Episode027 - Fool's Gold

Episode027 - Fool's Gold
"♫Makin' a soundtrack for another planet to hear♫" on @PumpUpThaVolume! Episode027 - Fool's Gold was recorded at the home studios of MediaMonarchy.com and features brand new #SongOfTheDay sounds from Toussaint Morrison, Sondre Lerche, Melody's Echo Chamber, Violens, Ben Folds Five, The Heavy, Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves of Destiny, Poor Moon, Benjamin Schoos, River Giant, Beth Orton, Dwight Yoakam, Rocky Votolato, Richard Hawley and Brothers From Another... because it can't be news and politics all the time!

Episode027: MP3/Feed\Archive

Previous: Episode026 - Heavy Mood
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♬Liner Notes♬: The best part of doing this show is the excitement I get when I look at what gets tweeted out by our sources. New music that I didn't know about yet from bands I really dig... "Oh shit, there's new Ben Folds Five and Sondre Lerche?!" And the hits just kept on comin': This episode is an epic and features some of the biggest star power we've ever had in one show: Dwight Yoakam, Beth Orton, Richard Hawley and much more... Now let's Pump Up Tha Volume!

Toussaint Morrison
"Can't Relive The Party"
'Toussaint Morrison Is Not My Boyfriend'
self-released, 2012
Note: From his own Bandcamp page: "Toussaint Morrison is a hopeless romantic and a super-villain... The 3-time national slam poet has not only paid his dues, he’s insisting on paying more than his tab; sampling an unconventional ensemble of sounds from Feist to Chicago to Weezer and on... Funded by friends, family, and perfect strangers via Kickstarter, this album is the 1st in a series of 3 (consider it the first piece of the triforce)." Possible "Legend of Zelda" references aside, Morrison makes the kind of exciting genre-bending pop that we wish was on mainstream radio.
(More Info)

Sondre Lerche
"Two Way Monologue"
'Bootlegs'
Mona, 2012
Note: AMNY writes: "It's been 10 years since the stateside release of "Faces Down" heralded the debut of singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche, winning praise for the young Norwegian native's balance of sophistication, wit and charm. Since then, he's cycled through a host of styles, from lush chamber pop to vocal jazz to new wave, and even penned the soundtrack to the 2007 film "Dan in Real Life," compiling an eclectic catalog that proves his only contentment lies in moving forward. This fall he is celebrating his past and future by releasing his first four albums on vinyl with bonus material and touring behind a live album, "Bootlegs," that was recorded between his hometown of Bergen, Norway, and current Brooklyn home."
(More Info)

Melody's Echo Chamber
"Crystallized"
'Melody's Echo Chamber'
Fat Possum, 2012
Note: Consequence of Sound says: "In contrast to other recent releases in the [dream pop] genre, there is an underlying sense of danger to Melody’s Echo Chamber. The album is akin to an Inception-style dream within a dream, where there’s a risk of never waking, instead remaining trapped in limbo. While some albums evoke a dream-like state, Melody’s Echo Chamber ensnares the listener into its elegant wilderness, not wanting to let go."
(More Info)

Violens
"Every Melting Degree"
'True'
Slumberland, 2012
Note: Again, Pitchfork says: "Violens are adept at shape-shifting appropriation. The NYC band's lead singer, Jorge Elbrecht, was a founding member of the now-dormant "art collective" Lansing-Dreiden, who last signed off full-length-wise with 2006's murky, equally new wave and OMD-worshipping The Dividing Island... All sonic roads still end shortly before Bill Clinton first took residence in the White House, the previous Echo and the Bunnymen comparisons joined here by takes on the jangly roar of first-wave shoegazers like Pale Saints, Slowdive, and Ride." I have to say, Lansing-Dreiden are one of my favorite sounding bands; that is, they sound almost exactly like the music I wish I could make. Do yourself a favor and go get Lansing-Dreiden albums now!
(More Info)

