Crenellation

Plenty is Plenty

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:43:00 +0000

Tenement Halls - Plenty is Never Enough ::mp3::

Plenty is plenty when it comes to pet overpopulation. One female cat can begin breeding as young as 4 months old and, if left un-spayed, she and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in only seven years! One un-neutered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in just six years! The Humane Society of the United States estimates that at least four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Spay/neuter is a proven way to reduce pet overpopulation.

February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month and many organizations offer assistance, some even no-cost assistance, during the month and throughout the year. If you, a friend or family member need assistance to care for their pet, call your local humane society or animal shelter and tell them you are looking for low-cost spay/neuter services.

Links:

The Humane Society List of Financial-aid Related Resources for Pet Care
SpayUSA
PETA's Spay and Neuter: A Solution for Suffering

At Last

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:23:00 +0000

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://thesournotes.bandcamp.com/track/last-looks"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Last Looks by the sour notes&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Fred Thomas – Last One ::mp3::

Elliott Smith – Last Call ::mp3::

The Weakerthans – The Last Last One ::mp3::

Music Inspired by Occupy Wall Street

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:00:00 +0000

The songs below are about elevating people over profit -- music that is not meant to demoralize but rather engage and engender empathetic citizens.

Jeremy Messersmith - Blue Sky ::mp3::

Black Liquid - We are the 99 ::on ReverbNation::

Sleepy Kitty

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:50:00 +0000

These cats are from St. Louis...

Sleepy Kitty - Gimme a Chantz! ::mp3::

Courtesy of Euclid Records from their July 2011 release Infinity City.

Sleepy Kitty on Bandcamp.

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://sleepykitty.bandcamp.com/track/way-out"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Way Out by Sleepy Kitty&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Saw Your Face in Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Elliott Smith – High Times |mp3|

Courtesy of Kill Rock Stars

Read an article about the 2011 re-facing

of the Solutions (aka Figure 8) wall

in the LAWeekly Blog here.

Link: Elliott Smith Memorial Fund

Goodbye Sun and Sea and Shell

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:10:00 +0000

As we near the September equinox, it is time to say goodbye to sun, sea and shell. Time to put down the light reading of your favorite pulp novels you enjoyed at the seashore. But now, right now, if it has eluded you this long, it is the time to pick-up the self-titled album by Summer Fiction. Summer Fiction is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Bill Ricchini who has been writing and self-recording music since the start of the twenty-first century. Summer Fiction is actually his third album, the first two (Ordinary Time and Tonight I Burn Brightly respectively) were recorded under the name Bill Ricchini.

Like your favorite novel, each Summer Fiction track evolves like a new chapter with a purposeful narrative that intimately reveals itself. To learn more about Bill’s album, read below as he kindly shared a bit of his influences and writing process with me.

xo: This is an amazing album – the kind that you listen to but it takes multiple listens to fully absorb as the songs are so full of tenderly layered instrumentation and vocals. I don’t use the term “tenderly” in the sense of “too precious” but it does run counter to the label of “baroque pop” that I have seen written about your work. So, I’m curious, when recording alone, how do you keep a song from becoming too baroque or excessive? Or, more simply, how do you know “when” you are finished with a song?

BR: Thanks for the compliment. For me, it is hard to separate arrangement from songwriting. I do both roles on my records. I usually have a vision of a song’s arrangement as I write it and then I’ll experiment. For example Chandeliers didn’t always have a harpsichord but that was an experiment that worked. Also the baritone sax line on the chorus is a nice touch. But, in an earlier version, I had a glockenspiel on the fadeout which to me was distracting. I go on instinct. My ears tell me if something isn’t needed. The record is dense but everything is in its right place.

xo: Your vocals are understated yet so emotive and I find the timbre of your voice to be quite hypnotic in this record and in your earlier albums recorded under your given name. Who are some of your favorite vocalists and what have you learned from them?

BR: I like subtle, emotive singers. I don’t usually dig the whole American Idol thing. Favorite singers are Brian Wilson, Chrissie Hynde, early Madonna, Dylan, Julian Casablancas, Lou Reed. Good singers don’t have to be good singers. It is about feeling and vibe and taste.

xo: I love that each song on this album seems to have a story that play like mini-movies in my mind. How do you conceive of the narratives? And, does this album have a conscious continuity lyrically speaking?

