Iron & Wine melts my heart. Ever since his cover of The Postal Service’s Such Great Heights way back when I was a wee freshman in college his music has turned me into nothing more than a puddle of candle wax. (The same goes for Sujan Stevens, but I shall say no more). Anyway, enough of that metaphorical imagery stuff, and on to the news. Sub Pop recently made Iron & Wine’s new single “Boy with a Coin” available for download, and of course, it does not disappoint. The upcoming album The Shepherd’s Dog is due to be released September 25.

Iron & Wine | Boy With a Coin
Iron & Wine | Such Great Heights

Website | Myspace

The Fiery Furnaces are ungodly prolific. Not only do they tour for majority of the year and their concerts feature an ever-changing continuous mix-mash of all of their songs (see my review here), when you attend a concert for a new album, you find out that another one is soon to come. Though some albums are definitely better than others (i.e., Blueberry Boat, EP, Bitter Tea) and some are freak experimentations that alienated their fans (i.e., Rehearsing my Choir), they still have a special place in my heart. Hence, I am a supportive fan when it comes to their new album Widow City, which is due to be released on October 9. Widow City is reminiscent of their roots, circa-Blueberry Boat, and will most likely win back some fans after the wildly bizarre journey or Rehearsing my Choir, which featured the harsh vocals of Matthew and Eleanor’s grandmother as the narrator (but it was cool that she went on tour with them!). Though still unpredictably experimental, the Widow City deserves a chance. I’ll reserve further comment until the album is released.

The Fiery Furnaces | Navy Nurse
The Fiery Furnaces | Single Again (the song that won me over, from their EP)

myspace* | website

*So far their myspace only features songs from Bitter Tea.

I’ve been meaning to post the video for Architecture in Helsinki’s Heart it Races off of their 2007 release for a few weeks now. However, PJ and I have been unable to figure out how to grant me access to embed youtube videos. Sooooo, instead of withholding the delightfulness that embodies the Architecture in Helsinki, I’m just going to direct you to the youtube video.CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO!!! (and let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did!)

I for one love the video to death, because it captures the essence of the band oh so well. Architecture in Helsinki is known for its ambiguous playful lyrics, dazzling array of instruments, and their effortless ability to make people smile and dance. Don’t believe me? Click here to see an impromptu live show in Paris.

And of course, what is a video teaser without some mp3s, eh? Enjoy!
Architecture in Helsinki | Heart it Races
Architecture in Helsinki | Souvenirs from freshman album Fingers Crossed

Website | Myspace

A few days ago, I commented on David Meiklejohn’s introductory preview of My Heart Is an Idiot on the Yellow Stereo. At first glance, My Heart Is an Idiot is a documentary about Davy Rothbart, the cofounder of Found Magazine, but in actuality, the documentary explores the broader conceptualization of love.

After receiving an email update from David about the second video posting, I was excited to see the development of the film and its theories on love.

For one thing, I was intrigued by the slight shift in tone from the explorative curiosity of the first video to the gray undertone of reality pervading the second video. Unlike the first video, which lightheartedly introduces the film, the second video describes love in the context of traveling with a sense of bittersweet “pain and poetry” that poignantly juxtaposes David’s carefree witticisms. An appropriate analogy between the first and second video likens the curiosity of a naïve youngster exploring love for the first time to the “wise” musings of a 30ish single man who has learned about love through poignant moments of uncertainty. Maybe even at 30, the true meaning of love still escapes us.

One gripe I had about the second video was the frequent mention of hell that makes me wonder whether David had meant to imply that love is a form of hell? (which I disagree with of course) Maybe spending time in Hell (Hell, Michigan, that is), while thinking about love has intertwined the two concepts in his mind. Any further inquiry into this question will inevitably lead to a psychological discussion, which I will kindly leave for another other time.

Okay, enough rambling and onto the technical issue at hand. I have been unable to embed the video onto TYS, so you have to bear with me and CLICK HERE to view it … “pretty pretty please,” as David would say.

Website | Myspace | Hell | Donkey

As expected, the lineup for Lollapalooza this year is phenomenal. The scheduling, on the other hand, prevents one from having the full Lollapalooza experience, or as I prefer to phrase it, milking it for all it’s worth. It’s a pity to pay $195 for a ticket, but only be able to see half of the top bands. For example, the schedule pits Daft Punk against Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Yeah Yeah Yeahs against Snow Patrol, Muse against Interpol, and My Morning Jacket against Modest Mouse. Bah! I am a disgruntled customer. Furthermore, the schedulers don’t even attempt to schedule staggered shows, so that fans can at least attend part of a show, while still making to the other half of the show from a competing band. In my opinion, the scheduling is not fair to the bands, nor the fans. It’s a conspiracy!
Okay, enough complaining, and on to the music. In preparation for Lollapalooza this year, I have put together a little mix highlighting *some* of the bands I look forward to seeing. Please enjoy!

