Photography by Lyndsey Matthews. Check out more photos from this show and others HERE.
Beach House came to Brooklyn's Bell House on January 26 (we were there, filming!) to celebrate the release of their Sup Pop debut, Teen Dream. The Baltimore-based duo, comprised of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand, was eager to share their new material with the 100 people who managed to nab tickets to the sold-out show, along with a handful of press, and various family and friends.

Fucked Up has had a bizarre career. The fairly straightforward hardcore punk outfit plays with a bearded dudes playing in a basement vibe and odd flourishes here and there that carry it into something more interesting than you'd expect. Couple of Tracks is their newest release and it's a compilation of their singles from 2002-2009.

This week I get to complain about how I put "O.N.E." on a mixtape like THREE WEEKS AGO and now it's all over the free download blogosphere, and I can't be timely and put it on AGAIN because, I don't know. But aside from all these great songs and stuff this week, don't forget Odd Blood is coming out in two weeks and I'm going to eat rainbows when it does, or something. MARK MY WORDS! Anyway.

It was announced today in an article published by UK newspaper The Guardian that ambient post-rock band Sigur Ros is taking a break while band members "have babies" and "work on solo projects."

Canadian songwriter Basia Bulat propels her golden voice into the ether during her visit to the Guest Apartment.

"What I like most about my favorite bands", explains Basia Bulat, "There is a lot of room for me...they take my mind moving, give me a place to roam around. I'm hoping that's what my record does." The record the golden-voiced, Canadian songwriter is referring to is Heart Of My Own; her second album, and most full-bodied work to date. On it, Bulat makes dramatic use of horns, strings, and intense rhythmic cadences, though those elements pale in comparison to the vocal force she propels into the ether. As our recent review of the album puts it, "Bulat doesn't need anything beyond an acoustic guitar and a tambourine" to impress. Actually, for this session in the Guest Apartment, she didn't even need the tambourine.

Preparing a trio of songs for her visit to Baeble, Bulat clutches both an autoharp ("Heart of My Own", "Run") and a borrowed, acoustic guitar ("Go On") during the performance. Talk about the "flower-child folk artist with a distinct voice and preoccupation with love and nature", Joe P, our trusty editor, was referring to. Here Bulat showcases her rich and expressive voice, evoking the ghosts of musical titans as she goes along. Joni Mitchell, Odetta, Janis Joplin...I would imagine Bulat counts them all as inspirations, creating a swell that while tracing specific narratives, encourages the listener to glide wherever these big, bold, and beautiful songs take them. Guess that puts Bulat in the company of her favorite bands. - David Pitz

The Brian Jonestown Massacre, the best kept secret in fuzz-rock is coming out with a brand new album, Who Killed Sgt. Pepper. Until its February 23rd release date, all that's leaked so far is their track "Let's Go F**king Mental".

Though his performance in our Guest Apartment was fever pitched, Langhorne Slim certainly knows how to dial it back, such as the case with the title track from his recently released album, Be Set Free. Taking his foot off the pedal, Slim glides through the kind of tune that demands an excavation of the heart and soul. Without it, all those nuances - the drums that hit just behind the beat, the ardent, vocal cadence, the desperate rasp in Slim's voice - wouldn't be possible.

Ok. We refuse to talk about how much we like The Happy Hollows. Y'all have heard that about a gazillion times. Instead, we're going to talk about how much we like this Happy Hollows giveaway we're doing! In honor of the re-release of their debut disk Spells, our friends at Filter are powering our latest edition of the Baeble Hook-Up with a pretty sweet package. In exchange for your email (it won't hurt...we promise), we'll enter you into the contest. What are y'all competing for? The anwser after the jump:

'Round these parts, the announcement of the Broken Bells project - a collaboration between James Mercer and Danger Mouse - was met with a rather inquisitive, "huh?". On paper, the two appear unlikely bedfellows. They generally make the best kind, of course. But at the very least, a purveyor of earnest, vintage pop and his crazy, producer-minded counterpart sounds interesting...very, very interesting.

The track buzzing through the indie-blogosphere for the last couple days has been Passion Pit's remix of Lady GaGa's Telephone ft. Beyonce. Yes, this evil Frankenstein'd travesty exists. Dripping with ironic detachment and enveloped in a swirl of house and trance, topped with chipmunk falsettos, Passion Pit seems like they want a piece of the club music action.

Wearing two hats is difficult with only one head, but Charlotte Gainsbourg, daughter of French pop artist Serge Gainsbourg and English actress Jane Birkin, seems to flow seamlessly from actress to musician with impressive poise. Part of the success of IRM might be attributed to its puppetmaster; the purveyor of Modern Guilt and many other auditory wonders, who produced and co-wrote. But the songs, production and instrumentation would mean nothing if it was all built to house Gainsbourg's sultry vocals. I don't speak French, but there is something universal about the romance languages... "Le Chat Du Cafe Des Artistes", while almost totally unfamiliar, feels very intimate and personal. And this connection can't be imitated by Beck's production values. It is Gainsbourg who ultimetly puts the soul into IRM, and that is it's best quality.

Today the 9th Annual IMA's were announced. The winners include All That Remains, Gemma Ray, Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs, Spinnerette, Illa J and State Radio. The awards beg the question: why do we even have awards anymore? Between the bloated nonsense of the Grammy's (an all star Michael Jackson tribute IN 3D!!1!1!!)^* and the drunken mess at the Golden Globes, you'd think independent artists would rather sit alone in their pretentious caves and chew their own arms than accept an award subjectively delivered by some sort of organization that pays people to give out awards. I'm looking at you, NARAS.

_{*actually a real thing.}

You may not need the history lesson, but I sure did. Gil Scott Heron's video for "Me and the Devil" marks a comeback. From what? I wasn't initially sure. I had not heard of the man, his poetry, his music, or the various pieces of literature that propelled him to fame in the late 60's and early 70's. Word is Heron help provide some seriously sturdy roots from which American Hip Hop would one day bloom. Shame on me man...shame on me.

