New Music Friday >> 01/30/2009

Words >>

Our blog gives the reader all the powers of the 70's super group Foreigner.

My People Sleeping - Time Machine

A lush, shoe-gazable and lilting little mood piece.

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Old Panda Days

We've always had a slightly strained releationship with CFTPA's music. It alternates between being brilliantly minimalist and personal, and incredibly self indulgent and poorly constructed. This song definitely lives in the land of the former and has a Shins-ish quality that drew us to it.

Burbank International - 2034 (When Machines Start Eating People)

Rumor has it that Burbank has an upcomming EP in the works. The title is "Predator Primer" and we're proud to have an advance cut to brandish around like a shiny peice of stolen treasure. Easily their best cut since their powerful ode to the SF's gritty Tenderloin (same titled), this is a fine example of H. A. Eugene's rich story telling talent. The charachter dreams of his own future as though it were actually the past and fact, and talks dancing at the end of war between man eating robots: pure genius. The subtle horns in the backgroung also add a novel dirge quality to the song, giving it a haunting mix of melancholy and hope.

Dan Deacon - Trippy Green Skull
Dan Deacon - Crystal Cat (Bonus Video)


Dan Deacon is a strange, carnivorous monster created by a highly advanced but now extinct civilization of regal lizard people. He has come to earth to sip the juices from our pineals gland out of a crystal goblet as he sits upon a gigantic throne of gilded skulls and broken circuitry. Hopefully he will come to San Francisco soon.

Telekinesis - Coasts Of Carolina

Solid indie rock. We haven't listened to the whole album yet, but we like the groove and have high expectations.

Meursault - A Few Kind Words

Meursault might be the coolest thing we've heard this calendar year. These Scotch madmen broadcast what has been clumsily described as electro-folk. In our opinion, they're picking up where Throw Me The Statue and the Handsome Furs left off. Guaranteed to send a thrill down your spine.

The Whole Enchilada - http://www.mediafire.com/file/z10lo0n0w0j/RTBF.NewMusicFriday.20090130.zip

Thanks for listening! Ciao,

Raise The Black Flag

New Music Friday >> 01/23/2009

Words >

Hey! We can't believe we've been dormant for 6 months! Really bad form on our part, but we're back and we have some new treats for you!

Alina Simone - Black Water

We found this by accident one day and it turned our heads so fast we nearly got whiplash. Brooklyn's Alina Simone hits hard with PJ Harvery(crush, blush)-esque smart agonized wailing, minimal spooky guitars and drums that would make Maureen Tucker grin like a schoolgirl. Raising the hackle's on the back of our neck is usually all we need to know that something is powerful, but this one really holds up lyrically as a white-knuckled testimony of the deeply troubling/religious/idiosyncratic aspects of performing.

Trespassers William - Lie In The Sound

Seattle's Trespassers William practically ooze ether out of our headphones everytime we put this on. It has the same dreamy qualities that Mazzy Star had, but Anna-Lynne Williams sounds as if she traded some of Hope Sandoval's painful sexyness for something stronger and more direct. It was a little hard to choose from the cuts on their freshman effort, 'Anchor', but we felt that "Lie In The Sound" was really an excellent example of how beautiful their music is.

The Mountain Goats - Up The Wolves (demo)

There's two kinds of people in this world: The people that like better the stuff John Darnielle recorded on his boom-box, and the people that like better the studio work. We are firmly in the boom-box camp and were delighted when we found this demo of "Up The Wolves". It isn't quite as raw as, say, his work on 'Zopilote Machine' or 'All Hail West Texas', but it's still nice and feral. Thanks for all your amazing work, John. You've made us all better people.

Coconut Records - Microphone

It's kind of funny: We put this on the list because 1) its a really solid song and 2) we wanted to make you feel like you were suddenly in a Wes Anderson movie. Ironically, after doing a little research, we found out that Coconut Records () is Jason Schwartzman from "Rushmore" and "The Darjeeling Express" among other films.

Jane Bang - She's Hott

We can't really defend this on any other grounds other than she IS hot and this is fun to dance to.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Everything With You

TPOBPAH really like The Smiths, and we do too, so this caught our ear. Sweet, thick and energetic.

Superdrag - Filthy And Afraid

We really like Nashville's Superdrag! They make rock and roll credible again. They're angsty, drunken, melodic, hard hitting; pretty much the reason we got into music in the first place. "Filthy And Afraid" from Superdrag's upcoming 'Industry Giants' LP is is almost a perfect equation: excellent vocal hooks, a cynical, misanthropic topic [Everybody thinks they know what the deal is, Nothing's irreversible cuz we are free], loud guitars. We can almost smell the tubes in their amplifiers heating up.

The Whole Enchilada - http://www.mediafire.com/file/k43intddzdv/RTBF.NewMusicFriday.20090123.zip


Thanks for listening! xoxoxo!

