Vampire Weekend > Cousins

When you hear Cousins you may be tempted to think that the Vampire Weekend you fell in love with are back with the same catchy tunes that were the soundtrack of you life for that one summer. Well, I guess you're right. Uh, okay then... gee, I really thought I had a point to make there.

from the album Contra

Spoon > Written in Reverse

What the hell? New Spoon? Fuck yeah, new Spoon!

from the album Transference

The Antlers > Two

from the album Hospice

Califone > All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is the album slash soundtrack for Califone's film of the same name. I haven't seen the film yet but the album itself is absolutely terrific and one of the few goo things to come out of the so-so music scene of 2009.

from the album All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

KT Tunstall > Stoppin' The Love

This is my favorite song of KT's.

from the album Eye To The Telescope

Kt Tunstall brilliantly covers The Jackson 5's I Want You Back

New Bob Dylan Record

Bob Dylan's 33rd studio album, Together Through Life comes out today. The first single off the new LP is Beyond Here Lies Nothing.

Terrific 'These Days' Cover by St. Vincent

Annie Clark, aka. St. Vincent, has spent time with both The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens and toured with the likes of Arcade Fire and The National. That's some pretty heavy company for a young artist and come May 5th, Actor, the follow-up to her remarkable debut album, Marry Me,  will be released. For anyone who enjoys cerebral pop music, St. Vincent is a voice that can't be missed. 

Point: anyone who covers Nico* must be good. That's not my opinion, that's just one of the laws of nature. One of the lesser known ones but it's in there. Look it up.

*I know the song was actually written by Jackson Browne and then recorded and popularized by Nico. Sheez, give me some credit.

First Post of 2009: The Best Albums of 2008

This was posted earlier in the year on my personal blog while I had the Black Tambourine on hiatus. It seems like a fitting and proper first post for our return. These were my favorite records from last year. Enjoy.

1. Dear Science - Tv On The Radio

2. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver

3. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

4. Volume One - She & Him

5. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

6. Rook - Shearwater

7. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

8. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair

9. Only By The Night - Kings of Leon

10. Brighter Than Creation's Dark - Drive-By Truckers

11. The Renaissance - Q-Tip

12. Stay Positive - The Hold Steady

13. Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket

14. Rockferry - Duffy

15. Third - Portishead

16. Modern Guilt - Beck

17. Rising Down - The Roots

18. Viva La Vida - Coldplay

19. Made in the Dark - Hot Chip

20. Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie

21. Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp

22. Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby - Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby

23. Real Emotional Trash - Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

24. Day & Age - The Killers

25. Seeing Things - Jakob Dylan

26. 19 - Adele

27. Electric Arguments - The Fireman

28. Real Animal - Alejandro Escovedo

29. Consolers of the Lonely - The Raconteurs

30. We Started Nothing - The Ting Tings

Agree? Disagree? Think I left someone out or got something wrong? Don't be a wanker, comment and let me know what you'd change and i'll write back explaining how you're wrong. Oh the joy of the internet. 

Opening The Doors - Cue Dramatic Comeback Music

Oh yeah. We're back. Stay tuned.