Thing is, I'm guessing I'm not the only one. Why else would he blaze the title I'm New Here across the cover of his first album in 15 years? The album hits stores via XL Recordings on February 9th. Ahead of it's release, Heron's has a trippy new video for "Me and the Devil" to show you. It's got a black and white, New York sort of look, but this ain't Woody Allen's Manhattan. Instead, directors Coodie & Chike and Michael Sterling Eaton suggest the devil walks amongst us, employing a ghoulish cast of characters to take over the city's streets and parks. It's actually pretty creepy...for the first three-and-a-half minutes. When Gil hops on the mic to cutaways of a staggering zombie (?), it's downright sinister.

On Monday, The Justice Department of the United States approved a merger between two monsters: Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

Kieran Hebden has been releasing compelling electronica as Four Tet, for more than a decade, a significant achievement in a genre that thrives on the newest sounds. Four Tet's third album, 2003's Rounds, rightfully received widespread acclaim for its use of organic samples. Dubbed "folktronica", he's since been distancing himself from that tag, while his reputation has grown as a remixer for the likes of Beth Orton and Radiohead.

The Merriweather masters are getting back to their weird roots. Really weird. Oddsac is the most appropriate name ever assigned to anything ever. WATCH OUT FOR THE SMOKEY MAN!

Aficionados should realize that this is a Bob Dylan cover, but the boys from France make it their own. Pending their commercialization post-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, it is nice to see them still creating surprises while peddling Cadillacs. Commercial/MP3 after the jump.

In the biz, the techno-terminology we'd assign to this video? Production-y... Yeah, we went to video college. While there, we learned that, if the means for production are actually featured in the video - such as the case with The Very Best's high spirited video for "Warm Heart of Africa" - then it's production-y. It's an official term. It cannot be disputed...though my colleague is telling me I may have just made this up. Anyways...

Malawian singer Esau Mwamway enlisted Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig to lend vocal support to Warm Heart of Africa's title track. Backed by fuzzy fits of electro and some serious afro-pop tendencies, the track is an absolute winner...the perfect song for traveling the world in ones' imagination (or you know, for real..). Which is exactly what the duo do here, getting around Brooklyn, Africa, and plenty of other places via green screen. Like I said...Production-y!

The question "what would life look like if you were listening to Beach House at the Silver Surfer's Bed-Stuy apartment while playing with his smoke machine and hula hoops" has never been asked, but it has certainly been answered by the video to "Silver Soul". It's hazy, murky, and dreamy, an appropriate combination of visual obscurities to compliment the auditory coma created by Teen Dream. And for the price of a Flexflow 1500 and some glitter, you can recreate it in your bathtub!

The guys who have already remixed bands like The Very Best, and put on enjoyable shows at fests like CMJ, so naturally news of their debut album No Mas is exciting. We're strapping on our freak-out hiptronica dancing shoes and heading to the, somewhere! We like these guys because unlike other electronic record spinners, for this new record, their beats and jams aren't jacked from old recordings. These guys are starting from scratch with their pads and bleeps, reconstructing and reconstructing the jukebox of noise in their heads.

Have a particularly long lunch break? Want to watch some GREAT live footage and informative stories about The Pixies? Look no further. LoudQUIETLoud after the jump.

Somewhere in between Radiohead and Fleet Foxes, Midlake remain one of the more underrated rock acts of the aughts. The Courage Of Others supposedly trades Fleetwood Mac for stoner folk, but we'll leave the listening to to you for now. It is streaming over at NPR, the home of all great streams. But we've got a different treat for you, the best song (in many opinions) from their last record, The Trials Of Van Occupanther, "Roscoe". Check it out after the jump.

I am in love with Beach House. Not only because the Baltimore duo creates some of the most beautiful pop music out there today, but also because they post such silly things on their Twitter feed as, "Beach House is officially changing its name to Waffle House." They are musical, have a good sense of humor, and enjoy greasy southern diner food? Swoon.

Our homeboys from down under, the Temper Trap, have jumped up out of the Guest Apartment and will be touring all around North America in support of their album. Following their spectacular run at CMJ, and providing the soundtrack to the estranged romance of Joseph Gordan Levitt and Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days Of Summer, these guys are bound to have a big year. Their travels include a spot at this year's Coachella, which is awesome. Dates after the jump.

Dear MTV,

We really like what you do and think you also might like what we do. Feel free to play this video on Alternative Nation if you want.

Love,
These United States

Too bad this video wasn't made on March 2nd, 1993. It probably would have been Kennedy's favorite. Instead, the newest video from Jesse Elliott and company is a nostalgic look back at what was probably every musician's favorite afterschool activity: the jam session. Ah yes....those were the days. Yeah, they're never coming back.

For the video companion to what is probably the most popular song from The XX's stellar, self-titled record, the South West Londoners took an appropriate approach in the creatives. Shot in both stark black and white and a nice wash of color, the Marcus Soderlund directed piece could have been derived from the lines "We, we live half in the day time/And we, we live half at night". Here, through a variety of color palettes, a couple trade delicate looks and youthful kisses in between wild, destructive behavior. Like the stark, soulful tune that accompanies it, the band give you beauty and tension all at once, with an cinematic touch.

They might like to play with guns. Rumor has it the title is going to be Vintage Rifles, which sounds like a confusing mix of gun rights and hipster chic (check out my ironic 9mm glock, you guys). However, the only thing they'll be shooting down is your doubts, because The National are just another reason 2010 is a great year for music. They are touring too, so double great!

Is it 2002 guys, or is my webcam NOT the size of a Georgia peach? Honestly though, vlogs are making a comeback. We like in a Flip world, you guys. Anyway, James Murphy is a fun guy, and he does fun things, like documenting his stay at an LA mansion while penning/recording the new LCD Soundsystem record. Take a look at part one after the jump.

Funny I should spend some time this weekend enjoying Jenna Maroney's risky portrayal of Jackie Jormp-Jomp, because although I haven't digested everything Joplin has done, I began wondering if there was a voice in today's music world with similar tastes and styles. Now I'm not a kingmaker and I don't declare when X is the new Y, but Basia Bulat certainly seems to have the lush songwriting, guitar plucking, and textures to be comparable or at least considerable. The similarities aside from "both of them are woman" aren't totally there... I think it is mostly the voice that gets me. They both have a folk-sense and a very recognizable croon. I admit, Bulat is a lot softer and warmer with her tones, even when she gets cooking on the more bombastic tracks. If Joplin is Texan Americana, then Bulat feels like the plains. Funny that she is actually from Canada.