Day 1.
M.I.A – 10 Dollar
LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great
Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Blonde Redhead – 23

FULL LINEUP:
Daft Punk, Ben Harper, LCD Soundsystem, Femi Kuti, Satellite Party, The Black Keys, Blonde Redhead, G. Love & Special Sauce, moe., M.I.A., Sparklehorse, Slightly Stoopid, Jack’s Mannequin, The Polyphonic Spree, Son Volt, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Ghostland Observatory, Soulive, Elvis Perkins In Dearland, The Fratellis, Carey Ott, Colour Revolt, Charlie Musselwhite, Electric Six, The Rapture, Illinois, Chin Up Chin Up, Viva Voce, Against Me!, Silversun Pickups, The Switches, Tom Schraeder, Bang Bang Bang, Powerspace, Inward Eye, Wax On Radio, Matt Roan, Mickey Avalon

Day 2.
I’m From Barcelona – We’re From Barcelona
CSS – Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! – Goodbye to the Mother and the Cove
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – The Sweets
Snow Patrol – Run
Muse – Supermassive Blackhole
Interpol – Slow Hands

FULL LINEUP:
Muse, Interpol, Patti Smith, Spoon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snow Patrol, Regina Spektor, The Hold Steady, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Roots, STS9, Motion City Soundtrack, Silverchair, Stephen MArley, Pete Yorn, Tapes ‘n Tapes, Tokyo Police Club, Fields, I’m From Barcelona, Sherwood, Roky Erikson & The Explosives, CSS, Rhymefest, Cold War Kids, Sam Roberts Band, Aquaduct, Ryan Shaw, The Satin Peaches, High Class Elite, Arckid, Back Door Slam, Cage the Elephant, Lady GaGa, Kevin Michael, Ludo, Dear and the Headlights

Day 3.
Amy Winehouse – Rehab
Peter Bjorn & John – Young Folks
Modest Mouse – Black Cadillacs

FULL LINEUP:
Pearl Jam, Cafe Tacuba, TV On The Radio, My Morning Jacket, Modest Mouse, Yo La Tengo, !!!, Kings of Leon, Iggy And The Stooges, Paolo Nutini, Blue October, Lupe Fiasco, Amy Winehouse, Heartless Bastards, The View, The Cribs, Juliette & The Licks, Kinky, The Wailers, Peter Bjorn and John, Apostle of Hustle, Annuals, Los Campesinos!, The black Angels, Dios, David Vandervelde, The Postmarks, The 1900s, Bound Stems, John Paul White, The Diffs, Smoosh, MRNORTH, The Graduate

For those of you who have not heard yet or would like a friendly reminder, both Spoon (8:30pm tomorrow) and Yo La Tengo (8:30pm Saturday) are playing free concerts at the Detroit Comerica Cityfest (formerly known as the TasteFest). If you would like more information, click here for the full lineup.
If you can’t make it to the Detroit show and happen to be around NYC, Spoon is having ANOTHER FREE concert at the Rockefeller Park on July 11.

Now let’s all let out a collective sigh for the blissful concept of the summer music festival! 1,2,3…Ahhhhhhh…

Spoon Tour Dates:
07/04 Detroit MI @ Comerica City Fest w/ Yo La Tengo… FREE SHOW
07/05 Milwaukee WI @ Summerfest w/ Violent Femmes…
07/11 New York NY @ River to River – Rockerfeller Park FREE SHOW
08/04 Chicago IL @ Lollapalooza Festival w/ Iggy and the Stooges, Interpol…
08/05 Baltimore MD @ Virgin Festival w/ The Police, Yeah Yeah Yeahs…
08/10 Oslo Norway @ Oya
08/11 Gotebourg Sweden @ Way Out West
08/12 Leicester UK @ Summer Sundae Weekender
08/14 Portugal @ Parades de Coura Festival
08/16 London UK @ Cargo
08/17 Hasselt Belgium @ Pukkelpop Festival
09/14 Austin City Limits Festival (Austin, TX)

Spoon – The Underdog
Spoon – I Turn My Camera On

Yo La Tengo Tour Dates:

07/07 Detroit, Michigan @ Comerica City Festival
07/19 Salt Lake City, Utah @ Gallivan Center
07/27 Neeba @ Fujirock Festival
07/29 Taiwan @ Formoz Festival
08/03 San Francisco, California @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
08/05 Chicago, Illinois @ Grant Park
09/09 London @ Royal Festival Hall
09/11 Paris @ CIGALLE
09/14 Dorset/Wiltshire @ End of the Road Festival
09/15 Austin, Texas @ Austin City Limits
09/16 Austin, Texas @ Austin City Limits Festival

Yo La Tengo – Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind
Yo La Tengo – Beanbag Chair

My heart is an idiot. Your heart is an idiot. The way I see it, we are all idiots when it comes to love. Lovers and poets alike have explored the meaning of this illusive concept for centuries, and now it is the subject of a new documentary by director David Meiklejohn, titled My Heart is an Idiot. David followed Davy Rothbart, the cofounder of Found Magazine (and my fantabulous housemate!), and his brother Peter Rothbart, the musical talent behind The Poem Adept, on tour as they traveled throughout the country.

Filming is over now and David spends 10 hours a day in his basement in Ann Arbor editing his documentary on love, as seen and experienced through the eyes of Davy and those he encounters. Being locked up in a basement for 10 hours a day thinking about love can get quite lonely (awww!), so David is posting weekly video chunks for your viewing pleasure.

The first video chunk is touching…charming…and intriguing. I am a bit sad that I have to wait until next week to see the next video chunk, but in the meantime, I can share this lovely preview with those of you out here in music blogosphere. See it. You won’t regret it.

Click here to see the video chunk!!!

Can you remix a masterpiece? Better yet, do you trust your friends to remix your masterpiece? Stars surely did when they recruited their fellow friends to remix their 2004 album “Set Yourself on Fire.” The new remix album, aptly titled “Do You Trust Your Friends?” is due to be released May 22. It features some of my favorite artists: Final Fantasy, Junior Boys, The Dears, The Russian Futurists, Metric, and many many more. These talented friends beautifully re-interpreted some of the old favorites, breathing new life and heart into the songs, while maintaining the melodramatic tone that had originally made them so enduring. Without a doubt, “Do you Trust Your Friends” is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums, and I highly encourage you to support their endeavors once the album is released.

Stars – Your Ex-Lover is Dead (Final Fantasy remix)
Stars – Sleep Tonight (Junior Boy remix)
Stars – He Lied About Death (Metric remix)