07.03 - Rock Werchter - Werchter, Belgium
07.06 - Malta Festival - Poznan, Poland
07.08 - Alive Festival - Lisbon, Portugal
07.10 - Ruisrock - Turku, Finland
08.11 - Oya Festival - Oslo, Norway
08.12 - Way Out West - Gothenburg, Sweden
08.13 - Haldern Pop Festival - Rees-Haldern, Germany
08.20 - Green Man Festival - Brecon Beacons, UK

* w/ The Cave Singers

[video] Fleet Foxes - "Grown Ocean"

New Song from Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes are treating us with a second track from their upcoming album Helplessness Blues, which drops May 3rd. Watch the video above to hear the epically triumphant "Grown Ocean." Listening to this track evokes some urge to embark on a road trip, and I'm sure this will find its way onto many a road-mix. Fittingly, the video contains clips of the band on the road and in the recording studio. And like all Fleet Foxes videos, this was shot and directed by the incredibly talented Sean Pecknold.

Also, if you haven't purchased tickets already, there are still a handful of US shows that haven't sold out yet. A full list of the band's stops are posted below. Of special note, FF will be in Seattle for two lovely nights at the Moore Theater (May 2 & 3). See you there!

Fleet Foxes tour dates:
04.29 - The Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC *
04.30 - The Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC *
05.01 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR *
05.02 - Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA *
05.03 - Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA *
05.05 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA *
05.06 - Spreckels Theatre - San Diego, CA *
05.07 - Hollywood Palladium - Hollywood, CA *
05.08 - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ
05.10 - Stubb's Waller Creek - Austin, TX *
05.11 - Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, TX
05.13 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN *
05.14 - The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA *
05.15 - DAR Constitution Hall - Washington, DC *
05.17 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA *
05.18 - The United Palace Theatre - New York, NY *
05.19 - The United Palace Theatre - New York, NY *
05.21 - Tower Theatre - Upper Darby, PA
05.25 - Astra - Berlin, Germany
05.26 - Dachau Summer of Music - Munich, Germany
05.28 - Primavera Sound - Barcelona, Spain
05.30 - Bataclan - Paris, France
05.31 - Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK *
06.01 - Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK *
06.02 - Hammersmith Apollo - London, UK
06.23 - Civic Hall - Wolverhampton, UK
06.25 - Custom House Square - Belfast, Ireland
06.26 - Live at the Marquee - Cork, Ireland
06.28 - Manchester Apollo - Manchester, UK
06.29 - Corn Exchange - Edinburgh, UK
07.01 - Eden Sessions - St. Austell, UK
07.03 - Rock Werchter - Werchter, Belgium
07.06 - Malta Festival - Poznan, Poland
07.08 - Alive Festival - Lisbon, Portugal
07.10 - Ruisrock - Turku, Finland
08.11 - Oya Festival - Oslo, Norway
08.12 - Way Out West - Gothenburg, Sweden
08.13 - Haldern Pop Festival - Rees-Haldern, Germany *
08.20 - Green Man Festival - Brecon Beacons, UK

* (already SOLD OUT)

[new music] Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

New Record + Tour Dates!

There's the old adage that states good things come to those who wait, and waiting we've patiently done for the follow-up to Fleet Foxes fantastic self-titled '08 album. After a number of studio sessions and creative retreats, Robin Pecknold and Co. have announced the release date of Helplessness Blues as May 3. The 12-song LP was produced by Phil Ek and will release through Sub Pop (you can sample the title track below). The band will later embark on a US/EU tour, making a stop in Seattle at the Moore Theater on the album release date. Should be an amazing show - and if you want a better shot at getting tickets for these shows, go to the Fleet Foxes website (here) tomorrow (Tuesday the 1st) at 10am PST. You have the chance to take part in the limited ticket pre-sale for any of the North American shows listed below. You'll also be able to pre-order the new album along with your ticket if you want to.