Ben Folds Five
"Do It Anyway"
'The Sound of the Life of the Mind'
ImaVeePee, 2012
Note: The Hollywood Reporter happily informs us: "In what has to be the ultimate five minute anti-depressant, the 90's-favorite piano rock band Ben Folds Five has teamed up with the Jim Henson Company's jolly subterranean rock dwellers for the worlds-colliding video for the song "Do It Anyway." It's the band's first track since 1999 -- once they broke up, Folds dropped the Five from the name and continued making his own records - and the video also helps mark the Fraggles 30th anniversary. Chris Hardwick, of Nerdist, helped make the video, and as he says, "If you walk in and you see Ben Folds and you see Fraggles dancing around, and your day isn't expontentially happier, you are dead inside.""
(More Info)

The Heavy
"Curse Me Good"
'The Glorious Dead'
Counter/Ninja Tune, 2012
Note: Diffuser has an iffy take on this UK band: "But if you can get past the suspicion that the Heavy isn’t in on the joke, ‘The Glorious Dead’ offers up a good time and a fun pillaging of your cool uncle’s dusty vinyl sounds.... Inexplicably, the band also shows a lot of affection for fat, metallic riffs that don’t always catch the ear for the right reasons. When the Heavy’s axeman punches the distortion pedal, it’s a lot less Sly and the Family Stone and a lot more, er, Audioslave... Every Southerner worth his grits knows that the only way to cook soul food is “slow and low.” Once the Heavy just learn how to simmer down a bit, maybe their roux will be a bit easier to swallow." This is on Ninja Tune Records?! Damn, I must be gettin' old...
(More Info)

Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny
"Sweet Tooth Bird"
'Yours Truly'
Mute, 2012
Note: The New Musical Express says: "It's four years since Beth Jeans Houghton appeared on our radar with EP ‘Hot Toast Volume One’. A single, ‘Golden/Nightswimmer’, followed. And then… we waited. A good portion of ‘Yours Truly…’ will be familiar to fans: ‘Nightswimmer’ pops up, while ‘Dodecahedron’, ‘Liliputt’ and ‘Sweet Tooth Bird’ have been around online for a while now. So is it finally time for Houghton to outshine the Mumfords and Marlings? Or, in trying to polish her long-awaited debut to perfection, has she got lost in the small details?"
(More Info)

Poor Moon
"Birds"
'Poor Moon'
Sub Pop, 2012
Note: Joining the ranks of Hot Chip, Poor Moon (the side-project with members of Fleet Foxes) makes its third appearance on PUTV! As Paste Magazine says: ""Before there was a band or a record, there was the music." So begins the mythology of Poor Moon, an alt-folk foursome consisting of long-time friends Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott alongside brothers Ian and Peter Murray. Between them, they have been part of Fleet Foxes, Pedro the Lion and Crystal Skulls, building a hefty resume and a layered, intricate talent over the years, resulting in their deceptively simple self-titled full-length debut."
(More Info)

Benjamin Schoos
"Un Garcon Qui Pleure" (w/ Chrissie Hynde & Marie France)
'China Man vs China Girl'
Freaksville, 2012
Note: Translating as "A Boy Who Cries," French producer Benjamin Schoos teams up with The Pretenders' leader Chrissie Hynde and singer and actress Marie France. Again from NME: "If your knowledge of Brussels doesn’t extend much further than Brel, EU bureaucrats and sprouts then you must add Benjamin Schoos to that list. The intrepid Belgian producer/singer has delivered his first album proper, and he’s brought some of his celebrity mates along: Chrissie Hynde, Mark Gardener (ex-Ride), Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier and beautiful cult Parisian Marie France all contribute to a dazzling debut. Get past the fromagey sax breaks early on and you’ll find a long-player that takes the chanson to new and interesting places while tipping its chapeau to the Gallic greats, including orchestral genius Jean-Claude Vannier."
(More Info)

River Giant
"Fast Heart"
'River Giant'
self-released, 2012
Note: Song source KEXP tells us about a hometown band: "Formed in Seattle in late 2009, River Giant...incorporates elements of Americana and folk alongside distortion-drenched guitars and a pounding rhythm section. After releasing their first EP in late 2010, the band released their self-titled debut in April of this year. As grizzled as their beards may suggest, “Fast Heart” showcases the band’s heavier-leaning tendencies while still maintaining a distinct love of Northwestern harmonies. Opening the track with a deluge of thick guitars, the band alternates between a tide of muscular waves and sharp vocals, Kyle Jacobson’s vocals cutting through all of it. “Fast Heart” shows that the trio can not only switch between dynamics on a dime, but that they excel enough in both areas to a point where they could choose one sound over the other to make just as strong as a track."
(More Info)

Beth Orton
"Magpie"
'Sugaring Season'
Anti-, 2012
Note: Put simply from Wikipedia: "Sugaring Season is English singer-songwriter Beth Orton's fifth studio album, her first new work for six years. It was recorded in Portland, Oregon at the studio of producer Tucker Martine. It is her first release for the ANTI- record label with whom she signed in 2010." "Magpie" is the first track but not the lead single from her sixth album.
(More Info)

Dwight Yoakam
"Take Hold of My Hand"
'3 Pears'
Warner Bros., 2012
Note: As the Washington Post states: Over a decorated 25-year career, country music stalwart Dwight Yoakam has never toed the Nashville line, instead demonstrating an adventurous appetite for power pop, rockabilly, soul and even punk rock... On the infectious opener, “Take Hold Of My Hand,” Yoakam sounds like a country-fried Roy Orbison, wrapping his rich tenor around a romantic plea that feels closer to vintage Sun Records than anything on new country radio.
(More Info)

Rocky Votolato
"Fool's Gold"
'Television of Saints'
self-released, 2012
Note: Making his seceond appearance on PUTV, our song of the day source KEXP notes: Now seven albums into his solo career, you’d think Seattle songwriter Rocky Votolato is well past his Waxwing early days... Maybe it’s that Rocky is older now with a wife and two kids, maybe it’s that he has a lot more to express than he could in the more aggressive format, but each new album flirts with lush, lyrical rusticism as found on today’s featured song, “Fool’s Gold.”
(More Info)

Richard Hawley
"Standing at the Sky's Edge"
'Standing at the Sky's Edge'
Mute, 2012
Note: Again, it's just the facts from Wikipedia: Standing at the Sky's Edge is the seventh studio album from musician Richard Hawley, released on 7 May 2012. The album is markedly different from Hawley's previous efforts, advancing from softer instrumentation to Hawley's heritage of guitars. As with all of Hawley's previous albums, the title refers to a location in his native Sheffield, Sky Edge, an area famed for its high crime rate... Standing at the Sky's Edge debuted at number three in the UK album chart, which is Hawley's highest charting album to date. The album was also shortlisted for the UK's highly-acclaimed Mercury Prize and Hawley's up against other PUTV alums like Django Django, Alt-J and Field Music. (winner to be announced Nov1)
(More Info)

Brothers From Another
"Sonic Boom (feat. Dj100 Proof)"
'Taco Tuesday' EP
self-released, 2012
Note: And finally from KEXP: Consisting of MCs Tiglo Goonstar & Cole and DJ Beeba, Brothers From Another are literally among the freshest faces in the Seattle hip-hop scene... Built on a laid back beat that’s borderline trip-hop, “Sonic Boom” isn’t as forceful as its name suggests. Rather, the song’s explosion is in the MCs’ energy, the faded dialogue samples and the sporadic stabs of horns.
(More Info)

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@PumpUpThaVolume Music News:
@live955 Man, that new song by #ThePolice, "#LockedOutOfHeaven," sure sounds like @BrunoMars... Oh, wait... Well, @MarkRonson is brilliant!
Muse's new album isn't that good, but at least it's scientifically accurate!
@those_darlins Yknow, I heard that there's a Boy in Austin City that's a guitar playin' man...
Justin Bieber's Recipe For Onstage Disaster: Spaghetti And Milk
Mumford & Sons outsell everyone with biggest debut week of 2012
Smashing Pumpkins plan massive, "painstakingly" remastered 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' reissue
Morrissey says Coachella was so desperate for a Smiths union they offered to go meatless for 2010 fest
Watch Arcade Fire perform a new song called "Crucified Again"
In honor of Thom Yorke's birthday this Sunday, @PdxCelloProject releases video for their take on "Exit Music"

(Thanks again to @KEXP, @KCRW, @TheCurrent and you!)