Iron & Wine - Walking Far From Home (2010)

I dunno how much you guys like Iron & Wine, but I have an unhealthy man-crush on Sam Beam's voice. So I'm gonna post his new single he just released on Black Friday. What appropriate artwork. I'm actually really digging the new not-so-low-quality sound he's been going for lately.

Man in Black: All right. Where is the download? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both click, and find out who is right... and who is dead. 
Vizzini: But it's so simple! All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the virus into his own computer or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the virus into his own computer, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the (iron &) wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the (iron &) wine in front of me. 
Man in Black: You've made your decision then?
Vizzini: Not remotely. Because iocane (a special brand of virus) comes from Australia, as everyone knows, and Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the (iron &) wine in front of you.
Man in Black: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Vizzini: Wait til I get going! Now, where was I?
Man in Black: Australia.
Vizzini: Yes, Australia. And you must have suspected I would have known the download's origin, so I can clearly not choose the (iron &) wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You're just stalling now.
Vizzini: You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?! You've beaten my giant, which means you're exceptionally strong, so you could've put the virus in your own computer, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the (iron &) wine in front of you. But, you've also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the virus as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the (iron &) wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work.
Vizzini: IT HAS WORKED! YOU'VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! I KNOW WHERE THE VIRUS IS!
Man in Black: Then make your choice.
Vizzini: I will, and I choose - What in the world can that be?
Vizzini: [Vizzini gestures up and away from the table. Roberts looks. Vizzini swaps the computers]
Man in Black: What? Where? I don't see anything.
Vizzini: Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter. First, let's click. Me from my computer, and you from yours.
Man in Black, Vizzini: [Vizzini and the Man in Black click ]
Man in Black: You guessed wrong.
Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched computers when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line"! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha...
Vizzini: [Vizzini stops suddenly, his smile frozen on his face and falls to the right out of camera dead]
Buttercup: And to think, all that time it was your computer that had the virus.
Man in Black: They were both carrying the virus. I spent the last few years building up an immunity program to iocane.

The Velvet Teen - No Star (2010)

The Velvet Teen, who haven't released anything in about four years, just released a new EP.
If you're not familiar with their work, they are AWESOME. I'll let those three songs speak for themselves (sorry about the crappy quality on the first one, but trust me, it's an earworm).

Check it.

Them Crooked Vultures - Self-Titled (2009)

This album isn't exactly "new", and I'm sure many of you have either heard of it or already have it. I was uploading this to send to my dad, and figured that as long as I've already done the work of uploading it I may as well share it here as well.

On to the album: John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) all teamed up to form the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, and (surprise, surprise) this is their album. In case you were wondering, Grohl plays drums in this particular project.

They've only got one album released so far, and I must say I really like it. I don't feel like comparing it to anything, but if you like any of the bands that these guys are in besides this one, I feel pretty confident telling you you'll like this.

Enough rambling, on to the download!

matt pond PA - Winter Songs (2005)

This EP is pretty self-explanatory. It's short and sweet; there's some original material from the group as well as covers of Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane over the Sea" and Fleetwood Mac's National Lampoon's Vacation anthem "Holiday Road," with some nice instrumentals in between.

YOU GUYS! CHRISTMAS! IT'S ALMOST HERE!

One eskimO - All Balloons (2009)

You guys! It's snowing! And with only about a month left until Christmas, I figure it's time to whip out my favorite Winter albums. This first one actually has nothing to do with Winter, other than having an eskimo in their name. Specifically, just one eskimo. However, it's probably the most atmospheric pop album you'll ever hear. Every song is amazing, and each one works perfectly for staring outside and watching the snow fall. That's actually a really dumb representation of what they sound like, but trust me. They're really good, and I can guarantee you'll like them. Plus, they have a cartoon series that's supposed to tie in to each song by telling a long story about their eskimo mascot, but I know next to nothing about that. Oh, and the guitarist is Heath Ledger in disguise. He didn't actually die. He just wanted to change careers.

But don't take my word for it! ...Oh god, I'm turning into that guy from Reading Rainbow.

Sharon Van Etten - Epic (2010)

She opened for Junip tonight. Apparently this was her sixth time in front of a big audience, so her stage banter was kind of awkward. That's part of what made her so awesome. My new Flatbear? We shall see...

As great as she was, Epic is still a terrible name for an album.

Little People - Mickey Mouse Operation (2006)

Miki mouse! Miki mouse!

Just a little something that has that kind of a Wx Tailor sound, with a little Portishead trip-hop in there. Its mostly instrumental deals- kind of a record of really interesting beats and loops- but its nice to get a break from the sampled sounds of voices that don't quite fit together perfectly. I'd recommend this record to my dad. That's a good thing. Really.

Click

Cloud Nothings - Leave You Forever (2010)

I swear you'll be hooked.

So download it, k?

Inspired Flight - We All Want to Fly + Wonderwall Remix (2010)

So Inspired Flight is amazing, and I really should promote them more. They are honestly one of the best electronic groups to come out in ages, mixing soothing guitars riffs with electronic elements as well as throwing in some rap for added effect from guest artists like Scarab from Living Legends and Inspectah Deck from the Wu-Tang Clan. I guess it's similar in that way to Gorillaz, but I don't want to typecast them like that since these guys are beyond being a rip-off, having established their own definitive sound.

Anyway, today they released a remix of Oasis' "Wonderwall" that features music from The Postal Service and Radiohead among others. I personally don't like Oasis at all, and "Wonderwall" is probably my least favorite song by them, but I seriously can't get enough of this remix. Seriously, it's amazing. So here's their debut album they released just this year as well as today's brand-spankin'-new "Wonderwall" remix.


WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY DEFINES ELECTRONIC MUSIC AS "OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ OONTZ"