The Secret World Of Arrietty - Official Trailer

Jess and I saw this preview in the theatre before the Muppets (which was excellent, by the way) and while I’m not sure I’ll see the movie, I enjoyed the trailer if only for the Jonsi song.

* Office Of Future Plans have released the first track ‘Salamander’ from their upcoming debut self-titled album.
* Death Cab For Cutie will be releasing an EP called ‘Keys And Codes Remix EP’ on November 22.  The EP is made up of seven remixes of songs from ‘Codes And Keys’.  Leading up to the release, the band has been releasing one remix per week.  So far they have released ‘Doors Unlocked And Open (Cut Copy Remix)’, ‘You Are A Tourist (The 2 Bears Remix)’, ‘Some Boys (RAC Maury Mix)’, ‘Home Is A Fire (Ulrich Schnauss Remix)’, and Codes And Keys (Yeasayer Remix).
* Nada Surf will be releasing a new album called ‘The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy’ on January 24.  They have released the first single ‘When I Was Young’ for download on their website.
* Fanfarlo have released a video for the song ‘Deconstruction’ from their upcoming album ‘Rooms Filled With Light’, which is coming out on February 28.  The song is available for purchase as a single (with b-side ‘Reconstruction’) from Amazon and iTunes.
* Radiohead have announced the dates for US tour next year (there’s no Pittsburgh date) and plans to return to the studio.
* The National have released their contribution to the upcoming Philistines Jr. covers album.
* Sigur Ros have released the one studio song on their upcoming live album/film ‘Inni’.  The song is called ‘Lúppulagið’.
* Jonsi has revealed the details for his upcoming soundtrack for the Cameron Crowe film ‘We Bought A Zoo’.  The album comes out December 13 and features several new songs.
* Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional) has released a new EP of covers for free download.
* Bon Iver and Feist recently performed on Later With Jools Holland.  You can see videos from the performance here and here.

* Radiohead has announced that the ongoing 12” remix series will probably have 6 or 7 volumes and when it is completed, the entire series will be collected and released on CD.  The third volume in the series is now available for streaming online.
* Ryan Adams has shared some details about his upcoming album “Ashes And Fire”.
* Jonsi will be providing the score for Cameron Crowe’s upcoming film We Bought A Zoo.
* Death Cab For Cutie performed a cover of “Twisterella” by Ride at a recent BBC radio session.  They also revealed their fall tour dates.
* Feist has revealed the cover and tracklist to her upcoming album Metals, as well as some fall tour dates.
* Chino Moreno (of Deftones) has a new project called ††† and the group’s debut EP † is available for free download.

Here is all the new music that I’ve bought in the first part of 2011.  I’ll split it into a few categories:

Record Store Day:
* Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Class Mythology 2x7” [Four leftover songs from the Cardinology sessions.]
* Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American Deluxe Edition 3xLP [First time on vinyl.  Limited to 2000 copies.]
* Foo Fighters - Medium Rare LP [An all-covers album.]
* Deftones - Covers LP [An all-covers album.]
* Anberlin - Cities 2xLP [First time on vinyl.]
* Pearl Jam - Vs. LP [Vinyl reissue.]
* Pearl Jam - Vitalogy 2xLP [Vinyl reissue.]

New Releases (Albums):
* Maritime - Human Hearts [The 4th Maritime record and the band keeps getting better.  I’d definitely recommend this.]
* The Get Up Kids - There Are Rules [The first new album in a long time from The Get Up Kids…it’s very different from their earlier albums, but I dig it.]
* Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean [This album has really grown on me.  Jess and I are going to see Iron & Wine in concert this week and we’re both very excited.]
* Bright Eyes - The People’s Key [Another solid record from Conor Oberst.]
* Radiohead - The King Of Limbs [I’m still not quite sure what I think of this record.  There are definitely some good songs, but I’m not sure how it stacks up to their other albums.]
* Jonsi - Go Live [This live album from Sigur Ros’s lead singer contains several songs that aren’t on his debut album Go.]
* Joan Of Arc - Life Like [The first Joan Of Arc album with Victor Villareal (of Cap’n Jazz and Owls fame)…I was hoping this would be amazing, but unfortunately, I don’t think it is.]
* Decibully - Decibully [The band’s brand-new, self-titled (and sadly their final) album is available as a pay-what-you-want download here.]
* Foo Fighters - Wasting Light [Another solid Foo Fighters album.]
* Jonah Matranga - You’re All Those Things And Then You’re None (V2.0) [Version 1 of this record was a singer/songwriter album with just acoustic guitar and vocals.  For Version 2, Jonah took audio submissions of all kinds from anyone who wanted to take part, and he built a new version of each song.  It turned out really well and it is a lot of fun to listen to.  It is definitely worth checking out.]
* Pearl Jam - Live On Ten Legs [Pearl Jam has released plenty of live music, but I still bought this…I guess I’m a sucker.  Anyways, it’s pretty good if you like Pearl Jam.]
* Pearl Jam - Vs./Vitalogy/Live At The Orpheum Theatre [The bonus tracks on Vs. and Vitalogy aren’t that great, but the live CD is awesome.  Pearl Jam was sort of an angry band in 1994, and that made for an awesome live show.]