The world said goodbye to a beloved late night personality (for seven or so months, contractually speaking), Haiti received a lot of well deserved love from people like George Clooney and Radiohead, and even your drunkest rock hero decided it might be time to stop (at 66).

Cartoons are a part of everyones childhood, from Smurfs to Snorks to Spongebob. So naturally a bunch of animated goons fronted by former Blur voice Damon Albarn would appeal to a generation of alternative rock loving adults, even if they tend towards genre blending and songs about cowboys. Since their inception, Gorillaz have received a Grammy, gone double platinum in the UK, even nailed a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records (for most successful virtual band). And although Albarn pens operettas about monkeys in his free time, he claims the bands forthcoming Plastic Beach is going to be a decidedly pop affair. First single "Stylo" seems to back up that claim.

This isn't a mixtape-noir or anything, I just felt that "45" deserved a picture-noir, because it totally sounds like it stars the Maltese Falcon and has mystery and intrigue!

Shortly after conquering our ears with their highly lauded Transference, Spoon made a few more transactions at the blow-out bank. We're not quite sure if it was a debit or credit here. Take a look for yourself.

The Deluka dilemma: the difference between sparkle-dust pop and electro-rock is kind of a razor thin, non-existant line. Hence why it is mildly debilitating to even try and categorize this floating non-re of girl fronted stuff like this self-titled EP. I'll try anyway. Deluka is kind of a Gaga infused Yeah Yeah Yeah's, with more staying power than the oddballs of Freezepop, but more beats than Karen O. Their EP is full of high octane shoe-movey (patent pending terminology), tons of bass-drum-high-hat alternating, fake hand clap glory.

Hey guys! This week we don't have any technical difficulties (knock on desk which might be wood), instead we have a technical bonus feature! Our site is now equipped with something the children are calling Facebook Connect! Now you can log in to our site with your FB account, and comment on our postings in a more organized way! So what does this mean for us? So many things!

The nice folks at Sonic Scoop - a pioneering online destination that provides New York City's thriving music and sound production community with a vital central hub - were kind enough to do a piece on Baeble, and the various performance videos we produce. Special thanks to Janice Brown for featuring us!

Ok Go have a new album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, and a new we're-on-treadmills style one-take music video for the song "This Too Shall Pass". Unfortunately we can't embed the very intricately done video complete with marching bands and hidden identities that SHOULD accompany this MP3. In fact the controversy has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny lately, as the anti-embed has been blown up into a hot-button example of major label snafu-ing when it comes to press. But I digress, this is a fun song!

A Macgyver of a session if ever there was one, Toronto based no-fi outfit Little Girls took us by surprise when they showed up at our doors during their run on CMJ '09. Put simply, they had gear...and a lot of it. Guitars, amps, drums; Josh McIntyre and his crew wanted nothing short of a full-bodied performance when they piled into the Guest Apartment. There was one tiny issue though. No microphone. Without one, McIntyre's vocals wouldn't stand a chance against the sweaty haze of drones and drums that would dominate the mass of 20 people that had gathered for the session.

But Little Girls are fairly clever pack of musicians, and the problem didn't faze them. Give them a cymbal stand, a pickup, some electrical tape, and a cardboard box and...voila! A microphone is born. It was an oh so fitting development in this completely unpredictable session. Watch how it all unfurled in our latest session of the Guest Apartment.

Doom surf, surf goth, post punk? Just call it Little Girls, and this is your chance to meet them...or at least Josh McIntyre. Check out our exclusive interview with the band's leading man. Don't worry...we won't call the cops.

Adding to the stew of above-par music kicking off 2010 is Surfer Blood's debut Astro Coast. Straight to the point with ten tracks and a standard five-piece setup, Surfer Blood mixes grungy guitar riffs with over-'verbed vocals and versatile percussion, concocting a successful blend of rock's finest past and present offerings.

Ever wondered what Mr. Yorke puts in his CD spinner? Find out at 11. Or right now. [via The Daily Swarm]

I have a soft spot for the Czech, so it's great to see a renowned Czech musician sell out Radio City with her band. Last night was a dream come true for Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Marketa Irglova, who formed The Swell Season a few years back on top of Hansard's band The Frames. A little movie called Once starred the duo as (duh) musicians, and then Uncle Oscar took notice. They played the Academy Award-winning song "Falling", of course, but it was hardly the focus in an evening of intense constructions and emotive players.

Hey guys! I know the fourth installment of everything (Batman and Robin, Star Wars Episode I, Spiderman 4: Fire Everyone) tends to be scrutinized heavily, so bear with me. I tried to pick a really excitingly bad record to avoid this. There will be no Jar Jars, mass firings, or nipple suits. But there WILL be blood? Yes. In my brain.

Kieran Hebden is pumped for There Is Love In You, and so are we... the electro-artist has posted his entire album for embeddable streaming a week out from the street date. Listen now.

Photography by Maureen Pitz. Check out more photos from this show and others HERE.
For most New Yorkers, this past weekend brought with it an extra day in which to play, while still paying tribute to Dr. MLK, of course. Here at Baeble, the scheduling miracle meant seizing on the opportunity to have ourselves the dirtiest of weekends...though, it's probably not what you think. Sad to say, none of us slogged off into the country with our significant (or not so significant, as I believe the term generally applies...) others. Instead, we rounded up our trusty production crew, fired up the cameras, and captured an incredible performance from one of the filthiest bands going these days. My oh my did we have a down and dirty time at the 92Y Tribeca.

Missing this thumper from last year would be a huge mistake. The Heavy have a fat sound and the chops to back it up... forty minutes of tearing through their own unique brand of big band funk rock and taking no prisoners. The House That Dirt Built stands so tall, even Letterman wanted more. It isn't often that throwback bands like The Heavy manage to sound vintage in their own way, and it is pleasing to see that Jack White isn't the only guy who can sound like he belongs on vinyl in a way that doesn't sound like a 1960's ripoff. If you like thick bass, thundering drums, wild horn sections, and a lead singer who sounds like a Chris Cornell in his prime/Randy Jackson two-for-one special, then you need some Dirt in your ears, pronto.

