Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

I've listened through it once, and Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest is worth the purchase.  Some places have it on sale for $7.99.  Check it out.

- Joel

Grizzly Bear

Lots of activity surrounds the release of Grizzly Bear's upcoming album, Veckatimest, set to drop this Tuesday (May 26th).  This album will undoubtedly wind up on "Best of 2009" lists, so grab it on Tuesday.  You won't regret it.

- Joel

Check out their performance of "All We Ask" for Live on the Black Cab Sessions here.

Check out their performance of a few new tracks featured on NPR here.

Check out the fan video for the song "Two Weeks"

Check out their performance of "While You Wait for Others" on Live With Jools Holland.

Max Justus Shoutout

Pitchfork.com, in my opinion THE premier music website (unfortunately they know they're that good which can lend to pretension) had a track from Max Justus, the Kansas City-based creator of crazy electronic music and even crazier background videoscapes, in their Forkcast section. The Forkcast is Pitchfork's track-by-track (or video-by-video) guide to the latest happenings in indie music. It's where they offer music to be sampled. Anyway, I never knew anyone outside of Kansas City paid attention to Max Justus. Apparently they do.

- Joel

Download the track featured on the Forkcast here (Mac users should control click).
Download Max Justus' remix of Kanye's 808's and Heartbreaks here.

Iron & Wine: Around the Well

Around the Well, Iron & Wine's collection of rare tracks and B-sides, dropped yesterday.  I put it on this evening and have really enjoyed everything I've heard so far.  It's unusual for an album full of cast-offs and not-good-enoughs to be so enchanting.  I think it's worth the listen.  In other Iron & Wine news, the crew played on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."  Watch his/their performance of a brand new song (not even on this new album) below.

- Joel

New Music: Discovery

Discovery, the new band featuring Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles, drops their self-titled debut LP on July 7th. It's a powerful combination of indie heavyweights and worth a listen in my opinion. Check out the track "Osaka Loop Line" streaming on their Myspace.

- Joel

Clae Rollins Shoe

Clae Rollins Shoe. These are hot. I'd probably pick them over anything else I've seen lately. They have a few other colorways which are cool too.

- Joel

SNL - A Great Season

I've found myself going back and re-watching SNL sketches a lot this season.  In my opinion, this season was the best in quite awhile.  I think I'll start posting some of my favorite sketches from the season.  Gilly is without a doubt my favorite recurring character.  Here's the second time she showed up on the show.

- Joel

Coldplay Live Album

Go here to download Coldplay's latest live album, LeftRightLeftRight.

- Joel

Bill Simmons vs. Malcolm Gladwell

Here's some great banter about NBA basketball and more between sports writer Bill Simmons, aka The Sports Guy, and journalist/author Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author of The Tipping Point and Outliers.  If you like NBA basketball or just appreciate witty banter, read this:

Gladwell vs. Simmons II - Ultimate Rematch

- Joel

Nike Commercial

Lebron vs. Kobe.  I'm officially in the Lebron camp.  This commercial offers a humorous take on the NBA's two biggest superstars.

- Joel

Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos"

My favorite track from Fleet Foxes, "Mykonos", for free download here (right click or control click to download) at Subpop.  Below is the music video, in case you aren't familiar with the song.

- Joel

Nick Z

© Nick Z

The Public Trust in Dallas is showing artwork by Boston-based artist Nick Z through June 20th.  Read an interview with Nick Z conducted by my friend Holly here.

- Joel

© Nick Z

Vans

These Vans Vault sneakers come out later this year.  I dig them.

- Joel

The Collective on Letterman

Animal Collective had a cool performance on Letterman last week.  Not my favorite song on their latest record but definitely a unique performance.

- Joel

Mixtapes

Here are you a few new mixtapes you might be find interesting...if you're into that sort of thing.  I've put links (below the cover art) to websites where you can download them for free.  I can't vouch for this stuff yet, as I haven't listened to it, but I'm pushing it out expecting it to be good.  Stuff is always good hot out of the oven.

- Joel

The Cool Kids - Gone Fishing Mixtape

Kanye West - LV's & Autotune 2

Pinto Canyon Road

Pinto Canyon Road © Joel Thomason

Here's another shot from Marfa taken on the Pinto Canyon Road.  I think it captures the character and desolation of that drive.  Joe Nick Patoski calls it "The Road to Nowhere."  

- Joel

The Cinematic Orchestra

This is an old song. It's called "To Build A Home" by The Cinematic Orchestra featuring Patrick Watson. I heard it on an old episode of Criminal Minds tonight, hanging out with Daniel and his wife Hattie. An exciting Friday night, I know...we were actually watching NBA basketball first lest you think I'm terribly uncool. Below is a live performance of the song. Also, click on the link below to download the song from ZShare.

- Joel

"To Build A Home" - The Cinematic Orchestra (ZShare download)