Music Under Fire

Well what did you think of their song tuned to that Twilight film? Surely its is no traditional Mute Math song we became so accoustomed to listening to in the years leading up to their newest album (which has not yet been revealed). One thing is for sure is that when the video does justice to the group its worth a post here on MUF.

The video features what Mute Math is best at: Energetice performances (and quite possibly travelling too). Who says you can't perform in the back of a van? And even furthermore, why not cram a whole piano back there? The video itself is amusing enough, as not only does the group appear to be moving quite a bit, but we're seeing another time-elapsed film that took a good deal of filming. This most likely led to twice the amount of film it actually needed to create this video, which means much more pestering with that rolling-around kick drum shown here.

MP3: Mute Math - Control (buy)

For more Mute Math updates visit their MySpace page or their Official page as well.

Video: Mute Math - Spotlight

Death Cab For Cutie's latest video for one of their most beloved tranquil tracks "Grapevine Fires" has made yet another one of our favorite videos thus far this year.

What captured our attention is the lost art of using 2-D used by director Walter Robot (also directed Gnarls Barkley). With game systems of the past long gone and 3-D technology in movie theatres on the rise, the use of 2-D is scarcely used anymore, but brilliant when combined with the hand-drawn words and characters shown here.

The storyline itself tells of burning pastures, which are undoubtedly referring to the ones in the Western US in the summertime. With the ranch-style houses (pictured in the video) and warm climates that make these brushfires so easy to spark up, their song hits an important issue that many have struggled with; particularly those who have suffered from the fires in Australia.

MP3: Death Cab For Cutie - Grapevine Fires (live) (buy)

Video: Death Cab For Cutie - Grapevine Fires

2007's Girls and Boys from New York's Ingrid Michaelson is nothing you will hear in any coffeehouse or elevator from some aspiring musician. When Michaelson released this album, she was on her way to stardom, thanks to the digital media age where news such as a new video from the talented artist will reach the other side of the world faster than we can type - truly an infectious sound from the get-go.

Last October after the tremendous boom of instant fans for Michaelson, she released Be OK. Cut out of the every mushy mold for solo artists and the whetting appeal of her live show, she has continually devised music that speaks intimately at every chance. Most recently, she released her Live Session EP, which is available only on iTunes and features a cover of Radiohead's "Creep".

For more on Michaelson and her shows this year (many of which are overseas in the coming months), check out her site and/or MySpace. The just-released video for "Breakable" off of Boys and Girls is below.

Ladytron's Velocifero fell only to Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours in terms of our favorite electronica album of 2008 (#15 overall). While our attention lingered with remixes from Cut Copy, Ladytron's efforts have caught up with us once again - most notably through their video for "Tomorrow".

Flying women and jellyfish, scenes of nature and the obviously entrancing track made this a strangely soothing video that a pixelated computer screen doesn't justify.

Let us know what you think and we'll try to keep the Ladytron news coming.

This is a late post for this performance. but rightly so. We really couldn't find a video anywhere else of Mute Math's "Spotlight", which was performed on January 15th on the Jay Leno Show.

The video below isn't in great quality, but if you've been rummaging around the Internet for it, this is the best we could find. Seems NBC has their hands on YouTube deleting any reproduction of this video. No need to adjust your volume, whoever recorded this turns up the volume about 20 seconds into their shaky recording. Bear with us, this isn't great quality, but we're excited for what's next to come from the band. Neither their official website or MySpace has given much to read about since their vlog on YouTube this past year.

MP3: Mute Math - Progress (buy)

After much turkey eating yesterday, we're taking it easy today and just catching up on another one of Radiohead's contests, which had been completed as of the end of the summer. The animated video contest, which was held by Aniboom, hosted a contest letting fans of Radiohead submit their self-made animated videos for songs from their In Rainbows album. The contest itself boasted a $10,000 prize for the best video and aniBoom received more than 1000 entries, representing more than 150 cities, 40 countries and 5 continents!

Radiohead enjoyed the thousands of submissions they received, so they chose four winners, giving each enough winnings to complete the final version of each of their videos. Radiohead will be premiering the final versions of three of these videos on their MySpace page on the following dates:

- "Weird Fishes" by Tobias Stretch on November 21
- Kota Totori of Japan for "15 Step" on November 25
- Wolfgang Jaiser and Claus Winter for "Videotape" on November 28.