Making all your Teen Dreams come true, the latest from the shimmery duo is streaming in full at NPR. Go get it.

_{Photo by Matt Jacoby}
We were very into Talking Through Tin Cans after catching these guys in '08 at a show. So was iTunes. Now they are prepping a new release and it sounds like their surf infused California dreaming is still in full board-walking, high-fiving swing.

The world is an ugly place sometimes. But for every disaster there is always a strong showing from communities around the globe to aid those in need. Paste Magazine has joined the efforts to help Haiti through song. Find out how you can help.

Kelvin Swaby asked "how you like us now NYC?" and Dave made them play the song again. And that pretty much sums up how much brain melting was done when The Heavy played The Late Show. Seriously, the producers were like "OMG, Dave is off script? Go to commercial!"

Camera Obscura is Latin for "dark room, a seemingly ill-fitting nickname for a wonderfully quirky pop ensemble. Perhaps it refers to the gadget of the same name, a device built for projecting an image of its' surroundings. The analogy only seems to work if its surrounded by happy-go-lucky fans, because that was the projection we saw the night we captured them at the Music Hall of Williamsburg.

These Glasgow based veterans have been playing together since 1996 (some might consider this over the hill, according to indie-speak). The longevity of their career is probably due to their timeless tunes...a charming collection of well-crafted pop that elicits smiles in even the grumpiest of faces. They have released four full lengths and their most recent album My Maudlin Career dropped last spring. For the set list, the band covered songs spanning their whole discography, a nice move considering the Mars Volta attitude of many of today's long-running acts (Quote: "If you came to hear our old material, f**k it, we're over it").

They churned out early tracks like "80's Fan" and "Pen and Notebook" like it was yesterday. Their most recent singles, like the wonderful "French Navy" and the also pretty good "Honey in the Sun" made appearances as well. Front woman Traceyanne Campbell (who has admitted to suffering from stage fright) sounded lovely (and not at all frightened) throughout the set of pleasantries. Saccharine, lilting, and always tinged with a hint of melancholy, these Scottish brogues are sure to be music to your ears.

What we talk about when we talk about current American rock heroes: Wilco and their contemporaries, The National, The Hold Steady, you know the kind. The guys who consistently get called out as "Americana." The guys who can still string together a guitar tune and not be assigned a random derogatory subcategory, shoe gaze, chill-wave, psychedelic, acid rock. Whatever fad you think is the next big thing, these guys crap all over it with stuff that could have been written forty years ago and still sounds fresh. And Spoon may be the king of the current favorites. With a career spanning over a decade, and a definitive sound, the band has been there and back again. They don't suffer from the over-glorification like Wilco, but they are just as solid... some might say more so. And they've taken it to a new level. Transference was produced by Spoon, made by Spoon, and its raw and unapologetic.

Just announced: the lineup for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is going "back to the future" with hip headliners such as Thom Yorke, Gorillaz, MGMT, Hot Chip, Spoon, and more. Not your Mom's Coachella. No Paul McCartney, Prince or Roger Waters... although she might want to go see Sly and The Family Stone.

Every now and then we need a little break from the multitude of new music crammed down our throats to sit back and hear something we already know. Or, at least, a remix of something we already know (and love). Found clumped with one of a billion best-of lists, this remix of "Armistice" has the added bonus of psychadelic rockers Yacht being behind the knobs. Watch how they switch up the already classic tune; you might see mystery lights (Get it? You get it).

Oh My God, Charlie Darwin is definitely a story about a man, an ode if you will, to a father of scientific thought who has met with a lot of scrutiny. The title track is full of a melancholic loneliness, and creating a video to match that was no easy task. Enter Glenn Taunton and Simon Taffe of End Of The Road Films, who decided to create a stop animated video to capture the pathos of the song. Simon took some time to answer a few questions for us about the video and how the pair came up with such affecting visuals.

Rerecorded for their Sub Pop debut, "Jail La La" is the perfect taste of the fun, flighty pop that got the Dum Dum Girls signed in the first place. Needless to say Dee Dee, founder and front-lady, is achieving her self proclaimed MO of "blissed-out buzz saw."

But clearly, according to this tour promo vid, Australia should be VERY afraid of them. One of the earlier Baeble shows was HEALTH at the Fader sideshow at CMJ 2007, and it was pretty classic.

The Danes love their mountain climbing orchestral pop, just take a look at the Efterklangs and Slaraffenlands of the world. Oh No Ono comes from the same soil, and the same mindset it would appear, as their lavish songs reach for the skies on multiple occasions on Eggs. However, while their contemporaries are stuck in the boring confines of lackadaisical drudgery (running more like a medieval mass than an album made in the 21st century), Oh No Ono abandons the niceties and bites harder and faster. The songs beneath the strings are like the elongated epics of the rock opera era, a Danish Jethro Tull with vocal effects and less flute. They are like a new decade of Danish rock unto themselves.

Unless you live in a troll cave and listen to your 8 track recordings of Soul Sauce all day, you've heard about Spoon and their new album, Transference. It is kind of totally another Spoon record, and awesome! First single "Written In Reverse" was recently released as a 7-inch, and the b-side, non-album "Mean Red Spider" has been floating around the interweb ever since. Take a listen after the jump.

Bear Hands are certainly a band that's been out there for a few years, making the rounds with their hands carefully cupped around all the promise in the world. They've been taking good care of that potential, neatly sculpting it to perfection, not revealing too much too soon. And the good news? 2010 just might be the year the Brooklyn based band have the opportunity to unveil their work to a larger audience, thanks in part to signing a recent album deal with Cantora Records.

These New Puritans are set to release their sophomore album Hidden this March. Rumored to be something much more sophisticated than Beat Pyramid (though we were impressed with that material when we filmed their set at Domino's SXSW Showcase in '08), you can give a look and listen to the band's first single, "We Want Here", thanks to the sprawling visual to the song the band recently released. Folks behind the album are calling the new album "a work extraordinary in ambition, clarity of purpose and range -- at times brutal, melancholy, expansive, cinematic or orchestral." It's an explanation that certainly works here, as twisted band bodies elegantly fly by the camera lens in dramatic fashion.