BR: I think these things emerge as you go and sometimes you look back and it surprised you. Like the makeup theme on the record. That was a total accident but now I am really into it. I think sequencing songs plays a large role but that comes later. Kind of like the old saying that you don’t write the songs the songs write you. I believe that and when I see a mood developing I go with it and make little tweaks to build a narrative. I will say some of this record was written as a sequence like Kids in Catalina into Carry On. That is no accident.

xo: The video for Chandeliers is amazing with the synchronizations of footage and how the overall feeling works so well together with the music. I understand that it is comprised of clips from the Marco Bellocchio film Fists in the Pocket and was edited by a Canadian designer. How did you come to work with Kevin Chia and how much input did you have in the making of the video?

BR: Kevin is an old friend and I love his videos. The ones for Best Coast are just brilliant. The vision was really all his I have to say. We discussed some aesthetics and he ran with it.

xo: Would it be correct to say that you have been a part of the DIY music movement for a long time and were you at the helm of all of the engineering and production on this album?

BR: Yes, I’ve produced all of my records. On this one I engineered most of it as well. DIY is just a nice way to say ‘use what you have’. It was born out of necessity and no money really but along the way I learned things I wouldn’t have if I paid someone to do it.

xo: And finally, how do you measure home recording with live performance and what do you find the most challenging with each outlet?

BR: Enjoy both but recording is my real love. I like that you are making something forever. Shows are also great but kind of like building castles in the sand.

Download a song from the album for free, courtesy of the artist.

<a href="http://summerfiction.bandcamp.com/track/chandeliers-2">Chandeliers by Summer Fiction</a>

Also, check out Kevin Chia’s amazing video.

Dear, dear friends…

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:13:00 +0000

...another installment of themed-mp3 sharing.

Fruit Bats – My Unusual Friend :: mp3 ::
Gianmarco Cilli – My Favorite Friend :: mp3 ::
Leslies – Dear Friend :: mp3 ::
Owls – Everyone is My Friend :: mp3 ::
Physics of Meaning – Oregon, My Only True Friend :: mp3 ::

Links:
Subpop
Park the Van Records
Labrador
Jade Tree

Ye Thieving Bastards

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Join the Noir Club and Jim promises that, "Each month I will be uploading a new piece of something to the website which all you lucky subscribers (and all the thieving bastards who will be having it for free) can download and enjoy with your mind. It could be a lost EP, it could be a little film I have made. It could even be the musical I haven’t been working on called ‘Golf? You can’t iron in the woods’."

Potential rarities, eloquence of language and simply living in the key of c are all worth the subscription, me thinks! So, do it and tell 'em we sent ya: jimnoir.com

Making Music in a Brand New Cowboy Hat

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:23:00 +0000

Japanese-born, classically trained Miwa Gemini makes music that is unquestionably steeped in Americana. She currently resides in Brooklyn where she picked up her distinct semi-hollow body guitar “Polly” in a second hand shop. Since the naught years, Brooklyn has become an indie hub of sorts with a full spectrum of music – ranging from all-keyboard driven wispy pop in Williamsburg to late-night bluegrass sessions in Red Hook. The latter being something that Miwa and her roots sourced music would fit more comfortably.

Miwa’s latest recording Fantastic Lies of Grizzly Rose is a concept album that weaves whimsical stories as told by the artist in a haunting, slightly accented voice. The music is timeless and captivating. The images and actions of little Grizzly Rose are told in plaintive fashion. One can imagine this character living in American folklore for centuries. In track five, Pioneertown Love Story, “a man with a storm in his eyes” asks “Why they call you Grizzly Rose?” and she replies “I will try to bite off anybody’s head if they come close enough, I will trust no one.” While English is her second language, Miwa beautifully created fanciful lyrics reminiscent of Edward Lear or Edward Gorey.

Listen closely for lyrics here with three tracks from her new album (courtesy of the artist and Rockport Records).

::mp3:: Miwa Gemini – The Other Half of Me

::mp3:: Miwa Gemini – Matchbox House Blues

::mp3:: Miwa Gemini – Pioneertown Love Story

The artist who created the beautiful album cover is Clémence Josseau who also co-wrote the last track Chanson. Players on the album include Aaron Burns (accordion and glockenspiel) and Matt Brundrett (percussion) among others.

Happy 50th Birthday Kim and Kelley Deal!

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 04:01:00 +0000

We can't help it, if we're still in love with you! <3

Five Years and Eight Days

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sun, 15 May 2011 23:33:00 +0000

Five years in the making, Oxford Basement Collection is the debut solo album from Jesse Coppenbarger released this month on Esperanza Plantation. Listen and let us know what you think – here are a couple of mp3s courtesy of Team Clermont.

