Watch: Fiona Apple - "Hot Knife"

A little more than a year after it has made it's way into the world, "Hot Knife" arguably my favorite track off Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel... gets a music video. Remember The Master? Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson was tapped for Fiona Apple latest video and the results are visually quite appealing.

Playing off of the tracks many layers, the simply shot video basically takes the form of recreating the song from all its base elements. The opening shot features Apple playing the timpani so prominently featured, before slowly incorporating through the use of split screens of Apple and her sister's canon. The visual style feeds directly off of the track's ever growing build as more are more split screens are incorporated and you get a sense of just how many plates Apple has spinning in the air during "Hot Knife". Just when you think the whole thing is going to collapse on itself, everything reverts to normal, to a single shot of first sister Maude, then Apple before grinding to its eventual end.

One of my favorite visual treats was the sudden shift from black and white to a warm light-bathed Apple right as she smiled. A further reminder of the cathartic nature of "Hot Knife", the one track on The Idler Wheel... not tangled up in self-doubt or even self-analysis. 

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. (2012)

When Fiona Apple announced her return to mainstream performing and subsequent upcoming studio album release, the indie music blogosphere was infused with a rush of excitement. One I will admit I was swept up in myself before I realized I wasn’t really all that familiar with Apple’s works outside of “Criminal” and really had no intention to be. When a live recording of “Anything We Want” from Fiona Apple’s SXSW visit, I was intrigued but not impressed and as more and more people seemed to indicate that I should be anticipating Apple’s first album after 7 years, I found myself disenchanted more and more by the idea of it.  Enter Dave at Rawkblog who convinced me to actually listen to When The Pawn… to get an idea of Apple’s style and hopefully understand new single “Werewolf”, where Apple rattled out metaphor after metaphor, better. A feat that actually worked while also making me realize I had heard far more of Apple than I thought I did.

Album opener “Every Single Night” is exactly when I realized I was indeed hooked, as Fiona puts her knack for poetic lyricism at the absolute forefront along barebones accompaniment. It’s also a surprisingly perfect introduction to Apple as a songwriter for the uninitiated and/or unfamiliar – even virtually acapella there’s still hints of the jazzy lilt Fiona imbues in her music and her bold fearlessness as she suddenly swells to slightly subdued shouts before floating down light as a feather. 

“Daredevil” expounds on this, Fiona’s musical equivalent of a high wire act plodding along daringly slowly adding sultry temptation, an air of danger, and slightly more in terms of instrumentation – it’s the first true instance of Fiona’s steely-eyed flippant disregard for pretty singing as she howls and yelps and twists her voice with little regard for judgment but instead of emotional release.  

There’s also Apple’s clever little phrases that don’t draw much attention to themselves as Fiona coos “I don’t cry when I’m sad anymore” while double bass strokes envelope her and she in turn turns to tuneful shrieks in “Left Alone” or “All that love must’ve been lacking something if I got bored trying to figure you out” in the piano pop romp of the occasionally humorous “Periphery”.  

While each song works in its own individual way towards the inevitable tension release, The Idler Wheel... is not without obvious highlights – “Jonathan” with its peril-invoking piano lines and foreboding percussion Apple expunges yet another one of her demons in the form of her ex; and exceptional album closer “Hot Knife” as Fiona turns a nursery rhyme-esque simple lyric into a contrapuntal masterpiece – layering vocals on top of vocals turning her and her sister Maude’s vocals into a full on round with an remarkable pop twist punctuating her slightly veiled sex reference  with primal percussion ensuring that you’ll be humming it for days after.   

The Idler Wheel… is the kind of album you treasure once you get the full scope of it, an album sure to be as cathartic for the listener as it no doubt was for Fiona to write and create. It’s an album of unflattering self-awareness that deals with those swarms of negative emotions we rarely champion; breakups are the standard but on The Idler Wheel..., Fiona outlines her own neuroses and flaws and in turn helps you feel a bit more comfortable with your own. Apple’s lyricism seems almost overwhelming in its deluge of thoughts and ideas but the truly important points stand there like buoys in the ocean of Apple’s stream of consciousness writing-style.   

Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel... is currently available for streaming as part of NPR's First Listen before it's June 19th shelf-date. Listen here. 

Regina Spektor - What We Saw from the Cheap Seats (2012)

Long before ARMS or even Sondre Lerche there was Regina Spektor. My regular go-to gal and pinnacle of songwriting excellence and keeper of the eternal flame of my oppressive fandom. My experiences with Regina Spektor are decidedly long and storied and undoubtedly one-sided: A weekend trip to visit a recently displaced friend when I was in my early high school days was when I was introduced and while originally thinking her  silly and insane, I found that I had grown to like and respect her. Her songs were smart but not stuffily so and the more I listened the more I found I'd learn. The meanings were subtle but the narratives were engaging and entertaining, and her talent undeniable.

My love of Spektor's music soon grew to eclipse that of her current output and so I took to the web and discovered a treasure trove of live recordings of songs that she's yet to commit to tape. Recorded by fans at live shows spanning her entire career thus far, the collection was impressive; about 170 different songs if memory serves. I had joined message boards and even regularly visited a Livejournal group (despite not actually operating a Livejournal) just for the latest scoop on her and information about where I might obtain more recordings.

Despite not seeing a single live show of hers (due to being a high school student with absolutely no disposable income), I felt like I could personally vouch for the impressiveness of them because of the recordings. Her song "Making Records" seemed to all but agree with this as she seems to lament committing her voice to tape noting the machines ability to bring her vocals to a level of perfection she cannot humanely recall. In fact, my love of her was so strong that sensing the obvious bias one of my blog's first major tenants was that I was not allowed to blog about her.

And I remember exactly when the fires of my love were snuffed out: the release of 2009's Far. The album wasn't terrible, not by a long shot but my love of ska/punk music as well as my own distaste with what other kids around me were listening to had distilled in me a distrust of major labels - a distrust which heretofore had never been directed at Spektor despite her place on a Warner Records subsidiary.

"Laughing With" took all of the mystery out of her songwriting making it quite clear what she was singing about, not allowing me to discover for myself the serious tone of it. But even that was fine. The act of severe betrayal happened in the form of much beloved "Folding Chair" - a simple little love song that was quintessentially silly Regina but still serious, it was when the overproduced instrumentation and overproccessed vocals kicked in that I felt my fandom deflate, a suspicious shield of distrust erected in its place. I could never completely dislike her because quite frankly, the album was still packed with more than enough good songs and her back catalog still had the same effects on me. But I knew from that day on, I'd be dubious of any of her future releases.

When Regina Spektor announced What We Saw From the Cheap Seats earlier this year, I had mixed feelings. I remembered the sting of Far's overproduction and death of Spektor's simplicity but I was still curious and filled with hope. First single "All the Rowboats" though relying on production techniques did so inoffensively and my hope was renewed though with a heavy layer of mistrust. The first sign of a misstep would see me bolting never to return. Or so I thought: With the release of second single "Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)" there's synthesized piano and drums which I wasn't quite fond of and yet, I stuck around and I'm certainly glad I did.    

Opener "Small Time Moon" proves like "All the Rowboats" that the studio perks that are afforded to Spektor aren't always bad thing, giving the track a bouncy, joyful flare that might not have come off before. "Oh, Marcello" sees the return of a quirkier, much missed Spektor as she fully adopts the character of a Italian woman, affect included, to spin a plot that could very well be out of Shakespeare or his contemporaries which she combines with a stolen set of lyrics from The Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" to create a bit of a quizzical anachronism. After "Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas", Spektor finds a pretty spot on balance between her own talents (vocal percussion abounds) and those of the studio so that you don't have the same jarring experience ever again. You even get a very obvious peek to her likes and influences with the soulful "How" which recalls Billie Holiday plainly and simply without merely sounding reductive.

My problem with What We Saw From the Cheap Seats is exclusively from a place of privilege. I had heard many of the songs before a multitude of times before I suppose I was meant to. While Spektor has supported the recording of her songs and the sharing of her songs (in most cases, if they aren't detrimental to another person's vision), I essentially have undue knowledge I shouldn't have. Perhaps if I hadn't heard the live version of "Folding Chair", I wouldn't have been so offended by the album version or so distrustful of the computer-friendly "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (I will call it by its originally name forever), my ears might have still pricked up (not in a good way) when I heard both of these songs but who's to say.  And so my feelings while not to be totally disregarded aren't exactly the status quo. Even at her most overtly poppy, Spektor is at her most endearing. They may not give her the proper forum to display her impressive plethora of talents but they're hard to fault.

