We’ve liked the Minneapolis-born band, Tapes n’ Tapes, ever since their urgency-riddled debut album, “Loon,” in 2007.  Though not favored by the critics, we also enjoyed their Dave Fridmann-produced sophomore album, “Walk It Off.” And earlier this year the band released it’s third album, the return-to-full-form “Outside,” which includes three song-subjects performed by the band on a just-released Sleepover Show out of Boston.

First check out the great, driving first single off of Outside, Freak Out, followed by One in the World.  Then check out the footstomping acoustic-shuffle delivery of SWM (following the song lyrics).  We like how the lyrical despair in  SWM cuts against the grain of the ostensibly upbeat music.

“Give me all your money
and give me all your friends
I’ll be your saviour

And when your heart is aching
and I’ll be your bitter end
Those thoughts of mine
Those thoughts of mine

And when you pull up to the old time table
And you start to see
that you’re unable
I’m alone
You are alone

Now we’re in the middle
Awaken till the end
I’ll be alone most of the time
You’ll be alone most of the time

And when you find your body aching
I’ll be your bitter end
Time to ache, time to hold her
And bottle up your soda

When you’re walking, walking, walking, walking
I’ll be on my knees,
And when you’re talking, talking, talking, talking
Your words are a disease
I’ll be alone
I’ll be alone

In the middle I’ll hold you tight
You’ve been going out every night
I’ve been holding your savings tight

You called me out
I’m not so sure
You’ve been here before
And when you hold
-my hand
I’ll walk you out
i’ll have you over

Don’t meet me in the middle
I am not a friend
You called me up
You called me out
and so, so, so, so, sure that

You are not a level
You’re not innocent
You called me up
and called me out
and so, so, so, so, so, sure that

You are alone
You are alone
You are alone
You are alone
You are alone
You are alone”

It’s Sunday and so we went seeking some congregant singalongs.  And we discovered Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men courtesy of KEXP‘s October visit to Iceland for the Iceland Airwaves ’11.  Of Monsters and Men are a six piece indie/folk band that already has had success with their song, Little Talks, following KEXP’s recording of it during last year’s Iceland Airwaves. This September the band released their first album, “My Head is an Animal.”

Check out Of Monsters and Men reprising their Little Talks performance, along with added songs Lakehouse, Love Love Love, and Six Weeks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNE8jUVboT4

Flavorwire has offered up “The Cultural Omnivore’s Guide to Classical Music.”  Having laid around in the ’60s listening to our father’s Tchaikovsky, Grieg, and Rachmaninoff, and then spending portions of the next four decades familiarizing ourselves with every genre and facet of classical music (and opera), we laud this post and effort (minor quarrel: no prog-rock-n’-rolling Stravinsky or Janacek at Step 3, dear Flavorizers?).

While we appreciate Flavorwire’s effort (and many others’ efforts–notably Alex Ross’s “The Rest is Noise” blog), we’re not sure how we feel about various classical ensembles (and individuals) “covering” modern music.  We have a hard time determining whether or not this activity is a waste of talented musicians’ and listeners’ time or a worthy exercise in the effort to bring new listeners to classical music, or somewhere in between or outside that spectrum.

To gauge your reaction, check out the Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra (pictured above) performing Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit below and let us know what you think.  Other examples of this genre are Vitamin String Quartet.  You can check out their take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah after the Jingle Punks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2pAnF1o_JY

War on Drugs wages our kind of musical war and has renewed their campaign in earnest with the recent release of new album, “Slave Ambient,” on the strong and not-so-secret label, Secretly Canadian.  Philadelphia’s Adam Granduciel, Dave Hartley, Robbie Bennett and Steven Urgo create an engagingly updated Byrds-meets-Dylan-in-Petty’s-dressing-room-in-2011 sound that you oft-times don’t want to end.  And that hypnotic jangle is the value that War on Drugs has added to the influences, and which has quickly become our drug of choice.