It was quite a week for cheers, jeers and tears, as Vampire Weekend made a decidedly polarizing splash with their latest album, we had a nice chat with Neon Indian and Toro Y Moi, Thao got down in front of our cameras, and beloved punk entertainer Jay Reatard left us too soon. A lot has happened, so let's take off our work shoes and put on our beer-o-clock hats, toast to the good times and the bad, and spin some tunes.

Caretaker, an album drenched in fantastical, sweeping, orchestral pop, and it dips as much as it soars. At their best on their third record, The Silent League takes subtle cues from early Flaming Lips, geeking out with auto-tuned glitz, and vocal sparks. For those who are wondering right off the bat, their inclination for leaning on an orchestra hasn't waned a bit. However, their balladry reaches higher heights, and the balance seems a bit better than previous efforts. But those looking for a changed band better back off, The Silent League is comfortable with their style of bombastic pop, and they've grown into their breeches in a way that isn't changing anytime soon.

While we're at it, let's also file this one under "good things happening to good people". Timber Timbre's stunning, eponymous album beat out releases from Girls and Animal Collective to claim Canada's Eye Weekly national music critic's poll. We thought that record was pretty special, but are thrilled to see acclaim is widespread across the great white North.

The first video to surface from his "so-close-you-can-almost-taste-it", new album The Colossus finds producer/singer/musician RJD2 siding with the plight of the minotaur...seriously. Apparently, it's no easy life. In this Thom Glunt directed video, our brave gallant does his best to navigate the cruel, modern world...but alas, a cool place to call his own is apparently not to be. There's a reason he calls this slick shtick of laid back beats and swirling strings "Let There Be Horns". In the end, our man the minotaur just can't hold 'em back.

File this one under "good things happening to good people". Our friends The Low Anthem will be making their late night, television debut tonight when they enchant the drama-free airwaves of the Late Show with David Letterman. Tune In!

Raleigh NC's The Love Language put out one of the most promising records of 2009, though sadly, we're guessing a lot of you probably never heard it (not your fault). Captured on a four track with that distinct analogue glow, the self-titled album features a collection of pop songs that pleasantly recalls bands like GBV, Sebadoh, and The Walkmen as it cycles through. Good for you, the listener... In addition to providing a rather satisfying kick, the album also gave leading man Stu McLamb a reason to set his life in order. After running off the rails just a bit (you can read a little bit about it HERE), McLamb needed rehabilitation, and looked to the recording to provide the best vessel to pilot himself out of the abyss. Good for him, the person...

In our latest video segment, Stu is joined by his brother Jordan, vocalist Missy Thangs, and a mysterious drummer (I swear, we have no idea who that person is...or maybe we do) for this short performance in our Guest Apartment. In town for a multi-show hustling of CMJ '09, the band can be forgiven for taking things slow and easy here. We're glad they did. "Providence", though certainly sprightly by nature, drips with a thick, drowsy syrup of delicious harmonies. On "Night Dogs", Stu's vocals come at a deliciously lazy pace, finding his listener's ears whenever they damn well please, with great effect. The result is an easy-going set of contented pop songs. Given the circumstances in which the Love Language was born, this Guest Apartment session seems like a truly great place to be.

In our latest video interview, we encourage you to get to know a new language...Raleigh NC's The Love Language, that is. Here Stu McLamb, his brother Jordan, and vocalist Missy Thangs discuss the origins of the band, their current activities, and their impressive plans for the future. It's a Baeble exclusive, of course.

Boy Genius is a band from Brooklyn. Now Brooklyn conjures up a whole lot of avant-weird connotations these days; noise punks and freaky-screeching performance "art" based food-for-thought. And some of it is actually good (for an acquired taste)! But Brooklyn doesn't usually mean songwriting in the same way as some of the alternative bands coming from the midwest, Chicago, Nashville, etc, and its a shame, these places yield great stuff. But sometimes, the universe gives us a band that writes songs we can digest with one bite. Songs that taste clean and good and go with everything.

Every year in January many a music fan go on the prowl for the album that will provide the perfect bastion of beauty to retreat into during the long march towards spring. Some common requirements of the perfect winter record include, but are not limited to: songs that do not get exhausted quickly, an understated sense of melancholy, pretty harmonies, even prettier lyrics, string instrumentation, and often the band must hail from some very northern, very chilly corner of the world. This year's nominee in my book is Die Stadt Muzikanten, the impressive third studio effort from the Calgary based band Woodpigeon.

The beloved singer died in his sleep last night, according to a brief post on the (now crashing) record labels website. He was twenty-nine.

MIA has been pretty quiet with details about her new record, but after a NY Times tirade tweet (because politics), this curious video popped up and sent the bloggers scurrying to their rumor caves for fresh ironic jokes. Supposedly it broke with Fader, although Stereogum claims to have been watching the Twitter account as well when the video was posted. Take a look after the jump.

The young comedian's first stand-up DVD is for a sensual evening of the best medicine... laughter.

Amidst the rampant NBC controversy, the Pharmacists front-man fondly recounts how CoCo gave him a late-night break in 2003.

One year removed from the universal freak-out that accompanied the release of Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective is still...ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE (as they should be). The band just stepped in as guest editors for the most recent copy of FADER, played the role of DJs at a Friday party at the American Museum of Natural History, and have slowly surfaced information regarding a host of solo project activities (from current and former members, alike). To those current events, add the mesmerizing new video for "Brother Sport".

A brilliant, multi-media extravaganza, the band's latest video is a dazzling mix of live action, playful animation, and spastic lighting that is both thrilling and completely absorbing. We're fairly fascinated by it, and I suppose we could provide the blow by blow on what's going on. Except, that's not much fun. Instead, we suggest you blow it up big, and surrender over to six minutes of good natured, psychedelic beauty. Omelets anyone?

There is nothing like vintage R&B and Jim Jarmusch films to bring a band together, particularly if you want to name your band something heavy, like, for example, The Heavy. Jarmusch may be a minimalist, but these guys craft some pretty complex neo-funk crunch rock. And that, ladies and gentleman, is how you craft an opening paragraph based solely on facts from Wikipedia.