What We Saw from the Cheap Seats seems to be the foil to Far, featuring Regina Spektor at her most fun, thoroughly enjoying herself. Not that there's not fun songs on Far, but where songs like "Two Birds" and "Dance Anthem of the 80s" seemed more cute than anything, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats pulses with smile-inducing splendor even at its most serious ("The Ballad of the Politician", "Open"). It's fitting that Spektor returned to fan recordings to select songs for this album because they allow her a certain freedom she doesn't really take full reign of in her more recent songs. Rediscovery imbues in her a sense of wonder and playfulness.  The album's strongest tracks are in fact, the oldest "The Party" and "Jessica" don't really hold a candle to "Open" or "Patron Saint" and yet, the album's not a competition. Even the weaker tracks sparkle with Spektor's radiant charm.

Watch: Regina Spektor - "Call Them Brothers"

Since the release of 2009's Far, I've more or less downgraded Russian-American piano songstress Regina Spektor from my favorite artist that I listen to religiously to artist I like and will listen to when the mood strikes me. Pair that with the fact that she's spent the better part of 3 years heavily engaged in some quiet composition for a musical slated for Broadway and I more or less forgot about her. With the release of her upcoming album What We Saw From The Cheap Seats, I'm hoping to recapture some of that love. The biggest problem with that seems to be a big budget studio sound she has access to. Which results quite sadly in some effects that are pretty much unnecessary - Spektor is an artist who's vocal power is best left alone with only the accompaniment of her piano or her frequent friends and collaborators.

So while each single has rolled out and I've more or less been at odds with my want to like them and my sadness that they are heavily produced ("All the Rowboats" being the exception since the production really flushes the song out), this latest release from Spektor: The video for "Call Them Brothers" has me changing my tune a bit. Originally recorded for Jack Dishel aka Only Son's sophomore album Searchlight, the two have essentially created a whole new acoustic version to be releases as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of What We Saw From The Cheap Seats. If any of the songs are as good as "Call Them Brothers" I have rising hopes for the album.

Watch the video for "Call Them Brothers" here:


And in case you missed (I pretty much did), Regina rolled out new track "Small Town Moon" not too long ago, listen here.

Regina Spektor's What We Saw From The Cheap Seats is out May 29th.

Watch: Regina Spektor - "All The Rowboats"

Almost a month ago to the day, Regina Spektor emerged seemingly out of nowhere (but most likely her NYC apartment where's she's composing music) to drop the first single off her upcoming album What We Saw From the Cheap Seats. If the bombastic, percussive single wasn't enough she's also followed up with a spanking new video for it today.

The video opens up with Spektor lying tied up in a boat seemingly dead before cutting to her standing on a dock. Her hair blown by the wind as she stares intently at the camera singing the words as nifty effects creates waves underneath her and the song grows in intensity - it's not long before the video becomes all action. Regina takes a plunge off the dock and there's cuts to her struggling in a net and running away from confining designs as they press ever closer and her lyrics about trapped works of art are delivered more and more powerfully. The video which I thought as first was just a random assortment of images and themes suddenly takes on coherent form - as it becomes more and more obvious Regina Spektor herself is in danger of becoming a commodified masterpiece she's singing about (at least in the context of this video) - I wouldn't be surprised if you suddenly let out a epiphanic "OH!" like I did. The rest of the video makes sense out of all the previous images before capping it off with a bit of an unexpected twist which I won't ruin for you.

Watch the video for Regina Spektor's "All the Rowboats":


Regina Spektor's What We Saw From the Cheap Seats is out May 29th.

Watch: Fanfarlo - "Everything Turns"

British indie-pop quintet Fanfarlo continue their collaboration with director Alex Southam, this time in the video for instrumental track "Everything Turns".

A series of seemingly random images, the video for "Everything Turns" is actually the second out of the three films filmed with Alex Southam (with "Replicate" being No. 1 and "De.con.struc.tion" being No. 3) and kind of bridges the gap between them. "Replicate" with it's jumble of images and "De.con.struc.tion" with it's far more coherent sequence, "Everything Turns" is filmed in the same black and white style and when not featuring the flashes of random images, sees the band members setting up the space in what's to be the setting for the next video.