Raise The Black Flag

New Music Friday >> 06/06/2008

Words >>

Holy fuck did we have a good time in Japan! Sadly, we didn't really bring back any new music (too much fun, too much running around). That said, we've left you hanging for way too long...

Music >>

Me First & The Gimme Gimme's (myspace) - Country Roads (mp3)

John Denver, redone for a stupider, more tweaked out generation. A perfect homecomming song.

Porlolo (myspace) - There Is No I In Athens (mp3)

This is our favorite find for the week. The lyrical styling is beautifully unexpected and it teases with a naescent brilliance. Reminds us a little of Betty Severt.

Envelopes (myspace) - Party (mp3)

The Pixies meets Bjork, cooling out on a warm Sunday afternoon. Spread out the blanket and have another Old Style!

The French Kicks (myspace) - Abandon (mp3)

Dream poppy honey dripping down your chin and ears. Mmmmmm!

The Whole Enchilada (A convenient .zip of this week's music)

\m/ \m/

Raise The Black Flag

Big In Japan >> 05/13/2008

Words >>

Kids, we're off to Japan! We can't promise any new music during our trip, but we'll do our best. Expect an ear canal full of neat stuff when we get back!

Music >>

Tom Waits - Big In Japan >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1555913
Belle And Sebastian - I'm A Cuckoo >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1555914
Princeton - Tokyo, Japan >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1555915
Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1555916

The Whole Enchilada >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1555917

Sayonara,

Raise The Black Flag

New Music Friday >> 05/09/2008

Words >>

Hell of a week! Thanks to everyone (and there were quite a few friends who did) who kicked down new music! It’s what we're all about and we really appreciate it. So much good stuff!!!

Music >>

Editors - An End Has A Start >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1548486

We're reminded of that "Don't You Want Me Baby" song by the Human League. It’s a good, weird cut and we're looking forward to writing more about them in the future.

Colin Meloy - California One / Youth And Beauty Brigade > Ask (Live) >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1548487
Colin Meloy - Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect > Dreams (Live) >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1548488
Colin Meloy - The Engine Driver (Live) >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1548489
Colin Meloy - Cupid (Sam Cooke) >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1548490

You probably know Colin Meloy from The Decemberists. He recently played at the Fillmore and is currently promoting two live records. The first is a compilation of his own fantastic work, including his Ira Glass-esqe stories and stage banter. The second is a collection of (mostly) Sam Cooke covers and feature several duets with Laura Gibson who is herself beautiful both in voice and presence. The show itself was, by all accounts, stunning and we highly recommend getting both records. Enjoy!

Wolf Parade - The Soldier's Grin >> (Link Removed)
Wolf Parade - The Grey Estates >> (Link Removed)

We're huge fans of Dan Boeckner (both of Wolf Parade and The Handsome Furs). We saw the Furs play at Rickshaw Stop in SF a few months back. It was he and Alexei Perry's honeymoon tour and they fucking rocked. Naturally, when we found out Wolf Parade had just released "At Mount Zoomer" we jumped on it like a hungry pack. It’s excellent and we thought we'd give you a few samples, you, know, to get you licking your chops for more.

Hope Sandoval And The Warm Inventi

ons - Suzanne >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1548500

We fucking love Hope Sandoval. We drooled over her in Mazzy Star and we're still drooling now.

Gillian Welch - Look At Miss Ohio >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1548501

We couldn't leave you without a lonesome cowgirl song. This is a fav of ours and its sure to stick in your head for days like the "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier..." refrain from the Killer's "All These Things That I've Done". Sing "Yellow Submarine" if you start to go nuts. That usually works as a mental breath mint for us.

The Whole Enchilada (a .zip file of all posts, for easy downloading) >> (Link Removed)

Thanks for listening!

Raise The Black Flag

New Music Friday >> 05/02/2008

Words >>

Its been 20160 seconds since the last New Music Friday. Alot has happened since then:

1. Bear attack (Peanut butter)
2. Planted a black flag at the summit of Mount Whitney (Narcissism)
3. Found Jesus
4. Immediately lost Jesus
5. Found out Jesus was hanging out with another blog
6. Felt rejected.
7. Wrote the great American novel (Smith-Corona)
8. Rescued several track dogs (Mid-race)

Apologies for the missed posts, but you know, we've been busy.

Music >>

The Luxury Tax - Nobody Gonna Shoot Me Down >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1535562

Unholy

The Manhattan Love Suicides - Heat And Panic >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1535563

Catchy

Bridges And Power Lines - The Golden Age >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1535564

Triumphant

My Morning Jacket - Evelyn Is Not Real >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1535565

Haunting

A Weather - Spiders, Snakes >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1535566

Pensive

Complete Zip >> http://www.savefile.com/files/1535592

Convenient


Have fun kids!

Raise The Black Flag

Spring Cleaning!