Owen Pallet decided to name his band Final Fantasy, even though it began as a solo project. "The experienceand the tone of the materialwas reminiscent of the hours and hours I had spent as an adolescent playing those epic JRPGs," he recently explained in a message on Domino Records' website.

The cryptic cartoon above surfaced in the middle of the day and was greeted with many blank stares (although now it seems a bit obvious). The first of many music rumors of new albums was confirmed late yesterday by Newsom's label. Have One On Me is due 2/23.

In honor of Contra (on computers everywhere today, and also in stores probably), check out the boys stopping by The Tonight Show (normal) and MTV's Unplugged series (which does, in fact, still exist). Remember the one with Dashboard Confessional? Man, 2002! Killing it!

Photography by David Pitz. Check out more photos from this show and others HERE.
Last time we saw Passion Pit, they were busy playing the ever-so-deserving role of show warmer for the mighty Phoenix at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield (actually, we filmed it, and you'll see it very SOON! We promise...). Since that the time, the band has only gained momentum, acquiring a variety of award show nominations (mtvU, Q, etc), helping sell a boatload of Palm products, and selling out 3 nights in a row at NYC's cavernous, Terminal 5. We were lucky to catch night #1 of that run last Friday, and have returned with the following prediction: It's only going to get bigger.

Photography by David Pitz. Check out more photos from this show and others HERE.
On record, as is the case in their Saddle Creek debut Hometowns, The Rural Alberta Advantage are a fiery, Indie pop group, with guitars streaking unrefined, the drums swirling with immense and catastrophic stick work, and singer Niles Edenloff scratching at the ears with a flailing, sandpaper sort of vocal approach. It's a make-up made ever more impressive by a firm commitment to melody...multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Amy Cole providing the vitals in that department.

Massive Attack is happening in 2010. The trip-hop pair are planning a new release, penning a soundtrack, and just generally rejoining our world with new works and projects. More details, and a contest for t-shirts, after the jump!

With our latest concert release, the first thing you're bound to notice is Thao Nguyen, a spirited musician sicking erratic, electric scratches into her surely beaten-all-to-hell hollow body guitar. It, along with her exotic coo coo cachoos into the microphone, are but one vital vessel the talented songwriter employs to carry her intense, personal narratives. The other is her body.

Performing at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia last November, Thao struts a pair of restless legs, sways her music-minded hips, and throws the rest of her body into a general mess of hair and limbs whenever the moment presents itself. Here, Thao's songs (pulled from Know Better Learn Faster, We Brave Bee Stings & All, and Like the Linen) inhabit her, own her, and with the enthusiastic assistance of her backing band The Get Down Stay Down, whisk her to another place all together when she performs. Those in attendance? They were piled into an old church basement in downtown Philadelphia. But Thao and the Get Down Stay Down...to be honest, I'm not quite sure where their muse escorted them.

All of which makes for an electrifying performance experience. Over the course of this concert, the band whisks their audience away on an unpredictable, careening, joy ride, chock full of impromptu jams sessions, alternate album takes, occasional theatrics, and a whole host of special guests. It's an almighty type of performance to be sure, but hey...that's probably why we journeyed to a church to film it. - David Pitz

In the spirit of trying to remain impartial to the multitude of commentary surrounding Contra and its various dissenters, critics, rabid fans and the like, I'll pretend not to hear any of you yelling at me. Not surprisingly, Vampire Weekend has found its second record even more polarizing than the first. Vampire Weekend was a fun, poppy affair if not directly influenced by anything and everything it was accused of ripping off, but it put the band on the map, gave them some cred and a decent record deal, and certainly made them a household name. They are not the only poster children of the slightly "mainstream indie" (and least in my mind) but they are beloved by more than just people with popped collars. In short, there was a time that you bought into this band. Don't lie.

After spending the better part of the afternoon drooling over Transference, we're highly recommending you go listen to the latest album from Spoon so you can brag to your friends that you heard it first. Remember rock music? Yeah it still exists, even after Yeasayer has its way with 2010 (Odd Blood for president) and we figure out what in the wide world of sports this is supposed to be (you MUST be shrooming!), there is Spoon, and they are still amazing. Whoever said there is no spoon is wrong (The Matrix). Don't listen! There is a Spoon, and boy is it great!

Passion Pit played T5 this weekend. The show was great (on Friday, at least)! Here is a video of them covering "Dreams"!

The album that Diplo called "Gucci Mane meets Animal Collective" (que?) is confirmed and supposedly slated for a summer release. Apparently its "loonier than anyone could've guessed." To be fair, that's a sucker bet, because MIA is pretty loony herself.

Kevin Barnes and his traveling circus have announced a break from touring to once again recreate scenes from our dreams and/or nightmares on stage (we should know, we've filmed it). Of Montreal makes its first stop on 1/25 in Baltimore, with band member and Guest Apartment alumni James Husband opening. Dates after the jump.

Alan Palomo is one the most approachable musicians I've met on the interview circuit. He's a young guy, early twenties, laid back and very easy to talk to. You'd never guess that Neon Indian has been one of the buzziest bands of the past few months, gathering serious attention after CMJ and just now having their first selection of multiple tour dates in New York. Neon Indian emerges during a washed-out, lo-fi era of LA scuzz and New York blip dominating the cool-kid airwaves. Palomo is neither, rather an amalgamation of something else&mdash half psyched-out, half electro-composer whiz-kid. A Texan with influences in Mexican pop music, a father and brothers who were all classically trained, and an armada of noise toys, Alan Palomo is an approachable, appetizing artist with a great body of work beyond his current project.

Odd-rock wizards The Dirty Projectors are releasing a limited edition 7", entitled Ascending Melody, populated with two previously unreleased tracks from the Bitte Orca sessions. The physical release is available today, 1/11. Fans also have the option of a totally free digital download, for the price of an email. Details after the jump.

Still Life Still deserve an award of some kind for successfully promulgating their dedication to women via physically revolting sexual acts that they wouldn't mind doing in the name of love. It literally took a good five minutes to find a way to say this without using any of the words mentioned in the song. But they played Mercury Lounge on Wednesday, and it was great!

I'm starting to wonder if the it-artists of the tens will be the ones who outwardly try to defy all ability to categorize themselves. Even Pitchfork, kings of the critique, had trouble nailing down what to call Neon Indian's electronic exploits. Alan Palomo is a child of musicians; his roots come from a life surrounded by creating and absorbing. He also happens to be a really nice guy; young, unassuming, and happy to chat about his experiences (we met a few weeks ago. Anyway, the quick summary: Psychic Chasms is full of Palomo's carefree attitude, half lazy-80's-summer, half freakout-pysch-wash.

The new Warner Brothers motion picture The Book Of Eli has a lot of themes about life and stuff. I can talk about it because I saw it yesterday! But it also features a soundtrack by Atticus Ross, a famous producer known for his multi-platinum work with Nine Inch Nails. And the soundtrack is totally what you'd expect; spooky, ominous, and unpredictable.

Including The xx, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Free Energy, Neon Indian, Midlake, Woods, Fool's Gold, Califone, Anti-Pop Consortium, Apostle of Hustle, Cheap Trick, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Julianna Barwick, Clogs, Danielson, Everybody Was in the French Resistance...Now!, Javelin, Solange, Jason Lytle, 9th Wonder, Smith Westerns, and Toro Y Moi. YES.

New year, new day, and a whole new set of mixtape pictures! Mix[tape dispenser]. Get it? You get it. Joe Humor! My New Years Resolution was to make you all laugh twice as much! Even if its at me, and not with me, because laughter is the best medicine! And I will need medicine after you murder me.

A London-born but Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, Ana Silvera is a supremely talented artist, sporting the sort of musical upbringing that would intimidate most, if not all of her contemporaries. Trained in opera, Silvera spent her teenage years performing with the English National Opera, as well as appearing at the Royal Opera House. It's a background of supreme relevance, as her latest musical motivations, though steered in the vague direction of pop, embrace her classical training, with dramatic effect. Look no further than our latest segment of the Guest Apartment.

Awakening the sleeping soul of our beautiful, 1928 Steinway piano, Silvera prepared a graceful set of songs for her session with Baeble last October. Joined by cellist Noah Hoffeld, the two make for a lovely pairing, whisking aforementioned classical and popular elements together for a supremely satisfying, musical blend. "Home Town" (a track from her soon to be released album of the same name) is an obvious example...it's memorable vocal melodies carried aloft by rich pulls on the cello, and perfect quells of delicate ivory work. Trading the piano for the nylon strings of her classical guitar, Ana props inventive narratives onto an acoustic pedestal with "Letters to New York". These are but two of the four songs Silvera chose to perform here. The result is a stirring session; one that is touching, heart-felt, and technically impressive.

We suspect you might not be aware of the towering talent that is Ana Silvera. It's our hope that this exclusive interview serves as an intimate introduction to the impressive, up and coming singer-songwriter.

The Knux may be outwardly vulgar on paper and in their first single, but don't even thing of dismissing them based on NSFW EP names. The duo know how to ride these sticky beats they create better than the drivel thats been polluting the radio these days, posing as "rap." Kentrell "Krispy Kream" Lindsey and Alvin "Rah Almillio" Lindsey (I love these names) have a really well-tuned flow, reminiscent of Big Boi and the Outkast crew (I've said this before and I'll say it again and again) and it pays off immensely; the songs are quick footed and smart sounding, the lyrical jabs sting in all the right places, and by the time we get to the foul-mouthed fifth track, we're inviting the scrutiny on our ears. F*ck me? Whatever you guys say, as long as you rap it. Seriously.

Islands have enlisted everyone's favorite man-boy for their latest video piece from Vapours (admin). Here, Michael Cera pops some pills, and takes a fantastical/maddening head journey as a result. Up there, in the dream head, Cera is space voyaging to the happy little capsules...though he's more a sweat-pouring, schizophrenic in the reality portion of this video. In the end it's Nick Diamonds who's here to shepard George Michael from his real-life demons...or is he? Watch and find out. - David Pitz

Sometimes, a little healthy competition can go horribly awry. Take what happened when the Washington Wizards got together to throw a few cards, for example. Fact: There will always be dim witted athletes who feel the need to turn on members of their own team for one stupid reason or another...either with fists, or...you know, guns...'cause multi-millionaires should definitely be packing heat in the locker room. These things just happen...especially when The Drums' Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham lace up their sneaks to play Hipster Olympian (this again) in Brooklyn's McCarren Park. Here the band compete in a Track and Field extravaganza, come to blows, and eventually feel pretty stupid in the end. Wonder what Gilbert Arenas would have done (WWGD?)

Letting Up Despite Great Faults is unfocused electro-pop with a touch of sentimentality, so it is definitely treading in the territory of derivative work. But one of the things I like about this band is that the various influences coalesce more than they step on each others toes, and instead of sounding like a rip-off, throughout the record, they develop a style of their own.

Fun of the day: This MP3 made the rounds earlier in the week... it's a clip from Dirty Projectors front man David Longstreth, early on in his weird music writing career. Take a peek at his stylistic interpretation of doo-wop infused boy-banding, as it was called (perhaps a little erroneously).

Real Estate and Woods are co-headlining a tour. This is exciting for those of us that like music. Please keep any and all "purchasing of woodland properties to build condos" jokes to yourself (because there is nothing funny about tearing down our trees for mini-malls! I should know, I just tried).

The four boys from Liverpool Columbia (sorry) have announced some new tour dates in support of Contra. Can't wait for Tuesday? Good news, bloody-sundays (new unofficial nickname for VW fans, probably): the entire album is streaming online for free! Popped collar not included.

2010 sounds like a scary year. Especially for us grandpas who lived in the 1900s and remember how people thought the 90s didn't have any defining characteristics. Remember Y2K? And CD players in cars? Luckily now that our brains control the internet and television is extinct, we can move on with our telekinetic work days and raise our android children in peace on Neptune.

Lissie Maurus (though you can call her by her first name) hails from a place where the dirt between your toes is a mighty good thing. It builds character after all, symbolizes hard work, diligence, and the right kind of outlook in life. Rock Island IL; a tiny outcrop on the edge of the state, sharing a border with the mighty Mississippi. And though the sandy haired singer now calls the mountains of Ojai California home, the music of her Fat Possum debut Why You Runnin' channels a born and raised in the mid-west kind of mystique as it rolls through it's 5 jaw dropping tracks.

We're knocking our New Year off right, opening the doors of our comfy Guest Apartment up to Lissie, guitarist Eric Sullivan, and bass player Lewis Keller. Here, over three songs that careen a course of full-bodied rock and roll, sun-drenched country folk, and a little Southern Soul neatly tucked away in the folds, the trio awaken the sleepy spirit of Emmy Lou Harris, Loretta Lynn, and Neko Case as they perform. So shack on up with Lissie. Let she and her band glide you down the mighty Mississippi ("Oh Mississippi"), tell a lamentable tale of the nuptials that will never be ("Wedding Bells"), and shake the apartment planks with a thrilling sing along ("Little Lovin'"). "Why you running?" It's a question Lissie likes to ask with her music. We're guessing it's to keep up with she and her band. They're going places in 2010...fast!

Though Lissie Maurus originally intended her music to be a cathartic release of feeling and emotion, the soulful singer's songs would soon become something folks wanted to hang on to. So she built some performance momentum, recorded a fantastic EP, and here we are today...talking to her, Eric Sullivan, and Lewis Keller in this exclusive interview with Baeble.

The Knux are reminiscent of The Cool Kids, not in sound or aesthetic, but in the feeling they elicit upon first listen. It is not often a rock critic gets excited about hip-hop. But these guys have a serious handle on their beats, and are more than anything else, a fun listen.

Full disclosure: I have not listened to any Longwave extensively enough to make comparisons. However, that said, I can detach singer/songwriter/guitarist Steve Schiltz from his prior work and take an isolated look at Hurricane Bells; his once-secret solo project. We had Schiltz in the Guest Apartment, and his zeal for documenting his exploits suggested he is a guy who just likes what he is doing, and wants to share it with everyone. When he inexplicably showed up on the New Moon OST, it got my attention; Hurricane Bells was the only name on the soundtrack I didn't recognize, among a collection of favorites (Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear and St. Vincent, BRMC, Thom Yorke, etc). And I really enjoyed his contribution. Unfortunately for fans like me, the album is much more subdued and mellowed than the upbeat, electrified "Monster."

And someone noticed: the top ten albums left out of P4K's top fifty. I don't agree with all of them, necessarily, but hooray for Deadweather, because that album ruled all of our faces. [via Flavorwire]

One of the more inventive, not to mention beautifully conceived video's we've stumbled across in recent weeks, Chris Garneau sets the skittish vocal lines and bending/bowing piano plunks of "Fireflies" to an epic video treatment. Here, our hero whisks across a wild and mysterious landscapes, challenging devious characters presumably in order to beget himself a mystical trinket (I think?) for his queen. She does not approve (again, I think...).

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon has been killing it in the music department, not to mention their use of The Roots as a house band (amazing). Now they are starting the New Year off with one of our favorite duos, Vancouver's Japandroids. The band's album Post-Nothing is really great, and we totally filmed them at Piano's because of it. And of course, they killed it! Check out "Wet Hair" after the jump.

From the world of Newspapers: Today the city rag published a list of five artists they think will blow up in 2010, and like most of their hard news and entertainment, its a pile of steaming sh*t nonsense. The only thing ready to pop is the NY Post's credibility. Let's have some fun debunking their mad theories.

The ability of DJ Earworm to combine an entire year in pop music into one track is NOT a good sign. [mp3: United States Of Pop: 2009]

A man at the crossroads: it's an oh so common theme to music of a Southern distinction. But what awaits on the other side? What kind of push and pull does a choice bring with it, after it's been made? It's a question that lies at the heart of the personal narratives that inhabit Andrew Bryant's fifth release, Galilee.

P4K has the scoop on a set of dates from everyone's favorite elven folk singer.

It's no accident that the music of Woodpigeon encourages the mind to trace its' fondest recollections as it plays through. Leading man Mark Andrew designed it that way. Woodpigeon's upcoming release Die Stadt Muzikanten is itself the product of sentimentality; in this case, the lives of Andrew's grandparents.

They were quoted as saying they are making big moves with this one, and as P4K so appropriately put it: "Good things happen when this band makes big moves." [via Pitchfork]

The roots of Timber Timbre dig in to a somewhat familiar sounding back-story. Similar to the circumstances that spawned Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago, Kirk's recording career began somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. "A few years ago I experienced something that might be described as a breakdown," explains Kirk, "retreating to a cabin in the woods to help work for some family friends. I ended up spending my nights recording a collection of songs called Timber Timbre, Cedar Shakes."

Spencer Krug (aka Moonface) delivers a twenty-minute dreamland full of marimba and drums (as the title would suggest, although far from "sh*t"). Fans of Krug's work (in all of its various incarnations) will no doubt enjoy the trippy, fanciful journey crafted on marimba, which despite being one long track, travels from several different motifs and variations on the initial theme.

The first full week of 2010 promises to be everything we thought: full of sobriety, recession reunions, and newly minted gym memberships. Us? No, we're not going to start lifting weights or taking step classes (what are we, your mom?). We're excited to be back in the Baeble house, listening to our favorite songs and delivering our favorite puns to your figurative doorstep, wherever it happens to be turned on (get it? Computers). But first, lets take a look at the first weekend of the year and what happened.

Copper colored crops rust in the death heat of a relentless, summer horror. A light mist rises from the face of the once, good earth...its' fog like the smoking remains of something that once was, but never shall be. It's a depression...a dust bowl; people's lives have all dried up, and there they sit on the knife's edge waiting for a new beginning, an end, or whatever shall be.

2010 is the year that everyone who wears button up sweaters and chucks will replace their heads with rear view mirrors and handle bars. Thanks Vespa-sponsored street art!
Hey guys! Its been an interesting year of playing Scrabble and filming concerts here at Baeble (mostly concerts), but 2010 promises to be all kinds of exciting! Like stopping the playing of Scrabble! Maybe we'll play our Star Wars Monopoly. Or tons of exciting concert prospects! I don't want to be a gossip, so I'll just say our latest concert proposals have to do with blood, kind of probably.