Fleet Foxes tour dates:
04-30 - Vancouver, British Columbia - The Vogue Theatre
05-01 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
05-03 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
05-05 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
05-06 - San Diego, CA - Spreckels Theatre
05-07 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Palladium
05-08 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
05-10 - Austin, TX - Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater
05-11 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom
05-13 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
05-14 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle
05-15 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
05-17 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
05-18 - New York, NY - The United Palace Theatre
05-21 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
05-25 - Berlin, Germany - Astra
05-26 - Munich, Germany - Dachau Summer of Music
05-28 - Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound
05-30 - Paris, France - Bataclan
05-31 - London, England - Hammersmith Apollo

Video: Elvis Perkins in Dearland - "Chains, Chains, Chains"

Sean Pecknold's latest brain child

Check out Elvis Perkins in Dearland's newest music video of "Chains, Chains, Chains," one of the many timeless classics heard on the band's eponymously named LP. The creator and director behind this great work is video wizard Sean Pecknold, whose resume includes videos created for his brother's band, Fleet Foxes ("Mykonos," "He Doesn't Know Why," and "White Winter Hymnal"). Yet another insanely unique and incredibly enjoyable work of art from Sean's creative mind.

Buy :: Elvis Perkins in Dearland LP

New Song: Fleet Foxes - "Blue Spotted Tail"

Robin Pecknold showcases new Fleet Foxes song

Thanks to Pitchfork, we have our first sample of Fleet Foxes' newest jams. Robin Pecknold recently played a little solo session of BBC 6 Music. Here's the sweet rendition of "Blue Spotted Tail."

MP3: Fleet Foxes - "Blue Spotted Tail (Live)"
(via BBC 6 Music)

Robin Pecknold @ Neumos (7-11-2009) A Drink For the Kids

Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes will be playing the A Drink for the Kids Grand Finale concert this year!

For those of you unfamiliar with this event, A Drink For The Kids is an annual 21+ benefit that raises money for the Vera Project, a fund devoted to keeping various Seattle all-age venues alive. A Drink For The Kids consists of six bar nights (listed below) featuring beer and liquor specials benefiting the Vera Project. At the end of the week-long event, there will be a grand finale benefit show, featuring Robin Pecknold (of the Fleet Foxes). Visit any of the bars below and purchase a Stone Brewing Company beer and ask about liquor specials to support Vera. More details below:

Saturday July 11, 2009
The Vera Project & Neumos present:
A Drink for the Kids Grand Finale Show
Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes
$15 adv
tickets available @ Moe Bar, Rudy's Barbershops, Select QFC's, and Ticketswest.com

Special Online Presale Tuesday June 16th @ 10AM

Password: THEKIDS
Buy advance tickets at TicketWest
21+
Doors 8 pm

Event Schedule:

July 5th at Cha Cha
July 6th at Hazelwood
July 7th at West 5
July 8th at Twilight Exit
July 9th at Linda’s
July 10th at Solo & Funhouse
July 11th at Neumos (Grand Finale Concert with Robin Pecknold)

In other Pecknold news, Robin's brother Sean has just finished another music video, this time for Elvis Perkins in Dearland. Keep you eyes peeled for its eminent release.

UPDATE: The song to be made into a music video is "Chains, Chains, Chains."

New Music - White Antelope (Robin Pecknold's Solo Work)

Robin Pecknold's ever-changing solo project White Antelope (aka Monte Cristo, aka Carthage) has just added two more songs to its MySpace page. "Silver Dagger" and "Wild Mountain Thyme" join the already posted "False Knight on the Road" and "Guitar Duet." Head over and give them a listen. Also, speaking of Fleet Foxes, there was a great interview by The Stranger (read here) with Pecknold summing up the last crazy year, while touching on the progress of the new album.

Fleet Foxes will be playing Sasquatch this Monday.

Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos" Single Out Today

Sun Giant's standout single "Mykonos" hits shelves today

Fleet Foxes released the single "Mykonos" b/w "False Knight on the Road" on Sub Pop Records today. For those of you who own the Sun Giant EP, "Mykonos" was probably the song that made you a FF fan in the first place. This majestic fairy-tale number is accompanied by the traditional folk song "False Knight" (which can be heard here), making this single a must-have for any fan. To purchase a 7" copy, you can follow this link to the band's official site. And if you still haven't seen the video that Sean Pecknold created for this single, check it out below.