Though there's no realm sense of coherency besides that, Southam still stitches together a visual spectacle worth viewing - there's all sorts of stimulating effects to accompany the rather sparse instrumental track. Watch the kinda eerie video for "Everything Turns":

Regina Spektor - "All the Rowboats"

New York chanteuse Regina Spektor has an album coming out this year and it might be the most excited for an album I've been. The follow up to 2009's Far, Regina Spektor hasn't been that forthcoming with info on new album What We Saw From the Cheap Seats especially considering that it's supposedly coming out in about two months. Yet all of that changed today with the premiere of brand new single "All the Rowboats". It's a song she's performed live a couple times but the new version features slicker production and fills out all the sounds Spektor has claimed were going on in her head and unlike Far's "Folding Chair", actually benefits from the added production.  It is May yet?

Listen to Regina Spektor's new single "All the Rowboats" which if official out tomorrow.


(via Stereogum)

Fanfarlo - "Vostok, I Know You Are Waiting"

In about two weeks time, British chamber pop quintet Fanfarlo will be dropping their much anticipated sophomore album Rooms Filled with Light. Earlier this week, the band previewed one of the tracks only available on the special edition version of the album.

Much like "Harold T. Wilkins (Or How to Wait For A Very Long Time)", "Vostok, I Know You Are Waiting" is inspired by real noteworthy events - namely the discovery of Lake Vostok, a freshwater lake lying four kilometers beneath the surface of Anaractica. You can read more about Lake Vostok here.

Listen to Fanfarlo's lovely bonus track "Vostok, I Know You Are Waiting":
 Vostok, I Know You Are Waiting by Fanfarlo

Fanfarlo's Rooms Filled with Light is out February 28th.

Laura Marling offers up more album details

Nearly 3 weeks after announcing her new album, A Creature I Don't Know, Laura Marling finally reveals more info about it. Like the album cover and tracklist.




- The Muse
- I Was Just A Card
- Don't Ask Me Why
- Salinas
- The Beast
- Night After Night
- My Friends
- Rest In The Bed
- Sophia
- All My Rage

Considering she's played a bunch of the new songs at performances (some for well over a year now), it'll be interesting to see what she's done with them since and how they've changed and/or been dressed up in the studio. September 13th can't get here fast enough.

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, watch the epic trailer for A Creature I Don't Know featuring "Night After Night":


You can still pre-order either the standard or deluxe version of the album here.

Laura Marling reveals new album details

When British folk songtress Laura Marling played a one-off show in New York City last week at Housing Works, one of the crowd's collective unspoken inquiries was the news of a new album. A question she answered very early in her set. Yes, there would be a new album and we would hear some of the new songs that night ("Night After Night", "The Muse", and "Sophia"). Now, today she has officially announced the release of said new album. The album titled A Creature I Don't Know is getting some royal treatment. A short teaser video for it is featured on Marling's website (soundtracked by new track "Night After Night") and is now available for pre-order in both standard and deluxe editions.

You can view the video below and pre-order the album here.



A Creature I Don't Know is due out September 12 in the UK, and September 13th in the US. From the three songs we were treated to at Housing Works, I can tell you it's gonna be a good one.

The Strokes - Angles (2011)

When it comes to The Strokes there are only two kinds of people: casual listeners and die-hard fans. Everyone has heard of The Strokes or has at least heard one of their songs as their reach is all but inescapable. I'd classify myself in the former category: A casual listener. And yet when I heard that they'd be releasing their first album in nearly 5 years, I was excited and when I heard it would be similar in style to their debut album Is This It, I was doubly excited ("Someday" is one of my favorite Strokes songs).

When "Machu Picchu" starts, it's obvious that Angles will be no mere duplication of Is This It. Their sound is cleaner, tempered by age and experience, and it's clear that The Strokes can never sounds like they did back in the 90s. At least not exactly. Tell any listener that the blips of sound in "Machu Picchu" are made by a guitar and not by a synthesizer and be prepared to be met with considerable amounts of disbelief.

I have no idea how it stands when compared to other Strokes albums but Angles stands alone as a decent effort. By no means it is perfect but I doubt that was their intention and that's not what real rock music sets out to be. And yet it's surprisingly hard to classify the album as a straight up rock record. Sure, "Under Cover Of Darkness" and "Taken For A Fool" (definite album highlights) jam like proper rock songs but tracks like "Games" and "Gratisfaction are far from it: a little unsettling in their poppiness. But as I said before: Angles is a valiant effort; a worthwhile triumph after years of low output. Here's hoping it doesn't take another 5 years for the next album to come out but if that's how long it takes to deliver another decent album then so be it.

Now Streaming: The Strokes - Angles

After various preview tracks and a performance on SNL, The Strokes have thoroughly teased their upcoming fourth album, Angles and finally the album is almost here. In exactly a week from today, actually. But before that, a full week before its scheduled release, The Strokes are offering their new album up for a listen on their website here.

53rd Grammy Awards Go Indie...kinda

As the Grammys approach, I realize that this is the only year I've actually been interested in them. Normally the Grammy Awards tend to be a pretty predictable affair filled with nominations for the most popular and mostly similar sounding music. But this year with the nomination of The Arcade Fire's The Suburbs for Album of the Year, I sensed change in the air. And when I checked out other Grammy Nominees I was pretty surprised to see Ray LaMontagne nominated for multiple categories (like Song of the Year for "Beg Steal or Borrow"), Mumford & Sons up for Best New Artist, Sarah Bareilles up for Best Female Vocal Performance (though the fact that she's up against Norah Jones, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga makes her chances of winning plummet immensely), in addition to all sorts of surprising Grammy nods.

Taking a look at the nominees you'll notice this: All of a sudden, The Grammy's are becoming more Indie friendly. What does this mean? Well I'm not sure exactly. The fact that several big name Indie artists are put up against some multiple Grammy award-winning and award-nominated group is both hopefully and not at the same time. While you hope the "underdogs" wins, there's always going to be some doubt as to whether they're actually going to or if they do, why they actually won. Cynicism aside though, you definitely have to admit that the 53rd Grammy Awards are definitely going to be interesting to watch.

Now Streaming: Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean

Iron & Wine has made his new album Kiss Each Other Clean available for streaming. What's surprising is not that he's elected to do this but where you can stream it from: Conan O'Brien's website. Then again, not really if you take into the account that Conan's got impeccable music taste as evidenced in who he gets to perform on his show (and the fact that he's good friends with Jack White).

The album will be released January 25th, but until then you can listen to the full album here.

Adele releases official video for "Rolling in the Deep"

What do a hundreds of glasses of water, burning model buildings, tons of broken dishes, and a contemporary dancing ninja woman have to do with Adele? Well they're all featured in the official video for "Rolling in The Deep". Released last month, the official video trades the playfulness of the compiled studio footage video for a more somber set of seemingly unrelated scenes that connected convey the steamy grit of Adele's vengeful single. The hundreds of glasses rattle and shake with each foreboding pound of the drums, the dancing warrior woman getting more frantic as Adele denounces her lover in the chorus, and the model buildings catching flames as Adele acknowledges the wreck of a her relationship. It's artfully done and really entertaining to watch. Enjoy the video for "Rolling in the Deep":

Fanfarlo offer up video for "Atlas"

It's been awhile since I've heard from Fanfarlo. Since being featured on the Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack, touring extensively worldwide, and playing numerous festivals, Fanfarlo took a bit of a break to write for their new album, enjoy the holidays, and just take a bit of a breather. The band is still working on their new album but had time to share the video for their song "Atlas" which appeared on the Eclipse soundtrack. The band had initially teased about its creation in the early fall but now anyone can see the finished product. Shot backstage while on tour in Sydney, the video is simplicity at its best. Instead of a heavily produced video with an artistic vision, you have the band members more-or-less being their quirkily awesome themselves in front of a black painted wall and camera lens, while Simon and Cathy sing along with the track. There's even some fake vampire teeth thrown in for good measure. Enjoy the video for "Atlas":

Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire (2006)

