Is it a bird? Is it an (In The) Aeroplane (over the Sea)? No sir. It’s the equine-stomp marchin’ romp of Are We Not Horses? by Rock Plaza Central. Rock Plaza Central is the Toronto-based band, led by novelist/songwriter Chris Eaton. The album is a concept album about: “Robotic horses who think they are real horses.” It’s a coming of age “tail” (oh yes I did), where a race of metal-clad horses endure the trial and tribulations of first denying, then discovering, and finally accepting their contrasting metallic luster and rusted marrow to those of flesh and blood.
Just as the Bears album has been glued to Seamus’ cd player, Rock Plaza Central’s latest offering has similarly adhered itself to mine. The songs beautifully alternate between themes of apprehension to stock-sure confidence, frustrated naivety to enlightened clarity, and gritty disrepute to shining glory. The music grinds and soars accordingly, accenting the multifarious feelings and emotions triggered by our robotic friends’ transformational journey. Needless to say, it’s a well-bred affair.
Play these tracks in your car for extra horse-power:
- Listen to “My Children, Be Joyful”
- Listen to “When We Go, How We Go (Part II)”
Buy Are We Not Horses? from Rock Plaza Central’s website.
Chris Eaton was kind enough to send me an extra track that he contributed to a podcast compilation assembled by Aaron Newell at Cokemachineglow.com. It was made famous by Justin Timberlake, and now it is made infamous by Rock Plaza Central. Dig it.
Preserve yer sexy:
- Listen to “SexyBack”
Awesome cover of Sonic Youth‘s ‘Schizophrenia’ by the Young@Heart Chorus.
- Listen to the original Schizophrenia
(((peeled by)))
Bravitzlana Rubakalva, our very own country sounds more like another dimension, a dimension of ascension into pure energy. A place where our beings “dance” in limbo between the physical and the light, and glimpses of truth are gently gazed. Mariee Sioux‘s guitar works roots down into the earth’s crust, leaving her lyrics to play in the ethers, floating otherworldly. The ground cradles tracks of familiarity as the air smells anew. I find myself setting up residence among the rich, lush life-filled vegetation of this celestial garden. Exploring and expanding in this existence between heaven and earth. Something primordial is being invoked; something ancient is being remembered.
Intrigued? I definitely was. “Bravitzlana Rubakalva” is the lead track from Mariee Sioux’s home recording Bundled Bundle of Bundles. She offers up a serving of solo singer/guitar folk that is bursting with imagination, creativity, and melody. No matter how many bundles I’ve bundled, I want to bundle more.
Please friends, bundle up these bundled bundles:
- Listen to “Bravitzlana Rubakalva”
- Listen to “Wizard Flurry Home” (Live)
To order the home recording, it’s currently available at CD Baby.
Every now and then someone tips me off to a an album that I had absolutely no idea existed yet it inevitably becomes fused with my CD player. I just can’t bring myself to remove the disc because quite frankly nothing else is going to sound better.
It happened in 2001 when my brother, Drewl, handed me a copy of the Shins‘ Oh, Inverted World and it happened last year when my friend Aaron shoved a copy of De Novo Dahl‘s Cats & Kittens into my paws.
And I fear it’s happened again. This time courtesy of a post that I stumbled upon at explodingNOW!!!
A post about the Bears.
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, the Bears make music that is not, in fact, so dissimilar from the Shins. It’s psych rock at it’s finest, calling to mind not only some of my Elephant 6 faves, but also the Byrds, Lovin’ Spoonful, and the Kinks.
In a short period of time the Bears’ eponymous debut has quickly become one of my favorite releases of 2006 and for a limited time it can be yours for the low, low price of only $7.
- Listen to How to Live
- Listen to Everywhere
- Listen to Daydreams
Buy the Bears’ self-titled debut from their website.
Money no object? Buy it from 
.
If you read political blogs or watch FOX News, it’s possible that you’ve seen this:
Bill O’Reilly, of course, couldn’t stay away from an 8-year old calling him out, something that wouldn’t, couldn’t happen unless that 8-year old was being used by adults.
While it’s certainly probable that the 8-year old in question didn’t understand all of what she was saying, it is certain that she was being used to a certain end. That end, it turns out, was to promote the release and free download of the Bastard Fairies Memento Mori.
Abuse? Methinks not. But definitely a brilliant ploy to get your music heard.
The project of Wakinyan Yellow Thunder Woman and Robin Davey (who also collaborated on the documentary, The Canary Effect) the Bastard Fairies sound like Suzanne Vega shtupping The Knife. Which, if you think about it for just a moment, is pretty enticing.
- Listen to Apple Pie
- Listen to We’re All Going to Hell
- Listen to Guns and Dolls
Download Memento Mori from The Bastard Fairies site.
Watch the trailer for The Canary Effect.