Mykonos from Grandchildren on Vimeo

• Buy the "Mykonos" single here.
• Buy Sun Giant EP here (features "Mykonos")

Fleet Foxes: Interview by BBC2's "The Culture Show"

There is a great Fleet Foxes (aka "The STYX of the late 00's," according to their MySpace page) interview from BBC2's The Culture Show that was taking during the UK leg of the band's latest tour. Snippets from their live show with performances of "White Winter Hymnal" and "Mykonos" are also included. During the interview, there are some subtly funny moments - for example:

Interviewer (Lauren): "It takes 22 years to write your debut album, that's what they all say. Then you get 2 to write your next one."

Robin Pecknold: "yeah... shoot..."

It's worth the watch. Still no word yet on when we'll be seeing a follow-up to last year's Fleet Foxes LP. I'm sure it'll be well-worth the wait.

Fleet Foxes - Mykonos Video

Mykonos from Grandchildren on Vimeo

I'm a little behind on this post, but I wanted to point out that Sean Pecknold's video wizardry shines through yet again. This tortured genius's latest stop-motion music video for the Fleet Foxes song "Mykonos" is a beautiful adventure of two tiny paper triangles (closely resembling two feet at times). I love the little homage scene (with the eyes) from "The Universe & You."

The video was debuted for the UK single release of "Mykonos" b/w "False Knight on the Road". To hear the tradional rendition of "False Knight," head over to Robin Pecknold's solo page (he'll be posting more covers in the near-future under the monikers White Antelope or Monte Cristo). Watch the video, and enjoy...

• Buy the "Mykonos" single here.
• Buy Sun Giant EP here (features "Mykonos")

Robin Pecknold's Solo Project: White Antelope

Fleet Foxes frontman releases music
under different animal name

Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes has always played solo shows - this is not a new thing. However, a MySpace page has recently been activated featuring his songs. Performing under the moniker White Antelope, it's obvious from reading the band's description that Pecknold is not only a Lost fan, but he also has a sense of humor about adding another to the long list of animal named bands:

White Antelope is the latest and greatest in a long line of exciting animal-named and themed music groups. This particular word synergectomy, "White Antelope," has heretofore never been used for such an application and we at the Dharma Initiative could not be more pleased to reveal this innovation to you, the listening public. This is our first serious co-branding initiative with Microsoft's animal-named music group software Fleet Foxes. We hope you enjoy this new animal-name, our most graceful and polysyllabic concoction yet!

Currently, there are only two songs posted on the site, "False Knight on the Road" (b-side to the Mykonos 7") and the Leo Kottke sounding "Guitar Duet" (aka "Magic Rings"). Some may ask if White Antelope will take higher priority over Fleet Foxes, or if this will delay the follow-up to 2008's fantastic Fleet Foxes LP. To relinquish any of these worries, the band has just posted via their blog that the band is currently in Port Townsend working on recording their next album. Apparently White Antelope will feature mostly covers.

Also, I saw Pecknold last Wednesday at the Dept. of Eagles/Cave Singers show (incredibly awesome show) - not to sound like some crazy groupie, but it looks like he's chopped off his hair!

Fleet Foxes on SNL

Last night, I happened to catch Fleet Foxes' performances of "Mykonos" and "Blue Ridge Mountains" on Saturday Night Live. By playing the band's two best songs (I can't think of a better choice for the night), I'm sure some new fans were made. While I tend to think all SNL performances sound sub-par at best (the TV can't capture the "live sound"), their two-song set sounded pretty good. So far, NBC has failed to post any video of the Fleet Foxes, but luckily someone was kind enough to post "Mykonos" on YouTube. We'll see how long it takes NBC to pull this down... until then, enjoy:

Three Colours' Top 13 Albums of 2008

After getting a big "fuck you" from Blogger according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, I've had to re-write my top 13 albums of 2008. Rather than give the full rationale for each of my picks, I've now just submitted my list without explanation. I also did not post a sample song along with a link to purchase each album (which apparently got me in trouble to begin with). What angers me most is that the deleted post was nothing but praise for these albums, as well free exposure. I wasn't giving away entire albums, and the songs I posted were singles you'd hear on the radio. Lame...