My introduction to Sean Lennon happened randomly when during a live broadcast of HitRECord’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s collaborative media project) final Summer in the City show he and girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl took the stage and sang a couple songs. I was intrigued but didn’t actually act upon it until several months after when I came across Sean Lennon’s album Friendly Fire at a Barnes & Noble. Any research would reveal that Sean Lennon is John Lennon’s son but being that I only have the most cursory knowledge of John Lennon and his music, I feel I was able to appreciate the album in a way that Sean Lennon expected: able to stand on its own musical merits and the effort the songwriter put into it.
Inspired by real events from Sean Lennon’s life where his girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend who then died in a motorcycle accident, a lot of the lyrics have a lot to do with his feelings toward them and sometimes himself. Considering how tragic the circumstances, I was surprised how melancholic the album wasn’t. For the first part of the album, the tracks are reflective, contemplative, but oddly never really that sad. Or if they are, they’re also oddly hopeful or resigned. Around “Tomorrow” the album gets a more positive feeling with only vague hints of any sort of sadness until space-rock-esque “Would I Be The One” and album ender “Falling Out of Love” which sounds rather happy with its Elton John-like piano trimmings but has some of the most dark lyrics on the album with some absolutely gorgeous arrangements. The song reveals the end result of all the craziness: A man unwilling to love for fear of being hurt again which is presented in an almost stunningly beautiful way.
The album is probably the best example of a fluid album I’ve found so far. There are really no standout tracks on it, rather each song contributes to the overall pathos. Similarly to artists like Regina Spektor, the music wouldn’t be out of place in a soundtrack lending itself rather nicely to background music but drawing attention to itself at just the right time. That’s not to say the music isn’t capable of standing on its own but rather doesn’t insist upon itself. The songs on Friendly Fire blend seamlessly into each other and Sean Lennon’s vocals are almost disarmingly quiet, and the songwriting is liberally sprinkled with lyrical gems that you’re sure to miss if you’re not paying attention.

Considering this was the biggest music gamble I’ve ever taken (I spent around $25 on the album including tax after only hearing the live broadcast performance), I was pretty pleased with the result. The songs aren’t particularly catchy (they’re not meant to be) but still have this way of staying with you long after they’re over. I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who after listening to the album once wasn't compelled to immediately hit repeat.

Punch Brothers - Antifogmatic

My discovery of Punch Brothers was one of those happy little accidents that occurred when browsing through Rolling Stone to see if anything interesting was mentioned. It was in fact: There was an article mentioning Punch Brothers and their habit to perform covers from all sorts of bands like The Carter Family, Radiohead, The Strokes, even some Mozart and Bach. Well that peaked my interest as to how a so-called bluegrass band would do all these covers. A few minutes later I was sampling their CD and really liked what I heard. Punch Brothers' Antifogmatic might be one of the most epic albums I've listened to in quite some time, if not my whole life. Why's this? Well sure they have this bluegrass instrumental assortment of mandolin, guitar, double bass, banjo, and fiddle but it's how they use them that really captivates you. Each instrument has its place in adding to the overall feel of the song: whether its the chops and glissando of the fiddle in "You Are". "Don't Need No" features fiddle player Gabe Witcher on lead vocals and describes the structure in the first verse: "Don't need no chorus, cash, or candy now". Instead, the chorus-less song is mostly instrumental featuring flashy virtuosic displays from each band member within its 4 minute time frame. You'd never guess the song is merely about having a friend who happens to be a bartender because the song is just too interesting for something so mundane. "Rye Whiskey" with its group shout vocals, lyrics about the strong influence of alcohol, and swaggering sounds like your typical bluegrass fare and yet something about it is different.

The album is jam-packed with all these great musical moments and gives the impression that it's more about conveying the feeling of the song than adhering to any strict style which why it sometimes diverts from hoe-down party bluegrass ("Me and Us" being the prime example). The album does a wonderful job of providing an eclectic blend of songs whether its the good-times party type ("Don't Need No"), ballads ("Alex" "Missy"), adventurous epics ("Woman and the Bell"), and everything in between. Its an album for everyone, even if bluegrass isn't particularly your thing. Give Punch Brothers an listen in this live video of album opener "You Are":

Janelle Monae releases video for "Cold War"

Janelle Monae's video for "Cold War" is unlike a lot of music videos. Its simple, direct, yet heartfelt and poignant. Instead of highly developed storylines, plots, characters, and high production costs, the video features Janelle Monae in front of a camera, her face always visible, as she sings to you, standing naked and laying her soul bare for all to see. Instead of the flashy, quirky performances she's know for you see a softer, more real side of her as she tears up while singing but still maintains powerful soul-gripping eye contact. Enjoy Janelle Monae's "Cold War"

Gin Wigmore releases new video for "Too Late for Lovers"

So I'm actually unsure at to when exactly Gin released this video. It was filmed during the period she was in L.A. filming the video for "Hey Ho" but has yet to appear on her site. However Google prevails and I found it there. The video directed by Moh Azima, stars Gin as a frustrated waitress in a small town diner waiting for someone to come rescue her before she decides to take it upon herself to leave the diner and the town behind. Enjoy the video for "Too Late For Lovers"