July 24th, 2009 - Capture What Eludes You

Today's featured free download is a demo of "Capture What Eludes You". This song is really about how in life we are all searching for a purpose, something to make us want to get up in the morning and how often our fear of the unknown or trying something new prevents us from capturing what eludes us. If you have ever felt that way it is probably worth checking out.

I have got 3 shows coming up in the next week so you should easily be able to catch one. I am playing tonight in Minneapolis at the St. Paul Eagles Club with the full five-piece electric group, next Thursday in Minneapolis at the Acadia Cafe with the 3-piece electric group and next Friday acoustic/electric with friends Casey, Jeff S. and Joe at the Root Note in LaCrosse, WI. Check out Facebook for more info.

Casey and Jeff who play in the amazing Porcupine and also help me peform my music just did an interview you can check out online here.

Below is the albums I listened to yesterday:

Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
It took me awhile to get into this record, like a long while, but it was definitely worth the effort, may be true for you as well. Especially the opening track "Peacebone".

Blind Melon - Nico
My best friends and bandmates in Rearview Mirror (Jason & Adam) got me into this group finally a few years ago and I have become a big fan. This album is a collection of unreleased b-sides and what not.

The Dismemberment Plan - Change
This a really cool group that is no longer playing together. They released a number of albums and this is my favorite by far. Be warned though, if you get it you will be listening to it daily for the next six months.

July 23rd, 2009 - Jiggy

Today's featured free music download "Jiggy" reaches deep into the archives and offers up a track that was recorded over 10 years. Gives you a good insight into what I was working on in Highschool. Listen and discuss.

Music I listened to yesterday =

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
This is a great album which gets better with every listen. Featuring Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear. This album was released last year and definitely worth a listen.

Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild (soundtrack)
Pearl Jam's singer provides a musical soundtrack filled with short "Who" inspired tracks that do a great job of supporting a great movie. Definitely worth checking out the music and the film if you have not yet done so.

Frank Sinatra - Classic Sinatra
Oh to have Sinatra's sweet crooning abilities for even one day would be fascinating. This greatest hits style collection travels through the world of Sinatra. Always a great listen after lunch.

July 22nd, 2009 - Why oh Why Acoustic

Today's featured free download is an acoustic version of "Why oh Why" which was recorded during the pre-production stages of the Vision Question album. Check it.

Below are the albums I listened to yesterday.

St. Vincent - Actor
This is the second album from Annie Clark, a former member of the Polyphonic Spree who has discovered that she can make magical music on her own. I have really been enjoying this album and think it is definitely worth checking out.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser
If you like Radiohead you like Thom Yorke and I do like Radiohead. I also really enjoy his first solo album that was released a couple of years ago. Definitely worth spending sometime with this album.

Throw Me The Statue - Moonbeams Throw me the Statue is the solo recording project of Scott Reitherman. This album was released a couple of years ago on Secretly Canadian. While the album has way to many songs in my opinion, that does not detract from the fact that many are very enjoyable.

July 21st, 2009 - Escape Escape The Great Escape

Today's featured free music download is a full demo of "Great Escape". This song is mainly focused on the drive to escape the structure of traditional society and just go live in the woods like an animal. We are animals after all and I think the drive to live on instinct is present in all of us. Also, three shows coming up in the next two weeks. This Friday at the St. Paul Eagles Club with the full 5 piece electric group, next Thursday in Minneapolis with the 3 piece electric band and next Friday at the Root Note in LaCrosse, WI with Casey and Joe acoustic.

Below are the albums I listened to yesterday in no particular order.

Criteria - En Garde
I am a big fan of singer/guitarist Steve Pedersen's other previous group, The White Octave, so I was not surprised to find that this debut album from the group he started after White Octave to sound pretty similar. Seems to be a pretty good record but still liking his work with the White Octave more.

Grizzly Bear - Vecktamist
Listened to this album last week as well, not tiring of it at all yet. Great record, if you haven't listened to it, do so now.

Pearl Jam - The Fixer (single)
The first single from Pearl Jam's new record "Backspacer" is now streaming at their Myspace site. Pretty cool little punk rock song, nothing to exciting here though. How does a great American rock band compete with it's own youth?

Thom Yorke - Present Tense (solo acoustic)
Thom Yorke debuted a new song at a festival this weekend, pretty hard to get much satisfaction out of the poor audio quality of the You Tube video but worth checking out if you are into Thom.

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
I am not huge into Jazz, but I do like my the groups that push the envelope and love the experimental leanings of this double album. If you haven't heard it yet, make time soon.

Weezer - 8 bit Tribute Album
A Weezer tribute album with the songs reimagined in 8-bit. In other words Weezer as video game music from 1989. Not really that satisfying, didn't listen to the whole thing.

July 20th, 2009 - President Of The Free

Today's featured free music download is "President of The Free" off the Vision Question album which was released in Fall 2008. This song developed over a number of years with the first half of it having been written around 2003-2004. The "we" should be president of the free, you know it...

Had a great rehearsal yesterday with good friends in prepraration for the show at the St. Paul Eagles Club this Friday night in St. Paul, MN. Should be a great show full of good music and good fun. Will be back tomorrow with what I listened to today at work.