So without further ado, I present Three Colours' Top 13 Albums of 2008 (once again), along with the most disappointing releases of the year.

13. Beck - Modern Guilt
12. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
11. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
10. Foals - Antidotes
09. The Black Keys - Attack & Release
08. Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow & Blue
07. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
06. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

05. The Aliens - Luna
04. Beach House - Devotion

03. Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue

I tend to hate jam bands, so to pigeon-hole Plants and Animals as one would be a broad generalization and a huge disservice to the band. While Parc Avenue is at times "jam bandish", it also flirts with psychedelia, folk, and nearly any other sub-genre of classical rock. Yet another Montreal band that I've fallen in love with, this is a must-have album of 2008.

02. White Denim - Exposion

Definitely the most rocking album of 2008, White Denim's debut US LP showcases the range of styles these three dudes can cover. Exposion delivers eleven power-packed garage jams that span the entire rock & roll spectrum. Based on their versatility and range of sound, I'm expecting BIG things out of this Austin trio. Witnessing their live act this summer, the band broke out some new tunes that will make yet another solid release.

01. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

This timeless classic follows up their 2008 Sun Giant EP using the same working formula: simple three- and four-part block harmony, songs about friends and family, history, nature, and the things around the Pacific Northwest, unconventional song structures - sometimes putting two songs together as one, etc... Fleet Foxes, the band's self-titled debut album, is a wonderful collection of beautifully arranged folksy melodies. Lead singer Robin Pecknold's majestic cries, coupled with a lush composition of guitars, banjo, mandolin, and vocal harmonies equate to the number one album of 2008.

Honorable Mentions:
Ratatat - LP3
Black Mountain - In the Future
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty
The Raggedy Anns - The Prospector Joe EP

Most Disappointing of 2008:

While these albums are not necessarily bad (well, the TnT album blows hard), I just had very high expections and was not happy with the initial reactions upon listening to these highly anticipated releases. After giving these albums ample listens, I still feel that they did not deliver the satisfaction I had predicted. Who knows, maybe one day my mood will change and these will end up in the "Most Underappreciated Albums of 2008"??? Not likely, but you never know.

Tapes 'n Tapes - Walk It Off
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces

From the Basement - Fleet Foxes & White Denim

Fleet Foxes, White Denim, and others to be
featured in music TV show From the Basement

Head over to From the Basement and watch some very cool video performances of your favorite indie rockers, including Fleet Foxes' "Blue Ridge Mountains" (here), as well as a very awesome rendition of White Denim's "All You Really Have To Do" => "Mess Your Hair Up" (here). I think both of these videos do a great job capturing the live experience for these two acts - both the eerie, majestic charm of Robin Pecknold's howl, and the unabashed primal energy of Austin's hottest trio. The apparent goal of From the Basement is to portray the "truest representation of the state of their artists work, captured in a way that lets their talents speak without the interference of presenters, logos, or audiences." Other bands featured in this show include Architecture in Helsinki, Band Of Horses, Gnarls Barkley, Beck, Andrew Bird, CSS ,Eels, Albert Hammond Jr., Iggy And The Stooges, My Morning Jacket, Radiohead, The Shins, Sonic Youth, The White Stripes, Thom Yorke, and many more. Go check it out.

Go Out and Vote Today, Please.

Today is voting day, have you voted, yet?

Just a friendly reminder that you should go and vote if you haven't already. Since this no longer applies, I can now post Wilco & Fleet Foxes' cover of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" which was performed live in Bend, Oregon on August 23, 2008. The tune was originally available to anyone who pledged to vote in the 2008 Presidential Elections. Rather than deter people from showing up to the voting polls, I've waited until today to post this song. I hope you enjoy it, ONLY AFTER you've gone and voted.

MP3: Wilco & Fleet Foxes - "I Shall Be Released" (Bob Dylan cover)