I'm Really Feeling Dr. Dog

I'm really not feeling that name. In fact that was the main reason I have been disregarding them for so long. For about the last six months I have just been sort of ignoring the peeps around the blogosphere (I shudder to use that term, but it just sums everything up so well). So how would I describe Dr. Dog? Its one part blues, one part 60's rock, one part gospel. One part indie folk? I'm always reluctant to compare bands, so instead I will say this: lots of tambourine, unison singing, instrumentation (strings, percussion, horns?) So check em out....

Dr. Dog - The Old Days
Dr. Dog w. Elvis Perkins and Cold War Kids-St. John
<3 The Elephant

Songs to Download!

Photo

So I'm not exactly erm...tech savy. I can learn, but lets be real here, it isn't my forte. Given this, I would like to announce that you will now be able to download songs from me! For example:

Kickball-Beards
Kickball is a Portland Oregon based band that is pretty flippin sweet. Listen to them for yourselves on myspace and by downloading this song :)

I am still not sure how to get it to stream, but some more time spent on google, and I will get it. I also want to try to use this new found feature to introduce bands that you aren't reading about (currently) on other blogs.

<3 The Elephant

Thao: Another Female that I forgot...

Sometime before Christmas I stumbled upon Thao Nguyen. She alledges that she learned guitar by hanging around at her parent's laundry mat, and screwing around on the guitar. If only laundry mats could inspire such beauty and whimsy in everyone. Alas, it doesn't, but we should continue to appreciate hers, and her back up band, The Get Down Stay Down. I personally hate that name, but whatever, its not important. Her album, We Brave Bee Stings and All is sweet and jouvenile, but in the most refined way. Her delicate strums and breathy finishes translate into percussive sounding "Beat" and in the more emotional sounding "Chivalry".

She plays Terminal 5 with Rilo Kiley (unfortunate, I know) on June 2nd and 3rd.

Her Album, We Brave bee Stings and All is out on Kill Rock Stars (read: Elliot Smith, Decemberists, DeerHoof, Xiu Xiu...yeah, pretty weak)

Beat (Health, Life, Fire)

<3 The Elephant

Female Folk: It Doesn't All Suck

In this age of female singers like Feist and Cat Power, the competition is fierce (another fashion word) to be in the mainstream. I am not a huge Fesit fan, and I outright dislike Cat Power, Amy Winehouse and Duffy. Not because I think that they lack talent, but because it just isn't my taste.

I can't remember if I have already written about Basia Bulat, but I think that her music is richly spread across many instruments and modes of expression. She speaks to me in a way that not many of the others can throughout most of her music. Some of it isn't my favorite (December, off of Oh, My Darling) but on the whole I think she is terribly under-rated and underblogged. I am dying to see her live after I missed seeing her open for St. Vincent in February. Word on the street was that she killed it on stage, but I wasn't there. I always like interesting instrument use, and she def does that. So listen to this song and let me know what you think. (Haha...comments).

In the Night

Basia Bulat plays with Devotchka May 5th at Terminal 5. Her album Oh, My Darling is out on Rough Trade Records.

She also has a Daytrotter Session here.

<3 The Elephant

MP3's!!

I am still trying to figure out how to do this properly, but here is a preliminary effort:

www.elephantwhale.tumbler.com

It is a song that makes me happy, and helps me get through each and every day....

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson

That is one person, and he has a record coming out in the distant future. This record features members of Grizzly Bear and TV on the Radio. I know MBAR is sort of a lame-o...His sound is a little bit indie rock, a little bit country, a little bit garage. A little bit of love from the Elephant. MBAR's record is out 7/1 on Say Hey Records (will I even remember all of his names then?)

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson plays Wednesday 4/4 at Mercury Lounge at 9:30, for $12. Anyone want to be my date?

Here is one of my fav songs, courtesy of Love to Hate.