When it comes to new releases, it’s not exactly raining donuts this week, but there are a few tasty treats out now for you to consume.

Besides The Simpsons Movie soundtrack, available now in drool-inducing Limited Edition Donut Packaging, you can finally get the domestic release of the debut by Mercury Prize nominated Bat for Lashes, the solo project of Brighton-based songwriter Natasha Khan.

You can also pick up the Kanye West-produced new album by Common, a video game soundtrack by Z-Trip, a debut from brash Glaswegian guitar rockers 1990s, the seventh full-length from Josh Rouse, and an album of covers by Shivaree, who choose love songs from “tainted” sources like Phil Spector, Rick James, and Michael Jackson. You also get an EP from Simian Mobile Disco to tide you over until their UK-released Attack Decay Sustain Release gets served up in the States.

Here are a few non-craptacular songs for you to sample:

1990s - You’re Supposed to be My Friend (MP3)

Bat for Lashes - Horse & I (MP3)

Josh Rouse - Hollywood Bassplayer (MP3)

Simian Mobile Disco - 3 Pin Dim (MP3)

Z-Trip - Doin’ It Like This (MP3)

From Bloodshot’s Old Town School Of Folk Music Song Book, Vol. 2 & 3, here is Nora O’Connor’s rendition of “Home On The Range”

Nora O’Connor - Home On The Range (MP3)

Finally, here’s Common performing “The People,” live on Leno last week:

photo from MySpace

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Midday Show host Cheryl Waters, is Walk the Line by The Tallest Man on Earth from the self-titled EP on Gravitation Records.

The Tallest Man on Earth - Walk the Line (MP3)It is hard to believe such an authentic representation of acoustic-folk and Americana can come from an unknown out of Dalarna, Sweden. Performing under the moniker The Tallest Man on Earth, Kristian Matsson gets his inspiration from the likes of Bob Dylan, Son House, and Charley Patton. His voice is course, yet sure of itself, and the instrumentation follows suit. This five-song EP, clocking in at about fifteen minutes, is something perhaps even Dylan, in all his cynicism about modern recording, can appreciate. Interestingly, every photo you see of Matsson shows him obscured or reaching beyond the picture’s border, most often with his head lopped off. Maintaining the mystery, The Tallest Man on Earth reveals very little of himself on his MySpace page, except cryptic messages like this recent post from last week: “Goodbye Internet, hello mountains. Back in august.”

For more sightings of this mythic woodland creature, check out this video for “It Will Follow the Rain”:

John Vanderslice at the Capitol Hill Block Party 7/28/07
photo by Gregory A. Perez

All in all, the Capitol Hill Block Party was a huge success, pulling in appreciative crowds of all ages. For excellent coverage of the event, check here on the KEXP Blog for our own reviews and also over at Three Imaginary Girls, who posted frequently throughout the festival, as did the The Stranger, sponsors of the festival’s website, where you can find culturally fulfilling reviews and videos, like this one clip of a dude diving through a stack of beer cups:

Our own talented Photography Coordinator Greg Perez was on the scene, shooting bands, the crowd, and some guy in a fuzzy green suit. Check out his excellent photographs:

Day One:

Day Two:

This morning, John Vanderslice, who performed a fantastic set at the Block Party, joins John Richards on the Morning Show at 9:30 am. Later, live at noon with Cheryl Waters, the young Irish songwriter Fionn Regan, whose debut The End of History has been getting regular airplay on KEXP lately, will be stopping by to perform. Tonight, he’ll play a free in-store performance at the Ballard Sonic Boom at 6 pm before heading over to The Sunset later on.

If you love the twang, tune in Wednesday at noon for Jason Isbell, former member of the Drive-By Truckers, and on Friday at 6 pm for Austin’s honky tonk hero Dale Watson live on Shake the Shack.

Then on Saturday, you’ll get a double-dose of indie rock during the day with tourmates Bishop Allen and Page France, at 12 pm and 3 pm respectively.

At night, live on Audioasis, you can hear Carrie Biell and Emilia Sosa as they perform our next installment of the Live @ High Dive benefit series. All proceeds go to Powerful Voices.

Block Party crowd surfing
photo by Gregory A. Perez

written by Eric Mahollitz

While Day One of the Capitol Hill Block Party got off to a slow start, it didn’t take long for the throngs to fill the streets with their dancing shoes, tallboys, and good vibes. I arrived a little late myself having to work but appreciatively showed up in time to see The Shackeltons, a rowdy quintet from Chambersburg, PA, known for their blistering live shows. The rumors proved true; Mark Redding (vocals) danced maniacally around stage, peppering the crowd with sweat and water from his hair. At one point he produced a telephone from somewhere on stage, began singing into it and twirling it recklessly, wrapping it around his arm. Perhaps it was still too early in the day, but the crowd unfortunately appeared a little too sun-drenched to give much signal of their appreciation.

Matt & Kim
photo by Gregory A. Perez

Following The Shackeltons’ set, I headed back into the sun to see Brooklyn duo Matt and Kim on the Mainstage. After Matt, the very upbeat spokesman of the duo, warned the audience that he had a number of Pabst before taking the stage, he (on keyboards/synths) and Kim (on percussion) sauntered through their highly regarded dance-punk numbers, taking time to talk of baseball, Harry Potter, and stories from the road in between each cut. At one point, Matt took his shirt off, being sure to comment on his pit stains and then turning it into a don’t care what anyone else thinks speech. Their unpretentiousness and nerdiness were irresistible and welcome during the warmest time of day. Read their post-show review of the crowd, and their pre-show travails at The Stranger’s Line Out.

Geologic of Blue Scholars
photo by Gregory A. Perez

Though I wasn’t outside during the Silversun Pickups show, I can’t imagine the streets any more packed than they were for Blue Scholars. Geologic and Sabzi have spent the last few years playing countless shows in and around Seattle, and the size of their crowd at the Block Party was proof that it has paid off. Throwing in samples of Green Day and Peter, Bjorn and John, Blue Scholars delivered crowd favorites along with material from the breakthrough new album Bayani. The hand-waving, sing-along crowd was more than content with their place in time; besides, going anywhere else was not an option (10 minutes to walk 1 1/2 blocks).

Anita of Viva Voce
photo by Gregory A. Perez

Around 8:45pm, 45 minutes into Blue Scholars, I decided to head back inside for Viva Voce and for fear of what so many people experienced, missing Girl Talk (I’ll discuss this more later). Viva Voce, a husband and wife duo from Portland, turned out to be the most impressive band of the day to that point. Even though the body heat was starting to mount in Neumo’s and the ground floor bathrooms smelled like a monkey house, people packed it in for an hour of melodic and often dark psychedelia with more layers than most three-piece bands can deliver. Festivals oftentimes become experimental grounds for musicians; Viva Voce debuted two songs during their set, both continue in the vein of Get Yr Blood Sucked Out and both received heavy applause.

Judas and Gatsby of Cancer Rising
photo by Gregory A. Perez

Cancer Rising followed Viva Voce, bringing the Blue Scholars vibe indoors, where those freshly beaten by the sun were in need of relief. (I caught one woman reading the latest Harry Potter book sitting in a chair towards the back.) It was a tough time slot to fill with the Silversun Pickups playing simultaneously outside. Nevertheless, even in the face of technical difficulties, the trio of Gatsby, Judas, and DJ TilesOne delivered their rock and soul flavored hip-hop with tenacity.

Venturing out to the beer garden for the then cool breeze and a much needed chair was like entering an alternate universe. For lack of non-Miller products, I never roamed far from the Neumo’s beer garden, where open seats were rare, but the thought of the abounding well-dressed hipsters occupying my spot during Girl Talk forced me back into the sweatbox.

Marissa of The Trucks
photo by Jim Beckmann

Back inside, I had no idea what to expect from the next group, Bellingham’s The Trucks, an all-female quartet who inject their fun electro-punk sound with all sorts of sass. The lead singer, who apparently likes to flash her removable front teeth, danced spastically around the stage in classic Mick Jagger fashion while she and the rest of the band enlivened the fans, who were now tired, hot, and in turn, irritable.

Greg Gillis (aka Girl Talk)
photo by Jim Beckmann

Finally, the long-awaited and most controversial portion of the evening came — Girl Talk aka Gregg Gillis took the stage. The entire time I was Neumo’s, I positioned myself an equal distance from both doors, allowing for maximum air flow while staying away from all of the through traffic. This spot gave me a great vantage point of the line outside that gradually got bigger and bigger and rarely moved. The Stranger, one of the events sponsors and host to the event’s official website, has already received several complaints against the event’s organization. Needless to say, at that point in the day, with all the ingested beer and vitamin D, the crowd inside got a bit rowdy.

Gillis’ set began with approximately 40-50 people joining him on stage, as is typical at his shows. While something like that could not have been unplanned, security was a problem. Eventually the number of people on stage dwindled as the show went on, though not all were kicked off until towards the very end and only after several stage-dives, once by Gillis himself, and crowd-surfing on stage and off. It seemed impossible that these shenanigans didn’t result in more sound problems than they did. Gillis added several new jams to his previously stellar array of mash-ups, including a remix of Peter, Bjorn and John’s Let’s Call It Off, making PB&J and Harry Potter the most recurring references throughout the day. Sadly, all things must end, and in this case, it ended quickly with security and local police clearing the place with determination, surely with the thought of preparing for Day Two fresh in their minds.

Sam Beam at Sasquatch 2006
photo by Gregory A. Perez

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Midday Show host Cheryl Waters, is Boy With a Coin by Iron & Wine from the forthcoming album The Shepherd’s Dog on Sub Pop.

Iron & Wine - Boy With a Coin (MP3)Ever since 2002’s The Creek Drank the Cradle, Sam Beam has slowly added instrumentation and subtle layers to his lo-fi lullabies. The Boy With a Coin (CD Single), containing the two non-album tracks Carried Home and Kingdom of the Animals, shows Beam getting comfortable amidst those layers, carrying on the full-band sound of the In the Reins album and the Woman King EP. Beam seems to have an endless supply of undeniable melodies and great lyricism, now with production quality that’s sure to deliver his biggest audience yet for the upcoming record. Though technical difficulties abounded, Iron & Wine performed lots of new material to a rousing audience at this year’s Pitchfork Festival, closing out the set with a much talked about encore performance of Radiohead’s No Surprises.While Iron & Wine are mainly slated for UK dates thus far, The Shepherd’s Dog will definitely warrant a full-fledged U.S. jaunt. Check out the I&W website and MySpace page for streams and information. Here’s a live performance of “The Trapeze Swinger,” a song beam did for the movie In Good Company:

Matt and Kim, Siren Music Festival, Coney Island 7/21/07
photo by heartonastick

Last night we imaginary girls attended a Yacht Rock party (a benefit for People for Puget Sound) which raised a bunch of funds for the cause – and woah boy, did folks come out in full force with their Yacht attire and dance moves! Among the dozen of local bands performing, Tim Seely stunned the audience with his spot-on Steely Dan, Megasapien had us near tears with a tender rocking rendition of “Open Arms,” and no fewer than three bands covered Christopher Cross: Cantona with “Arthur’s Theme,” the Dudley Manlove Quartet had to “Ride Like the Wind,” and the Leisure Suits – featuring members of Central Services and Math & Physics Club – dazzled us all with their version of “Sailing.” So smooth and awesome!

It was the perfect early start to the weekend of indie rock (we had to get our guilty pleasure rocks out of the way first). Now our attentions focus on the Capitol Hill Block Party weekend!

There’s a ton of bands/reasons to get your tickets in hand ASAP, but we’re most excited for local heroes Blue Scholars and New York cute lovebird rockers Matt and Kim tonight (Friday, 7/27)!

Matt and Kim, Main Stage at 5.15p
Back in June, Matt and Kim were scheduled to grace the Neumo’s stage for a Noise for the Needy benefit show, but had to cancel at the last minute. igLiz’s internet research still haven’t come up to the reason (unfortunately they don’t report that kind of stuff in People Magazine), but all this lack of Matt and Kim-ness has gotten her all wound up with excitement to watch them perform lo-fi, over caffeinated, punchy songs from their self-titled debut album… all of which have been igLiz’s favorite at one time or another.

Blue Scholars, Main Stage at 8p
Seattle’s favorite hip hop duo, Blue Scholars play as the sun begins to set on the Main Stage. They layer catchy beats with smart, political lyrics for a powerful blend of music you can feel good about dancing to. Their newest album, Bayani has received great reviews nationwide so make sure to catch them in their hometown before the majority of their time is spent touring around the globe.

And if heading up to Capitol Hill just isn’t in your cards, head over to Queen Anne for some free Arthur and Yu action! The first band signed to Sub Pop spin-off label Hardly Art will play a free, all-ages in-store at Easy Street Queen Anne. While this is a terribly packed weekend for live music, it must be noted that this Hazelwood/Sinatra slash Dean/Britta-esque local duo will be playing their only all-ages show of the summer.

Rock the block around the clock,
three imaginary girls

High iPod rotation:
Bishop Allen
Interpol
Dizzee Rascal

(Three Imaginary Girls is a Seattle-based website that showcases the great music of the Northwest and beyond to music lovers worldwide. We post a Settle live show calendar to help you fill your day-planner with loads of great shows, as well as record reviews, live show reviews, and an imagi-blog to entertain you throughout the day.)

Bruce Foxton is From The Jam, The Crypt 5/5/07
photo by David Wala

While everybody else in Seattle is at the Capitol Hill Block Party, fighting the crowds to see great bands Spoon, Silversun Pickups and Girl Talk, we can have a quiet moment together, nice and intimate. Now that it’s just us — you, me, and some of your favorite bands:

Karen O spoke with the Associated Press recently, as she made the rounds to promote Is Is, the latest EP from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and quelled a few rumors that had been circulating. Is the band working on new material? Only “here and there.” Any strife within the band lately? “There’s so much trauma, when you get that kind of popularity all of a sudden.” Will you appear in Playboy, as they’ve requested? “Never never ever.” Read more here.

And Karen O isn’t kidding about the sexual vibe she and the band are throwing these days, as you can see in this new video for “Rockers to Swallow”:

The visa-troubled M.I.A. gabbed with New Now Next about her popularity in the gay community, the challenges of performing as a woman, and her pleasure at seeing a group of Jamaicans (not known to be friends of Dorothy) sing about “Boyz.” The Sri Lankan rapper revealed the details that caused the end of her last relationship with a person who told her, “The worst thing about you is that you make music…” and who asked her to “give up everything.” (We assume she’s referring to Diplo, with whom she’s been linked romantically.) Rather than “surrender [her] life for love,” as she says her mother did, M.I.A. moved forward instead with Kia, her second album, due next month. Check out the full interview for more. (Thanks to The Music Slut for the heads up on this one.)

Here’s behind the scenes clip of the filming of “Boyz”:

Our friends over at Rock Sellout have an exclusive interview with The Jam’s bassist Bruce Foxton, who is currently touring with former bandmate Rick Buckler as “From The Jam” (that’s two-thirds of the original group). Foxton discusses The Jam revival, has own band Casbah Club, and meeting estranged Jam frontman Paul Weller backstage at a concert. While Weller’s split from the band was complete, Foxton and Buckler kept in touch sporadically over the years. Says Foxton, “All Rick and myself ever wanted was, when you’re in a band with your mates for 6 or 7 years you just want to keep in touch now-and-again.” The meeting with Weller seemed positive, but he has yet to comment on (forget about join) the reconstituted band, who is currently helmed by Russell Hastings, who previously performed with Buckler in a Jam tribute band called The Gift. While the reformation seems a possible recipe for disaster, reaction has proved otherwise. Fans have packed and sold out all of the band’s gigs so far. Foxton admits that at first “We just didn’t know if we’d cut it,” but then adds, “we delivered in the end, so it was all very good.” For more about the future of the band, their plans to tour America, and the possibility of new material, read the full interview.

Want to know what it’s like to be Keith Richards (and who wouldn’t)? Bidding is open for crib notes on the aging rocker’s life. Apparently, at least two publishers believe there’s enough still stored in Richards’ memory cells to offer over $7 million in advanced fees. The New York Post reports that HarperCollins and Little Brown are still in the running. Previously, in the 80’s, the Stones guitarist was offered $1.5 million for his story, but he returned the sum, claiming that he couldn’t recall enough details. What’s changed now? Not much, but since Richards already defies many laws of science, perhaps he actually remembers more with age.

We’ll leave you to cuddle up with The Horrors, who meet the DL’s Sara at the NYC curiosity shop Obscura Antiques:

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Architecture in Helsinki at La Flèche d’Or, Paris 5/24/07
photo by gabyu

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is Heart it Races (Trizzy’s Rusty Tin Can Mix) by Architecture in Helsinki, available on the Heart It Races EP on Polyvinyl.

Architecture in Helsinki - Heart it Races [Trizzy's Rusty Tin Can Mix] (MP3)Those of you who have been following this band for a while probably never picked them to be targets of heavy remixing. This song alone has gone through several remixes from the Polyvinyl CD-Single Heart It Races and the blogosphere. Judging by the rest of their forthcoming album, Places Like This, streaming in its entirety on their MySpace page, remixers will be feasting for months. For a little more information about the band, check out last week’s feature of the DJ Rupture remix. Currently playing one sold-out show after another in Australia, AiH are set to invade Western Europe through the end of September. As the band’s website is currently under construction, keep checking their MySpace page for tour updates, dare I say more remixes, and don’t forget to pick up the new record hitting U.S. stores 8/21. Here’s a video of AiH taking it to the streets for another amazing session of LaBlogotheque:

Girl Talk will make Seattle groove on Friday night
photo by Tom Purves

The Capitol Hill Block Party is what’s happening this weekend! Consult your schedule, pack your sunscreen (remember, severe sunburn can occur even with overcast skies!), and head up to the Hill to catch an incredible lineup of local and national performers like Silversun Pickups, Spoon, John Vanderslice, Aesop Rock, Girl Talk, Blue Scholars, The Cave Singers, and so many others.

During the Block Party, KEXP will be broadcasting from Neumo’s, which if you’re over 21 and and have a Block Party wristband, you’ll be able to check out — assuming it’s not full to capacity! Get there early if there’s something you want to see.

Here’s the live broadcast schedule for Friday:

Siberian Friday July 27, 3:30pm
The Shackeltons Friday July 27, 4:00pm
The Blakes Friday July 27, 5:00pm
Viva Voce Friday July 27, 9:00pm
Cancer Rising Friday July 27, 10:00pm
The Trucks Friday July 27, 11:00pm
Girl Talk Saturday July 28, 12:00am (that’s still Friday night, yo!)

and for Saturday:

Sunday Night Blackout Saturday July 28, 2:30pm
The Whore Moans Saturday July 28, 3:00pm
Sean Na Na Saturday July 28, 4:30pm
Gabriel Teodros Saturday July 28, 5:30pm
The Cave Singers Saturday July 28, 6:30pm
Grand Archives Saturday July 28, 7:30pm
The Intelligence Saturday July 28, 9:00pm
The Girls Saturday July 28, 10:00pm

If you’re still undecided on exactly which bands to see, check out The Stranger’s Line Out, where you can find a whole slew of “Band of the Day” features with more information, songs, and videos, including an self-interview by Kaz Nomura of PWRFL POWER, the winner of The Stranger’s “Block Star” contest. Yes, he asks and answers his own questions.