New Releases (EP’s):
* Alexi Murdoch - Towards The Sun [This seven song mini-album is really good.  Another recommendation.]
* Lovedrug - EP Part III [The final installment in Lovedrug’s year of EP’s leading up to album #4.]
* Chris Conley / Masafumi Isobe / Matt Pryor - 3 Way Acoustic Split [Chris Conley of Saves The Day, Masafumi Isobe of Husking Bee, and Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids each do a new song and cover a song by the other two.]
* Vampire Weekend - iTunes Session
* The Appleseed Cast - Middle States [The new EP available from Graveface records.]
* Blackpool Lights - Okie Baroque [The long-dormant side-project from Jim Suptic of The Get Up Kids is back with a new EP.  It is available for purchase here.]

New Releases (Singles):
* Imogen Heap - Lifeline [Imogen’s new single that she wrote in collaboration with her fans.  You can buy it from Amazon MP3 or iTunes, or you can buy it directly from Immi’s website.]
* Owen - O Evelyn 7” [Another new single from Mike Kinsella.]
* Office Of Future Plans - Harden Your Heart 7” [The debut single from J. Robbins’s new band.]
* Channels - Cast Away [A new single from J. Robbins’s outfit prior to Office Of Future Plans.  Available for listening and purchasing here.]
* The National - Think You Can Wait (from the film Win Win)
* The National - Exile Vilify (from the video game Portal 2) [Both of these new singles from The National are really good and I especially like that the art for both of them is a play on the cover for High Violet, the band’s last record.]
* Cary Brothers - Free Like You Make Me (from the SXSW 4 Japan compilation)
* Radiohead - Supercollider/The Butcher [I received an email from Radiohead last week with a free download of these two tracks, which were released on a UK-only 12” for Record Store Day.  The band sent a download link to everyone that bought The King Of Limbs from them.]

Older Albums:
* Atlantic/Pacific - Meet Your New Love [I had been meaning to purchase this since it came out last year and I finally got around to it.  Atlantic/Pacific is the new band from Garrett Klahn of Texas Is The Reason and Solea.  This album is gentle, acoustic, and quite enjoyable.]
* Hammock - Chasing After Shadows…Living With The Ghosts [A recommendation from my friend Troy.  A really lovely instrumental record.]
* Camden - Reel Time Canvas
* Camden - Pieces Of Places [Eric & Magill is the new project from Ryan Weber and Eric Osterman and their album All Those I Know is really good.  I am familiar with Ryan Weber because he was in Decibully, but Ryan and Eric were previously in Camden, so I decided to track down some of their stuff.  Both of these records are pretty good.]
* Shorebirds - It’s Gonna Get Ugly [Shorebirds was Matt Canino’s band after Latterman and before RVIVR (among others).  The band also featured Chris Bauermeister of Jawbreaker on bass.  It’s Gonna Get Ugly is the band’s only album and it is a solid pop-punk record.  Good call Nick.]
* Smoke Or Fire - The Speakeasy [Another good recommendation from Nick.] 
* Brian Eno - Ambient 4: On Land [I have had Ambient 1: Music For Airports for a long time and I love that album.  For some reason, I’ve never looked into any other Brian Eno albums, but a recent post from Something For The Ladies put an end to that.  I have a feeling I’ll be buying a few more Eno records over the next few months.]

And finally, here are the recent Daytrotter Sessions that I enjoyed: Old Canes, Menomena, Iron & Wine, Jonah Matranga, and The Wooden Birds

There has been a lot of news about two releases that come out tomorrow, Tuesday January 25: ‘There Are Rules’ by The Get Up Kids and ‘Kiss Each Other Clean’ by Iron & Wine.  Here are all the links related to those two:

* Iron & Wine: Full Album Stream, Daytrotter Session, Tour Dates, Video of Full Album Live Performance, Appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Stereogum’s Premature Evaluation, 
* The Get Up Kids: Listen to ‘Automatic’, Download ‘Regent’s Court’, Download ‘Pararelevant’, Listen to ‘Shatter Your Lungs’, Tour Dates, 

Here are all the other latest music-related links that I enjoyed:

* Listen to a new Damien Rice song [Link]
* Maritime will release a new album called ‘Human Hearts’ on April 5.  You can download a song from it at the link. [Link]
* Joshua have reunited and will be releasing a new album called ‘Choices’ [Link]
* Trent Reznor updates: Another film score, a reissue of The Fragile, and How To Destroy Angels full-length album [Link]
* The Strokes will be releasing a new album called ‘Angles’ on March 22 [Link]
* Yellowcard will be releasing a new album called ‘When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes’ on March 22.  You can hear the first single ‘For You, And Your Denial’ at the link. [Link]
* She & Him have released a new video for ‘Don’t Look Back’ [Link]
* Dashboard Confessional have recorded a new song called ‘A Guardian Of Sorts (To Catch You)’ and are giving it away on their website [Link]
* Office Of Future Plans have made their debut single available for streaming [Link]
* Jonsi has released a video for the song ‘Sticks & Stones’ which appears on the soundtrack for How To Train Your Dragon [Link]
* Death Cab For Cutie have released a few details about their upcoming record ‘Codes And Keys’ [Link]
* Further Seems Forever have released a new 7” [Link]
* Freelance Whales have released another new single for free download.  It is called ‘Day Off’ [Link]
* Bright Eyes will be releasing a new album called ‘The People’s Key’ on February 15.  The first single ‘Shell Games’ is available for streaming. [Link]

I suppose this is slightly late, but here’s my list of best albums of 2010 in no particular order:


* Jonsi - Go
I was really surprised that I liked this as much as (if not more than) the last Sigur Ros record.  Even during its slower moments, it is such an energetic record.


* Iron Chic - Not Like This
My friend Troy recommended this record and I’m so glad he did.  I would describe this as some combination of Dillinger Four and Hot Water Music…in other words, it is punk rock at its finest and it totally rules.  You can listen to the entire album and buy it for whatever price you like over at the band’s Bandcamp page.


* The National - High Violet
I still can’t decide where I would rank this against The National’s last two records (Boxer and Alligator), but since I love both of those records, that’s no knock on it.


* Polar Bear Club - Chasing Hamburg
Another recommendation from Troy (he’s on fire!) who described the band as Hot Water Music meets Third Eye Blind (after that description, how I could I possibly not check them out?).  I have seen these guys in concert and they rock live just as much as they do on record.


* Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans - The Falcon Lake Incident
Any record featuring John K. Samson and the boys is worth checking out, and I’m glad I checked out this one.  Jim Bryson makes a great front man and The Weakerthans work well as a supporting band.  This record flies by and always leaves me wanting more.


* Far - At Night We Live
I’m always nervous about records by bands that broke up and got back together (see the upcoming Get Up Kids record), but this exceeded my expectations.  I have followed Jonah Matranga’s career for years, but it’s good to hear him howling in the context of a band again.


* Minus The Bear - Omni
Definitely not my favorite Minus The Bear record, but even at that, it’s a really good album.


* Vampire Weekend - Contra
I thought the first Vampire Weekend album was ok, so I wasn’t really planning on getting this until my friend Cory recommended it.  He said (and I agree) that it sounds quite a bit like Paul Simon’s Graceland.


* Lovedrug - EP Part I
I liked Lovedrug’s first album better than their second, and I liked their second album better than their third which wasn’t a good sign to me.  They have come back incredibly strong this year with the release of several EP’s, none better than EP Part I.  I am really excited about their yet-to-be-recorded fourth album, which should be out this year.


* Eric & Magill - All Those I Know
This album from Ryan Weber (of Decibully) and Eric Osterman sounds quite a bit like Decibully and features plenty of guests: Mike Kinsella (Owen, American Football, etc.), Erin Fein (Headlights), Todd Bell (Braid, Hey Mercedes), Davey Von Bohlen (Maritime, Promise Ring, etc.), and Chris Rosenau (Pele, Collections Of Colonies Of Bees, etc.).  You can listen to and download the album for free at the band’s Bandcamp page.

And finally, two honorable mentions to albums that came out in late 2009, but were in heavy rotation for me in 2010:


* Freelance Whales - Weathervanes
I first heard this band when they opened for Fanfarlo and I’ve loved them since that first listen.  Weathervanes is simply a fantastic record.


* Decibully - World Travels Fast
I still like the prior Decibully record (Sing Out America) better, but World Travels Fast is another solid outing from this Milwaukee outfit.  You can listen to and download the album for whatever price you like at the band’s BandCamp page.