El Obo – On the Eighth Day :: mp3 ::
El Obo – Vrgn Evl :: mp3 ::

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/elobomusic
http://www.esperanzaplantation.com/
http://teamclermont.com/

You Can Never Quarantine The Past

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 21:58:00 +0000

Pavement – Gold Soundz :: mp3 ::

It was the song that never charted on the album that produced Pavement’s only top ten hit. Thanks to Matador for making a re-mastered version available.

Still Singing Along

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:57:00 +0000

Sweden’s pure pop royalty Acid House Kings have a new album Music Sounds Better With You. You can win digital and hardcopy releases of their new album if you can come up with the best remix before April 28th. Read about the contest here.

In the meantime, get a taste of their new record with an mp3 courtesy of Labrador.

Acid House Kings – Are We Lovers or Friends ::mp3::

Sample some of their golden oldies, too!

Acid House Kings – This Heart is a Stone ::mp3::

Acid House Kings – This and That ::mp3::

Acid House Kings – Do What You Wanna Do ::mp3::

Acid House Kings – Sunday Morning ::mp3::

Acid House Kings – Say Yes If You Love Me ::mp3::

Link: Acid House Kings Official Page

S(he) Baroque My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 02:23:00 +0000

mp3 :: Blind Terry - The Subtle Art of How to Break a Heart
mp3 :: Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken
mp3 :: Lavender Diamond - You Broke My Heart

Links:
Broken Heart Syndrome

Labels:
http://www.cloudberryrecords.com/

http://www.mergerecords.com/
http://www.matadorrecords.com/

Talent:

Blind Terry

Camera Obscura

Lavendar Diamond

Speak of the Devil

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:39:00 +0000

Say Hi – Devils ::mp3::
From the album Um, Uh, Oh [Barsuk, 2011]

Beaujolais – All My Exorcisms ::mp3::

From the album Admirations [Parasol, 2009]

Qua – Devil Eyes ::mp3::

From the album Painting Monsters On Clouds [Mush, 2007]

Counterpane and Cutaways

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 22:16:00 +0000

Backwords are sewing harmonies with all the right patches of subtle instrumentation on their 2010 self-released album Quilt. Their music has a patterned folk and low-fi psychedelic vibe but it doesn’t meander or unfold like a crazy quilt. Initially, the melodies seem a bit unsure or submissive but after multiple listens you begin to recognize how they doggedly unravel. There is just enough reverb to make it mysterious but enough pop harmony to give you an overall feeling of familiarity. Binding counterpane and cutaways, Backwords are not forging fancy quilts. Instead, they bring a seam of comfort between the old and the new, the quiet and the loud, the ambiguous and the known.

Backwords – And Then Sigh ::mp3::

Links:
Backwords on MySpace
Backwords Official page
Backwords on Amazon

Double the Bubble

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:26:00 +0000

Double the sounds...

From Bubblegum to Sky - Operation Big Beat ::mp3::

Bubblegum Lemonade - You Only Leave Twice ::mp3::

From Bubblegum to Sky - Even the Sunbeams ::mp3::

Bubblegum Lemonade - Caroline's Radio ::mp3::

Buy their merch:

From Bubblegum to Sky at Eenie Meenie Records

Bubblegum Lemonade at Matinee Recordings

Natalie Dee

Before Russ Meyer and Rebel Yell...

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:55:00 +0000

...there was Jacqueline Susann and Generation X.

Pernice Brothers - Jacqueline Susann ::mp3::

See also Adriano Lanzi and Omar Sodano’s trippy song Russ Meyer on their MySpace.

Links:
Pernice Brothers Official Site
Jacqueline Susann - IMDb
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls Behind the Scenes Trailer ya dig

Because your candle burns too bright

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:10:00 +0000

Elliott Smith - Twilight ::mp3::
Courtesy of Kill Rock Stars

Lucky Seven(th)

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:40:00 +0000

This is your lucky download on this seventh day of October.

Spectrals - 7th Date :: mp3 ::
Courtesy of Slumberland Records

RIYL: Camera Obscura, early Cass McCombs, Best Coast, Girl in a Coma, Saturday Looks Good to Me, lo-fi 60s throw-back pop...

Links: Spectrals on MySpace and Spectrals bio on last.fm

Pop Stepping

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:58:00 +0000

The Voluntary Butler Scheme (a U.K. native aka Rob Jones) released his debut album At Breakfast, Dinner, Tea around this time...last year! Yes, 2009. You can download these vintage tracks courtesy of Park the Van Records and see what it is you've been missing and it might make you "hipper than you are."

The Voluntary Butler Scheme - Trading Things In ::mp3::
The Voluntary Butler Scheme - Tabasco Soul ::mp3::

At Breafast, Dinner, Tea available at Amazon or iTunes.

If I only could, I surely would

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:37:00 +0000

This past spring, walking down Alameda Street looking at the cracks in the sidewalk, I heard a beautiful, melodic song filling the air. I crossed over to Olvera Street and found a street busker playing what looked like an ancient flute that he had amplified. I realized he was playing a Simon and Garfunkel song that I heard as a child when my mom played her Bridge Over Troubled Water eight-track.

Subsequently, over the summer, I was looking for Spanish language songs to download and came across a 1960s band called Los Incas. I clicked on a song titled El Cóndor Pasa which turned out to be purely instrumental but also the melody of the Simon & Garfunkel song (I was unaware of the title).

And, this week I found another cover by Siskiyou! A brilliant piano cover with alternating acoustic guitar that starts off with the expected tempo of a funeral procession or dirge. It sounds somber but it builds up, add a little banjo and emotive vocals to Simon’s lyrics that were added to the original Peruvian folk song. Read more about the song here.

Siskiyou - El Condor Pasa (If I Could) ::mp3::

Check out Siskiyou’s new album on Constellation Records too! You can preview the entire album courtesy of the band and label here.

Still Alive

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 15:00:00 +0000

It is hard to believe that Crenellation has been around since this day in 2005. Not a prolific blog by any means, it is nonetheless still here and sharing mp3s as promised. There have been a couple of incarnations of the site layout and we are still using “blogger” (techies and professional bloggers may scoff). We actually had a staff of writers (five!) at one point but that dissolved within a year or two. Honestly, I’m not actually sure which writers are still hanging around ready to post their next great find. I may be the last one who cares to share which is hard in itself with a full-time job, personal life and playing music and radio stuff on the side. So, many thanks to the staff writers and guest writers of the past – I hope to have more in the future.

The one constant has been the sharing of free and legal mp3s. I don’t have a server and really any means to host music, so I am dependent on the kindness of the artists and their labels. I’ve been attempted to deep link to other blogs but decided against it since many blogs use file transfer sites and their mp3s expire quickly. I should say, too, that it is harder and harder to find mp3s as a lot of artist and labels sites have latched onto Flash Player and its ilk. This yields fewer and fewer posts and checking through mp3 files posted here in the past five I have found that a lot of pages no longer not exist. Even so, to mark the anniversary, I’ll post five of the older working links today and I’ll try to ramp up the sharing (old and new) here at least for the rest of the month. Thanks for reading and listening.

::mp3:: Deerhoof – Wrong Time Machine [Kill Rock Stars]
::mp3:: The Awkward Stage – The Morons are Winning [Mint Records]
::mp3:: Dr. Dog – Easy Beat [Park the Van]
::mp3:: Boat – The Bar is Too Low to Fail [Magic Marker]
::mp3:: Tap Tap – Way To Go Boy [Catbird Records]

Caught a glance in your eyes

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 02:47:00 +0000

...and fell through the skies.

Because I loved Elliott, Elliott loved Alex and we miss them both!
Elliott Smith - Nighttime [live Big Star cover] ::mp3::

Blissed-Out Buzz Saw

noreply@blogger.com (xo) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:42:00 +0000

I Will Be is the debut full-length by the Dum Dum Girls on Sub Pop (2010) produced by Dee Dee (Kristin Gundred) and Sire Records co-founder Richard Gottehrer. Gottehrer is best known for writing the 1960s hits “I Want Candy” and “My Boyfriends Back” and for working with new wave and pop-punk artists like Blondie, The Go-Gos and most recently The Raveonettes.

I Will Be offers old girl group affect with punk fuzz progression (or, the band founder/songwriter Dee Dee’s much cooler description “blissed-out buzz saw”). Dum Dum Girls also include Jules (guitar and vocals), Bambi (bass), and Sandra Vu (drums and vocals).

Here are some mp3s courtesy of Sub Pop.

From the album I Will Be
Dum Dum Girls - Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout ::mp3::
Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La ::mp3::

From the S/T e.p. (Zoo Music)
Dum Dum Girls - D.A.L. ::mp3::

Links:
Dum Dum Girls MySpace
Sup Pop Records
Dum Dum Girls on Amazon