From their post:

Due to the extraordinary quality of the submissions, Radiohead decided to choose four winning videos, rather than a single winner, and provided the additional prize money so that each of the four creators receives $10,000 to produce their full-length video.

Snow Patrol have taken off with a bang with the release of their new album A Hundred Million Suns. Now with a few weeks under their belt getting used to the limelight once again, the band chose 'Crack The Shutters' as their second single ('Take Back The City' was their first). According to the band's MySpace page, 'Crack the Shutters' became a fan favorite during their Take Back The Cities Tour and decided to run with it given its popularity at their shows.

The single will be released in the UK on December 15th. Even more exciting is their cover of Elbow's (Guy Garvey) "One Day Like This" and the addition of an unreleased track called "Cubicles" that will be available on the single.

MP3: Elbow - Any Day Now (buy)
MP3: Snow Patrol - Run (live) (buy)

If you're looking to draw some attention to yourself and win some prizes, you can enter the band's contest and make a video about your hometown or the city you live in:

Snow Patrol are asking you to make your own video about your city. You can film anything about your city, what you do there, what makes it a great place, why you live there, anything! The best video will win the Grand Prize of New 13in Macbook & Snow Patrol Prize Pack (including a Hundred Million Suns CD, poster and Snow Patrol glow in the dark stars)! First Runner up will receive an 8GB iPod Touch & Snow Patrol Prize Pack! Second Runner up will receive an 8GB iPod Nano Chromatic & Snow Patrol Prize Pack!

How To Enter: Join the contest group on YouTube here and upload your video to the group. Then enter all your information and the URL of your video on YouTube to this registration page here.

The Radio Dept captures stiff synth beats, mixed with beautiful guitar melodies and synth keyboards wrapped up in its low-fi glory. Their sound may strike you as an 80s, Pet Shop Boys sound-a-like, and that is a huge compliment given how this threesome has grown since their beginnings in 1995 and evolved to perfect their obscure niche in the music biz. Its true: Nobody does it like they do.

After discovering their album, Pet Grief, their most talked about album, we were hooked from Day 1. Afterall, synth beats, and hard-topped ambient post-punk sound makes for quite a nice package; especially when it arrives at the door to someone who admires the 80s synths and the most simplistic, yet essential drumkit stamped onto every song.

After much return to The Radio Dept's catalogue we're heavily anticipating their latest addition, Clinging To A Scheme, which could be released literally any day now. The below exerpt was taken from their label's website and eludes to the album getting released on the Fall or Winter of 2008. Since the release of their EP back in May of this year, Freddie and the Trojan Horse, our anticipation has grown and mutated to an exitement beyond control. If you'd like to catch up with The Radio Dept., you can go to their MySpace and leave them a friendly message.

MP3: The Radio Dept - Freddie And The Trojan Horse (buy)
MP3: The Radio Dept - It's Personal (buy)

If you're looking for FREE music from Labrador or from The Radio Dept., this page on their website offers a link to download their Summer Sampler right here and the band has a link on their MySpace to a free download of their Annie Laurie EP right here.

From their label's website:

The single "Freddie and the Trojan Horse" was released in May 2008 and it's a first taste of their upcoming album ”Clinging to a scheme” due to be released in the fall/winter of 2008. The new songs are said to be influenced by minimalistic post-punk, krautrock, repetitive "motorik" beat and ambient noise.

It wouldn't be elction day with all kinds of bizarre happenings around the nation. That's why Philadelphia's own, The Donuts will be storming their way through the "city of brotherly love" performing their song "Guantanamo" at nearly every voting hub around the city. This song isn't referring to what we think it does, does it? You betcha.

Clad in their black suits, The Donuts accentuate their point, feigning their guitars like 10-pound guns, as they storm the beaches and eliminate any bad voters in sight. As you all know, Pennsylvania is a major player in this years voting once again, so we hope these guys can stir some sense into people as they hit the booths.

From the band:

The song "Guantanamo" is from our last record, "Jet Ear". The video was directed by Mark Schreiber (of Slo-Mo, John Train, the Low Road, etc) and Suzanne Penn (of the Philadelphia Art Museum). We shot it in Ocean City, New Jersey. There was a crowd of teenage girls surrounding us as we lip-synched. One of 'em had asked me, "will this be on MTV?" To which I replied: "of course!"

Low vs Diamond have been in the forefront of our listening during the course of the past few months, and as much as we love them, their latest video was a lot to watch. In fact, its tough just watching someone make out, special effects or not (great special effects), for a solid three minutes. The horrid apex of the whole video may just be the elderly couple going at it just before crumbling to pieces. Fitting that this was released around the scariest and spookiest time of year.

We get it though: "we live and we die..." Make the most out of every moment and live for what you have now. I think a great point is for us to all live by this and get out and vote tomorrow (in PA), and make what little difference you can in the elections by choosing the best candidate! Just as every election does, this will have a great impact on all of our lives.

My favorite song on their self-titled album still remains: "This Is Your Life", but "Heart Attack" is yet another great song off of this fantastic album.

Kiss the way we were goodbye
Goodbye and farewell
First we live but then we die,
Goodbye, goodbye

Since these guys may make our top bands of the year, this is worth a mention despite being a few days past. The Carson Daly Show spotlighted our favorite Aussies (sorry guys!), Cut Copy on Oct 2nd. making their premiere on US television (imagine that) performing, "Lights and Music" from their In Ghost Colours album (also on the Fifa 09 soundtrack). You wouldn't want to miss lead vocalist, Dan Whitford's sweet stash wouldn't you? We wouldn't have it any other way. If you don't know anything about this album, you may want to listen to it.

MP3: CSS - Move (Cut Copy Remix) (buy)

Video: Cut Copy - Lights and Music (live on the Carson Daly show)

Announced as of August 28th on Mute Math's official site, the band will be heading into the studio this September to record their album with producer Dennis Herring (The Hives, Elvis Costello, Counting Crows, Modest Mouse, Camper Van Beethoven, Jars of Clay). They will be recording in Herring's Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, Mississippi.

Below are a few of the bands latest videos posted within the past month, the most recent is drummer extraordinaire, Darren King, slams the drums to a connected lighting system. Also included below is a piano track played by vocalist Paul Meany. These clips are the last of their sneak peeks at their upcoming new material.

MP3: Mute Math - Without It (buy)

Video: MUTEMATH Studio Vlog: Light Drums


Video: MUTEMATH Studio Vlog: The New Producer


Video: MUTEMATH Studio Vlog: Piano Parts

All 29 are back at it again! Our favorite massive group I'm From Barcelona (who are indisputably all from Sweden), have given us all a taste of their first single "Paper Planes" from their forthcoming album Who Killed Harry Houdini? "Paper Planes" is the next in line to follow the same joyful composition that their past music followed, although this time, the Barcelonian herd fittingly themes this song to a 70's Price-Is-Right elevator muzak tune.

The video, directed by Jonas Odell (U2, Franz Ferdinand), features frontman and founder Emanuel Lundgren eating, assembling scrapbooks and all sorts of other things you could do on a 3 minute 11 second trip to the tenth floor. Of course all of this roused with the other 28 members entering and exiting the elevator all while paper airplanes consume the airspace makes this for a well done video. By all means, let's cheers this raucous group of Swedes!

According to their website, Who Killed Harry Houdini will be out on September 24th. It will be their first full length release following the release of their 2006 EP Don't Give Up on Your Dreams, Buddy! In the meantime, you can download a free track right here by entering your email address.

MP3: I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona (Adventure Kid Remix)

Official - http://www.imfrombarcelona.com/
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/imfrombarcelona

Video: I'm From Barcelona - Paper Planes

Bloc Party is back with their third album, Intimacy, which has been released via digital download on their website as of last Thursday (August 21st). They are the latest in a string of artists to take the plunge and offer their album exclusively through their website. However, unlike many other artists, Bloc Party is releasing both their album in both MP3 and CD, with the option to buy both simultaneously. The price is about $10 (5 Euros) for just the MP3s (in 320Kbps!) or for both the CD and MP3s if you're feeling ritsy for a total of about $20. 10 Euros is about $20, right? So maybe a smidge cheaper than that. Not a bad deal.

However, I'm surprised to not see Bloc Party release an LP of their latest; after all, LPs have been coming back this year. Despite all of the album sharing and torrent distribution, I see no reason why Bloc Party does not have success with Intimacy. After all, their fan base continues to blossom and even a bad album would reach some sort of acclaim. After reading a few early reviews, it seems to be this way, anyway. It seems that people who own their previous two albums, Silent Alarm and A Weekend In The City, will soon adapt and be somewhat pleased.

Below is the video for Bloc Party's first single from Intimacy, "Mercury". Although I am not a fan of the "Mercury" single, I think this video has quite an entertaining message. A bunch of alien apes string together a ridiculous looking programmable ape, one who can learn, date and become president, then take over the world. Perhaps this has always been our fear - that with the coming elections, we could vote for someone who, in the end, may be our demise. Strongly played by Bloc Party this time around, as for the single, I'm not yet sold on it.

MP3: Bloc Party - Mercury (CSS Remix) (buy)

Official - http://www.blocparty.com/
MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/blocparty

Video: Bloc Party - Mercury

Travis is back at it again after soothing their fans last year with a Boy Who Had No Name, an album witten about lead vocalist Fran Healy's newborn son. Now that they're back on track after a 4 year lull prior to 2007. Their first single will be "Something Anything" off of their own and newly established Red Telephone Box label. Even more exhillarating is that their sixth album, Ode To J. Smith, will be bouncing off the walls one month from now (September 29th).

The Ode To J. Smith tracklisting will be:
01: Chinese Blues
02: J. Smith
03: Something Anything
04: Long Way Down
05: Broken Mirror
06: Last Words
07: Quite Free
08: Get Up
09: Friends
10: Song To Self
11: Before You Were Young

Healy and Co. added that this will be their edgiest album yet, and they may just be right judging from the video below. Their first single from the album, "Something Anything" features our guitar pal (Andy Dunlop), perplexed as he stares at his trusty guitar, only to soon grow 10+ feet tall and wail on the best guitar solo I've heard from Travis to date. Who knew they were capable of such raw guitarwork?

Healy added comments about the album name in a mixblog:

"The album is called Ode to J. Smith partly giving a heads up to the key song and partly because all the songs are written about nameless characters or to nameless characters."

It seems Radiohead is always on the brink of the latest technology. Tech geek material so fresh, they're the first to use it in a music video. In Radiohead's latest singled-out song, "House Of Cards" from their mellow from the heralded In Rainbows album, the group went with a different approach to making their video. Instead of using a basic camera and lens, Radiohead resorted to two technologies in order to capture the 3D images in their video: Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR.

To put it simply, there are no real images, rather an entire video made in rainbow colors, dusted up pictures tag-teamed with Google's geniuses who are on the brink of these GI and LIDAR technologies. Again, these are not real images and no cameras were used. I'll give this video an 8.5 out of 10. Fantastic song as well as a theme that truly adheres to what In Rainbows is all about.

Making of the "House Of Cards" video:

MGMT has to be my favorite, weirdest band of the year so far. I just don't see how its possible to beat them out on the bizarre things that go on around them.

Their latest video "Electric Feel", which has the best groove out of any on the album, features ridiculousness such as that Chuck-E-Cheese bear (2:17 is the moment of zen), glowing ooze, motorcycles blowing up the moon and lots of other things that fit with this song.

Of course, all of this craziness wouldn't have happened without the Internet hype, since this video looks a little better funded than their first one, which is similar to the 3-D "Time To Pretend" video, but nowhere near as fun to watch. If you want to try and find something even weirder, check out their "Kids" video. I'm still trying to figure out the meaning behind the words in that song.

MP3: MGMT - Electric Feel (buy)

Video: MGMT - Electric Feel

Have you ever had one of those 'rainy' days where its not really raining, but you just can't shake whatever it is on your mind? Cut Copy's video of "Hearts On Fire" just about sums that up. Despite not matching the video to the song that well, its more or less interesting to see what your life would be like if you couldn't escape the rain. I mean, really... how would you listen to music while its raining all over you. Your iPod would short out, your computer would defuse itself and you would have water in your ear.

MP3: Cut Copy - Time Stands Still (buy)

Visit Cut Copy's official page/blog for more information on the band or go to their MySpace and befriend them.

Video: Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire

After clips being shown on several blogs and websites, we waited for the perfect moment when the full version of "Violet Hill's" video would be released. This is no rip-off, fake or false promotion for another band; this is the real deal.

As Coldplay's first release from Viva La Vida, their highly influenced Brian Eno-driven "Violet Hill" single boasts political messages shown throughout, especially since Coldplay released a parody on political world leaders and governmental video shots tuned to their latest single.

MP3: Coldplay - Help Is Around The Corner (buy)

You can now preorder Viva La Vida on iTunes until its release date of June 17th. Also check out their website for updated info on their latest band news.

Video: Coldplay - Violet Hill