A few weeks ago, I got a note from Jeremy Toback, half of the LA duo Renee and Jeremy (you guess which half) which said that they were going into the studio to record the follow-up to their sweet and hypnotic debut It's A Big World!. Toback described the album as "definitely not lullabies... groovy and sweet. A little light, a little dark, like smores."
Well, music from those recording sessions are starting to trickle out. Luxury Wafers, the blog of the ChessVolt studios where Toback and Renee Stahl are recording the new album, has posted five new live mp3s for listening or downloading. "Share" is definitely the more upbeat of the tracks, while "Is It Really Any Wonder?" is a little more downtempo along the lines of the first album. If you liked the first album, you're gonna like those. (And if you haven't heard the first album, live tracks of "Free," "Night Mantra," and "We Are One" are there for your enjoyment, too.)
Toback wrote in to clarify that they're actually recording the album at his house -- they just finished this past week. So those tracks up above, which were definitely demo-style anyway, have nothing to do with the actual recording session for the album, photos of which are after the jump.
Listen To This: "Heading Home" - Central Services Board of Education
I gave you a chance before to download a track from the upcoming Central Services kids' project. If you missed it, well, too late, because I've taken it down.
But the band's let me put another track up, and I thought it'd be appropriate to post the companion track, the slower "Heading Home," which captures how my daughter feels when she comes home on the bus after a long day at school. Though in a good way, musically.
Anyway, Central Services Presents The Board of Education (I think I've got that name right) will be available for the whole world to hear in just a week or two. Until then, you can enjoy this track for a limited time.
Central Services Board of Education - "Heading Home" (Too late!)
Listen To This: "Everything That Happens..." - David Byrne and Brian Eno
OK, that's a long album title. Not quite Fiona Apple territory, but still.
Anyway, a couple years after David Byrne posted his thoughts on music's financial model and album art, we're about to see whether his ideas (in a post-In Rainbows world) will make him some money.
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is available for streaming today, and based on one listen, I'm really enjoying it. That set of his at Austin City Limits Festival is gonna be waaaaay packed. Go to the website to stream it, or stream it here, after the jump.
No, it doesn't have anything to do with kids music. That album cover isn't gonna keep their interested, either.
Because You Can't Record Kids Music with Justin Roberts All the Time...
One of the many pleasures of listening to Justin Roberts albums is the production. Roberts' albums inevitably just sound great, full of life. That's thanks, of course, to Liam Davis, who produces Roberts' albums.
But Davis also has a musical career of his own, and like countless other kids' musicians (Laurie Berkner Band's bassist Adam Bernstein for example, or Central Services minus the Board of Education) he's not giving that up. Davis has just posted some new demos from his 2009 album on his Myspace page, and they're worth a listen (though your kids will probably find them a bit boring).
They're demos, so they're not the most sonically lush recordings, but they're appealing, especially "Hymn," which sounds like the Jayhawks (or at least Gary Louris) should be calling Davis into the studio, pronto.
World Premiere: Stream the New Terrible Twos (Jerzy the Giant)
Oh, boy, am I geeked about this.
The Terrible Twos' great new album Jerzy the Giant is out next Tuesday the 29th on Vagrant Records and if you don't want wait for my review, or want to see what the fuss is all about, or just want to listen to the album, have I got a deal for you.
Vagrant Records is allowing me to world premiere the stream of the entire album, and I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't think a lot of you were going to love it. Just click on a song track below to get started. Might I suggest #1 ("Old Man Miller")?... (And go forth and explore that player, it'll even allow you to post it on your own website -- or your kid's if you're that type of family.)
You can preorder the album here or here.
You can preorder the album Listen To This: The Not-Its
I know, I know, Bill already mentioned this this morning, but it's just one more proof that Bill and I are actually the same person, because I was planning on giving the Not-Its a shout-out today, too. The Seattle band features Sarah Shannon (ex-Velocity Girl) and others playing power-pop and (on "We Are the Not-Its") some melodic punk about kid-friendly stuff like bathing. (Come to think of it, not so sure how kid-friendly baths are, but never mind.)
It'll be a little while at least before the full album comes out, but this'll whet your appetite for now.