Here are the latest music-related links that I enjoyed:

* Girl Talk’s new album ‘All Day’ is available for free download [Link]
* Jonsi is releasing a live CD/DVD documenting the tour for his album ‘Go’ [Link]
* Iron & Wine have released more details about their upcoming album ‘Kiss Each Other Clean’ including the January 25th release date [Link]
* Ryan Weber (of Decibully) has a new project with Eric Osterman called ‘Eric And Magill’.  The group has released their first album ‘All Those I Know’ for free download.  Besides Ryan and Eric, the album features plenty of guests including Mike Kinsella (Owen, American Football, etc.), Erin Fein (Headlights), Todd Bell (Braid, Hey Mercedes), Davey Von Bohlen (Maritime, Promise Ring, etc.), and Chris Rosenau (Pele, Collections Of Colonies Of Bees, etc.) [Link]
* Cults have signed to Columbia Records.  The group’s first single is still available for free download on their bandcamp page [Link]
* Damon Albarn has recorded the new Gorillaz album on his iPad [Link]
* Jonsi performed ‘Sticks And Stones’ on Fallon [Link]
* Brett Detar, the lead singer of The Juliana Theory, has released his new album for free download [Link]
* Volcano Choir have played their first live shows in Japan [Link]

Here are the latest music-related links that I enjoyed:

* Ryan Adams is preparing to release Volumes III/IV by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals on his own PAX-AM label.  The material on this double album comes from the same recording sessions that produced the album Easy Tiger.  I couldn’t be more excited for this.  (The first link is the explanation of the release and the second link contains pictures of the release art.) [Link1 - Link2]
* Pearl Jam is preparing to release a new live album, Live On Ten Legs [Link]
* Jonsi performed an acoustic show in a record store in LA and the store put some videos online [Link]
* Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie commented on the sound of the band’s next album, due out in early 2011 [Link]

I haven’t put up a post about the new music that I’ve bought in three or four months, so rather than putting up the whole list, I think I’ll just list the highlights.  Here we go:

* The National - High Violet [The fifth studio album from The National.  I have loved some songs since the first listen and I’m waiting on others to grow on me.  I don’t know where I would rank it in comparison to Boxer and Alligator, but those records are hard to top.]
* Jonsi - Go [This record is like Sigur Ros on speed.  I love it so much.]
* Minus The Bear - Omni [I remember when Minus The Bear was the weird new band from Botch’s guitarist.  I remember when Minus The Bear was the band with the really strange song titles.  Now I know Minus The Bear simply as a really great band and this new album only solidifies that reputation for me.]
* Far - At Night We Live [I don’t think anything that Far could release now would mean as much to me as Water & Solutions did a few years ago, but this new record is really solid.]
* Lovedrug - EP Part I [While I haven’t enjoyed everything that Lovedrug has released, I’m really enjoying this new stuff.  Part II comes out on June 8.]
* Decibully - World Travels Fast [I really liked Decibully’s album ‘Sing Out America!’, but I hadn’t heard anything from them in so long that I thought they had broken up.  Apparently they left Polyvinyl Records and self-released this new album.  It’s good to have them back.  You can download the album (pay what you want) from Listening Party.]
* Small Brown Bike - Composite, Vol. 2 [I like Volume 1 better than Volume 2.]
* She & Him - Volume 2 [I like Volume 2 better than Volume 1.]
* Cary Brothers - Under Control [I first heard of Cary Brothers from the Garden State soundtrack, which included his song ‘Blue Eyes’.  I liked that song, but for some reason I never bought anything else until this new record.  It’s a very listenable album and has a couple of really great songs.]
* The Weakerthans - Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre [John K. Samson and the boys tear it up in Canada on this live CD/DVD.  If you’re a fan of the band, this is definitely worth checking out.]
* The Get Up Kids - Simple Science [The first new songs from The Get Up Kids in a few years…these songs sound pretty much how I would expect them to sound.  I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.]
* Peter Gabriel & Bon Iver - Flume & Come Talk To Me [Peter Gabriel covers Bon Iver and Bon Iver covers Peter Gabriel.  From what I heard of the new Peter Gabriel album, which consists of all cover songs, ‘Flume’ was definitely one of the better tracks.  I’m not familiar with Peter Gabriel’s song ‘Come Talk To Me’, but the Bon Iver version is really good.]
* How To Destroy Angels - How To Destroy Angels [Trent Reznor’s new band.  You can download the EP for free from their website.  I think it sounds like mellow Nine Inch Nails music with a female singer.  It’s worth checking out.]

Here are the music related links from the past month that I enjoyed:

* Maritime has signed to Dangerbird Records and will release a new album later this year [Link]
* The original Taking Back Sunday lineup has reunited and is recording a new album [Link]
* The Get Up Kids will be releasing three new EP’s this year (instead of just one as previously announced) [Link]
* Polar Bear Club have released a video for ‘Living Saints’ [Link]
* Jimmy Eat World are finishing up their new album [Link]
* Trent Reznor has a new musical project called ‘How To Destroy Angels’ [Link]
* Mates Of State will release an all-covers album this summer [Link]
* Phoenix have released a free live album [Link]
* The National performed a couple songs from their new album in an abandoned castle [Link]
* Thom Yorke played another new song live [Link]
* Jonsi released a live clip from his current tour [Link]
* Bloc Party’s Kele released the single from his upcoming solo album [Link]