WYEP Music Blog

Michael Franti & Spearhead

Every Wednesday at 9:13 am, one of Pittsburgh’s finest music writers joins me (Cindy Howes) on the Morning Mix to play a couple favorite news songs and share some insight. Today we welcome Josh Walkos of the music blog Owl & Bear

In case you missed it here’s what he played with commentary by Josh (plus some bonus songs):

Villagers, “Becoming A Jackal” - The title track to a brilliant and richly orchestrated debut album complete with soaring string arrangements, piano runs and horns. Yet, singer/songwriter and Ireland native Conor O’Brien makes it sound as warm and intimate as a lo-fi bedroom recording. Villagers were recently nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize which is a short list of the best releases of the year in the UK and Ireland. This track  immediately caught my ear with the very deliberate sounding delivery O’Brien employs, its very brooding and elusive and kind of leave you with a sense of nostalgia.

Cut Copy, “Where I’m Going” – An Australian band known for their hypnotic electronic dance tunes, but not so much for their Beach Boy-esque psychedelic rock. Which is precisely what we have with their sneak peak single “Where I’m Going” from the as-of-yet-untitled forthcoming LP. The record was mixed by hot commodity producer Ben Allen, the man behind the mind bending mixing on Animal Collective’s widely acclaimed 2009 release, Merriweather Post Pavillion. If this single is just a warm up then their new album is undoubtedly one of my most anticipated of 2011.

Toro Y Moi, “Leave Everywhere” – Usually known for his hazy synth driven tunes , Toro Y Moi sheds the synths in favor of instruments. The results are a great summer song that keeps conjures the endless summer romantic in all of us. And with summer just about behind us, this song may help you to hang on for just 3 minutes longer.

Tennis, “Marathon” - Husband-and-wife duo Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore make up much buzzed about band Tennis. A band that burst onto the national scene with their single “Marathon”. Its a Brian Wilson meets Daniel Johnston lo-fi gem of a song. They just released a 3-song 7-inch on Underwater Peoples that will only serve to wet the appetite of the indie masses until they release their first full length in 2011. They are definitely a band to watch in the coming months.

British author Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy, 31 Songs/Songbook) and piano man Ben Folds have teamed up on the album Lonely Island, due out September 28.

It will be available as a special edition LP with short stories by Hornby (and was recorded with vinyl in mind as the preferred method to enjoy it), as well as standard edition LP, CD, or as a download.

Check out the video for “Things You Think”, also featuring Pomplamoose.

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Mavis Staples, southern soul legend and gospel queen, will release her new album, You Are Not Alone, on September 13. It’s produced by Jeff Tweedy. It’s set to include covers of songs from Randy Newman, The Rev Gary Davis, John Fogerty, and Allen Toussaint (just to name a few).

I hope you enjoy the video of Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy