TV on the Radio - A Method

Went to a great concert out at McMenamins Edgefield.  TV on the Radio was playing, and Menomena opened for them.  It was a beautiful day that faded into a perfectly calm night.  As the last vestiges of daylight dwindled in the distance, during the encore, TVOTR came back on to play this little gem.

"A Method" is an infectiously awkward tune driven by manual percussion (i.e. clapping) and flat monotone vocals.  It does grow to crescendo as little by little other instruments are added, but it never loses the focus it begins with so simply.

It is an elegant song, even if it is strange to the ear at first.  But after a few listens you will find yourself whistling the tune at the grocery story, or in the shower, or driving around town.  It is one of those songs that doesn't go away easy.  But you will be happy to know that the song you're humming to yourself in public is cooler than most earwigs that people are stuck with...  (check it out)

Be a Fan

Live From Nowhere Near You: Volume 2 (Update)

There is more news coming out about the charity concept album "Live From Nowhere Near You: Volume 2" every day.  The album pairs popular bands with street musicians and is raising money for the homeless and street youth programs. 

The best place to get up to date information is at the facebook fan page.  But in case you aren't "on the 'book", or you can't look it up while at the office, or you prefer getting info from quaint, small, hard to find blogs, or you're the guy who helped start facebook but got squeezed out through stock dilution and can't support the fan page on principals, or signing up for facebook is just to much commitment for you, or whatever your reason may be, here are some of the latest updates:

1. Buying at the Pre-Release Sale link (here) gets you BOTH the digital download and the physical 3 Disc CD collection.
2. There are several songs that are only available on the 3 CD set
3. The Strokes are only going to be available on the 3 CD set (not the digital download)
4. Elliott Smith will have 2 songs on the album, 1 previously unreleased, and 1 with members of Heatmiser (not to be confused with this Heat Miser), and The Decemberists

Buying the album in the Pre-Release Sale basis is not only going to be cheaper (only $15 for 3 CDs, over 210 minutes of music), but you are going to get songs that will not be included on the digital version.  Once again the Pre-Realease Sale link is right here.

And if you can't join the fan page, come on back to The Polymouth, we will try to bring updates asap.

Support a cool cause, and get some cool tunes:)

Be a Fan

The Cousin's B-Day Mix 2011

Since the last mix I put up here was from years gone by, I figured I should put up a more recent edition.  My cousin and I are about 16 months apart in age, and while we are very different on several levels, we sort of have our own short hand much like sibling, and one thing we usually agree upon is tunes.  Every now and then he asks for me to make up a mix of music for him, and it has become a nearly annual tradition for me to give him a mix for his birthday.

Here is the latest iteration, I think its a fun blend of some new stuff and some gems from the past.  It also has a good balance between very very chill stuff, and some more up-tempo-get-out-of-your-seat-and-shake-it jams.  But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself and let me know what you think...

(also if you see my cousin don't tell him you saw this because I give him his birthday mixes without a playlist so he has to do some sleuthing and learn more about the bands on the mix.  But for you, I included links to info on all of the bands)

(song-band-album)

1. Two Weeks- Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest
2. Wordless Chorus- My Morning Jacket- Z
3. Hang On- Dr. Dog- Fate
4. I Gotta Woman- Toots & The Maytals- Light Your Light
5. Rosetta Stone- Bombadil- A Buzz, a Buzz
6. Sailing to Nowhere- Broken Bells- Broken Bells
7. Cubism Dream- Local Natives- Gorilla Manor
8. Thistled Spring- Horse Feathers- Thistled Spring
9. The Black Roses- Codeine Velvet Club- Codiene Velvet Club
10. Dirty Cartoons- Menomena- Mines
11. Ragged Wood- Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes
12. Hotel Yorba- The White Stripes- White Blood Cells
13. A Good Man is Easy to Kill- Beulah- The Coast is Never Clear
14. Weekend Wars- MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
15. Say Hello- Stars of Track and Field- Centuries Before Love and War
16. Don't Look Away- The Helio Sequence- Love and Distance
17. Hannah- Freelance Whales- Weathervanes
18. Daylight- Matt & Kim- Grand

A couple final notes- My Morning Jacket just had a real cool set on VH1 Storytellers; Toots & The Maytals is playing at the Washington Park Rose Garden Amphitheater on the 4th of July (just a few weeks from the time of this post, buy tixx here); The Polymouth is still mourning the breakup of The White Stripes, say it ain't so Jack and Meg; and as always stop piracy and BUY THE MUSIC!

Be a Fan

The Whine List

Well I have to start somewhere and this mix goes back quite a few years (I think i made it in late 2004), but it is still one of may favorites I've made over the years.  It is The Whine List, named for the whiny tenor of most of the tracks.  Some of these tunes (like Arcade Fire's "Neighborhood #4", and Modest Mouse's "One Chance") have become quite popular since then, and others have yet to make it to the big time, but nonetheless I think its a real cool collection of tunes.  Let me know what you think....

(song- band- album)

1. Front Page- The Redwalls- De Nova
2. I'll Believe in Anything- Wolf Parade- Apologies to the Queen Mary
3. The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
4. Two-Headed Boy- Neutral Milk Hotel- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
5. Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)- The Arcade Fire- Funeral
6. I'm Here- Climber- Climber EP
7. Lull- Radiohead- Desk Top
8. Falling Away With You- Muse- Absolution
9. If You Could Save Yourself (You'd Save Us All)- Ween- Quebec
10. One Chance- Modest Mouse- Good News for People Who Love Bad News
11. Southern Anthem- Iron & Wine- The Creek Drank the Cradle
12. Bad Days- The Flaming Lips- Clouds Taste Metallic
13. What a Wonderful Man- My Morning Jacket- Z
14. The Same Boy You've Always Known- The White Stripes- White Blood Cells
15. Oh Comely- Neutral Milk Hotel- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Be a Fan