Watch Arcade Fire Film Now!

Spike Jonze has directed a 30 minute short film inspired by the Montreal band's Grammy winning album, The Suburbs. Now the whole thing Now about a minute and a half (or a trailer) can be viewed right here.

You can get your hands on it by buying the deluxe edition of the Merge released album on August 2nd.

From Mubi:

Director Spike Jonze teams up with Arcade Fire to create a thirty-minute short film inspired by their critically acclaimed album, The Suburbs, and its themes of war and coming of age in suburbia. Co-written by Jonze & Arcade Fire’s Win Butler & Will Butler, this companion piece to the album follows the narrator, living in a suburban dystopia, trying to piece together fragmented memories from when he was a teenager, and his experiences with his friends as they grow apart. –SXSW

AVAILABLE ON MUBI ON JUNE 27TH - Please SUBSCRIBE to *hipstereo.

Beirut - "O Leãozinho"

Red Hot + Rio 2, will be released on June 28. With contributions by Beck, Beirut, Aloe Blacc, Mia Doi Todd, José González, David Byrne, Caetano Veloso, Of Montreal and many more, this will be the biggest indie 'push' of Tropicalia music ever seen. Here's Beirut's cover of Caetano Veloso's "O Leãozinho".

Beirut - O Leaozinho by Alan Williamson

First Listen: Bjork's "Crystalline"

First taste off of Bjork's upcoming release, Biophilia. Expect to see it June 30.

Listen to New Wilco Single "I Might"

Wilco's first release on their own label is a single... give a listen.

Wilco - I Might by Alan Williamson

James Vincent McMorrow

Sometimes I wonder if artists like James Vincent McMorrow and Taylor Kirk a.k.a. Timber Timbre, seek out the mood and atmosphere that oozes from their music, or is it just an offshoot of having a distinctive and captivating voice. Dublin's McMorrow is the polar opposite of Canadian Timber Timbre's gloomy creeping chamber folk. Where Kirk's vocals echo from a six sided wooden box, McMorrow is tougher to draw a bead on. There's the soft grit of a lonely heart caught in his throat, there's also a distance there, as if the man and voice are somehow apart, hard to imagine they could be tied together. The beauty is obvious, but not quite as pure and exhilirating as Buckley, there's something soft, warm and sweet getting in the way. If Buckley sang with sugar cubes melting in his mouth perhaps, less pure, less ringing of bells and more salty wind rustling in the grass. The perfect soundtrack to listen to while driving to the beach on a cool, heavy-clouded day.

Early In The Morning [Jan. 25th 2011] BUY
If I Had A Boat
Hear The Noise That Moves So Soft And Low
Sparrow & The Wolf
Breaking Hearts
We Don't Eat
This Old Dark Machine
Follow You Down To The Red Oak Tree
Down The Burning Ropes
From The Woods!
And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop
In The Morning, I'll Come Calling
We Are Ghosts

James Blake - "Lindisfarne"

James Blake has just released a single of "Unluck" from his self-titled debut backed with a union of "Lindisfarne l" and "Lindisfarne ll" (both also from his debut) called oddly enough, "Lindisfarne". If you haven't heard Blake, imagine the burbles and bleeps of electronic music and the thick thump of a womb's heartbeat against your face. There is much warmth here thanks to Blake's voice keeping it's humanity and the music simmering not glimmering as much electronica tends to do. His vocals can recall current singers lauded for their singing and voice such as Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons.


James Blake - Lindisfarne

Beirut - "East Harlem"

Who would have thought that crooning would come back? A lovely melody well played and the best indie crooner around make for a song all the bellowing banshees currently found on radio ought to be made to listen to (that goes for the hacks writing for the bellowers, as well).

Beirut - East Harlem

Arcade Fire Perform Live @ Sound Opinions

Grammy winners, Arcade Fire, visited Sound Opinions last April and recorded two songs live in the Chicago radio programs studios and talked to Greg and Jim, the hosts. All eight band members were present and they don't disappoint, check out the link to their site above or itunes for podcasts of their program.

Here's how good they sound:

Eleanor Friedberger: MP3, Solo Debut and New Video

The more vocal half of sibling duo The Fiery Furnaces, Eleanor Friedberger, has her debut solo record set for release July 12th on Merge Records. Simply titled Last Summer the ten track album begins with mistakes ("My Mistakes") and ends with an earthquake ("Early Earthquake"), but it's whats in between these calamities, personal and natural, that intrigues me. Take the second track, "Inn of The Seventh Ray"... how did an L.A. restaurant end up on a record with NYC titles like "Roosevelt Island", "Scenes from Bensonhurst", and "Owl's Head Park"? But what really grabs me is the three song cluster, "Glitter Gold Year", "One-Month Marathon", and "I Won't Fall Apart On You Tonight". Maybe I'm just starved for some interesting music (and song title alliteration) it's just that I know deep down that Ms. Friedberger can give me what I need... and I can't guess what these songs are about until I've heard them. Yep, this is turning into a review of song titles.

I'll end with something I noticed in the PR on Last Summer, it states that Eleanor 'improves on silence', although so far it's only improving on anticipation, which can be a very good thing.

Don't miss the new video for "My Mistakes" below.

*As of July 7th, read an exclusive interview with Eleanor right here.

Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer (Merge Records July 12th)
1 . My Mistakes [mp3] courtesy of Merge Records
2 . Inn of the Seventh Ray
3 . Heaven
4 . Scenes from Bensonhurst
5 . Roosevelt Island
6 . Glitter Gold Year
7 . One-Month Marathon
8 . I Won't Fall Apart on You Tonight
9 . Owl's Head Park
10 . Early Earthquake