Check out a few great examples below.  First up is the hypno-jangle of Brothers as performed for The L Magazine.  After hearing this song and Granduciel’s vocals you won’t be surprised to learn that Kurt Vile used to be in the band (until 2008) before heading out on his own.  The second video is, Best Night, the opening track off of “Slave Ambient” (as performed for L Magazine–you can skip past some interview bits and “favorite pedal” discussion to Best Night at 4:00).  The next video is a driving acoustic version of that same song (Best Night) as performed on KDHX in St. Louis.  And finally check out the official video for the song, Come to the City, which Secretly Canadian calls “the sprawling centerpiece” to the new album.

War on Drugs are supposed to be addicting live and will be touring next March with the sublime Sarah Van Etten.  They’ll play the following West Coast dates:

03/20/12 Los Angeles, CA – The Avalon w/ Sharon Van Etten
03/21/12 San Francisco, CA – The Independent w/ Sharon Van Etten
03/23/12 Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre w/ Sharon Van Etten
03/24/12 Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore Cabaret w/ Sharon Van Etten 

Prior to their stirring set at Soho last Sunday, the Fruit Bats appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Studio Sessions.” Check out their performance of three songs off of their new album, “Tripper,” and one from their masterpiece, “The Ruminant Band.” Check out the vivacious videography and sounds below.

You’re Too Weird:

Tony the Tripper:

So Long:

Feather Bed:

There are frankly not many music blogs that consistently impress with their combined writing and music standards.  Said the Gramophone is the one blog by which we are consistently humbled.  We feel compelled to sing their praises in particular today given their recent post entitled, “The Answer to Our Current Crisis,“ which you can read HERE.  Between the prose and the pros of the offered song (Adam & the Amethysts’ “Dreaming“), guaranteed uplift will ensue. Dreaming is quickly rising on our Songs of the Year list.

Check out and download Montreal’s Adam & the Amethysts‘ songs, Dreaming and Prophecy, below, and then go over to Exclaim.ca and stream the band’s impending new sophomore album, “Flickering Flashlights.” And then go HERE to buy the album.

The similarity between the Amethysts’ and Appleby’s album (below) covers is duly noted.

ADAM & THE AMETHYSTS – Dreaming by kelprecords

ADAM & THE AMETHYSTS – Prophecy by kelprecords

We discovered quintessentially-Seattle singer-songwriter Bryan John Appleby through the annual Doe Bay Festival and the varied coverage thereof.  And then we became smitten with his glorious song, Glory, which you can and should listen to below. And then go over to Bandcamp and stream and buy his great album, “Fire on the Vine,” HERE for a measly $5. That’s a serious value.

Glory’s lyrics:

“Glory, I have known you my whole life
In the morning, you come in gentle as a golden vine
Through my window, you fill up the valleys in my sheets. Glory

Glory, I have known you on a black crow night
From my rooftop, shining in the alabaster moonlight
And the rats all scratch in the attic under my feet. Glory

Glory, you are the anvil for my hardened heart
Glory, you’re the only mystery I can see
I have known you as the song that goes before me
And the only one who’ll be there when I’m gone”

And then go below and check out Appleby and band singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true in the first video at this year’s Doe Bay Festival (in the San Juan Islands), and in the second video discussing surroundings and songwriting at Appleby’s house, each as captured by Sound On The Sound.

At WXPN’s celebration of the 20th Anniversary of its World Cafe show, Brit-band Mumford & Sons joined Dawes on the latter’s anthem, When My Time Comes.  Check it out below.

One of our favorites, Joseph Arthur, was recently interviewed on BreakThru Radio’s video series “BTR Live Studio“ and performed a few songs (the mesmerizing Out On A Limb, Gypsy Faded, and Horses) from his highly-regarded recent album, “The Graduation Ceremony,” which is available through his label Lonely Astronaut Records.   Arthur sat down with BTR’s DJ Maia to talk about his new album, playing with Pearl Jam, and what it was like living in his art studio for a while. Check it out below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hur6emlJLiI

Coincidentally, Arthur also released this week the entrancing official video for song Out On a Limb. Check it below.

Lana Del Rey sure does get around.  On Monday night Lana Del Rey performed two new songs, “Born 2 Die” and “China Doll” at the Nouveau Casino in Paris.  More positive semaphores for her first album.  Check ’em out below.