PWRFL POWER- It’s Okay (MP3)

Okay, we have to share this video with you, which we’ve watched repeatedly since finding it on Line Out. You’ll find yourself mesmerized as you watch Keepon the robot dance to Spoon’s “I Turn My Camera On”:

Other local blogs have been full of Block Party related stories, like Sound on the Sound, who are currently featuring a two part interview with Marissa of The Trucks. I assume they’ll have some great coverage afterwards as well.

The Trucks - 3am (MP3)Want to avoid the Block Party crowds? There are a lot of other great shows going on around town. Friday brings you Spanish for 100 at the Comet Tavern, The Swains at the Little Red Hen, Ryan Adams at the Moore Theater, The Little Penguins at the Rendezvous, Llama at the Tractor, and a Loveless Records showcase at High Dive. On Saturday, you can catch Moxie Motive, who performed this morning live on KEXP, at Jules Maes Saloon, Sean Smith at the Sunset, Willard Grant Conspiracy at the Tractor, Das Llamas at the Comet, and Hank III at El Corazon. So many decisions it kind of makes you not want to go out at all, but that would be crazy!

Spanish for 100 - Attack! (MP3)

Llama - Alright (MP3)

Moxie Motive - I Think You Are (MP3)

Willard Grant Conspiracy - Lady of the Snowline (MP3)

The Little Penguins - go to their MySpace page to download three songs!

In the mood for the smooth sounds of Hall & Oats, Kenny Loggins, and the Little River Band? Who’s not, right? Well, tonight you’re in luck. Break out the curling iron, don your favorite patterned shirt, and head on over to Neumos for the Three Imaginary Girls sponsored Yacht Rock for Puget Sound, where you can watch The Dudley Manlove Quartet, The Heavy Hearts, Tim Seely, The Dusty 45s, and many others breeze through your 80’s favorites. The performance benefits People for Puget Sound, and tickets are only $8 ($7 if you dress in Yacht Rock attire). Be there and be square!

If you’re still in one piece after all that, you have the Decibel Festival to look forward to in September. The official lineup was announced yesterday, and it is huge! Simian Mobile Disco, Diplo, Motor, Harold Budd & Robin Guthrie, Guns N Bombs, and the list goes on! There are a limited number of discounted passes for $75 on sale now. After August 15, the price goes up, and you will still be able to buy tickets to individual showcases.

Simian Mobile Disco - I Believe (MP3)

Diplo - Summer’s Gonna Hurt You (MP3)

Motor - Bleep #1 (MP3)

Chromeo - Fancy Footwork [Guns N Bombs remix] (MP3)

Now get out there and dance!

photo from MySpace 

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is Fledermaus Can’t Get It by Von Südenfed from the 2007 album Tromatic Reflexxions on Domino.

Von Südenfed - Fledermaus Can’t Get It (MP3)In 2005, Mark E. Smith, vocalist of the band The Fall, lent vocals to German duo Mouse on Mars‘ Wipe that Sound. While the song didn’t grab that many people’s attention, it obviously had an impact on these three boundary breakers; three years later they record a full-length album including a reworked and retitled version of their first collaboration, appearing now as That Song Wiped. In order to escape sounding like yet another incarnation of The Fall or like a Mouse on Mars project with vocals, Tromatic Reflexxions was created for the dance floor. By tightening the reins on MoM’s sound and funking up The Fall, Von Sudenfed takes on a unique sound of its own, guilty only by association and not repetition.Only a few shows are slated for August and September in Europe, but these won’t mark the end for Von Sudenfed; talks are already in progress concerning the second album. Check out their MySpace page for some very exciting tracks. Meanwhile, here’s the must-see video everyone’s been talking about: