I found out about this from my dad of all people, but I found it interesting enough to pass along to you guys.  I’m sure most of you consider yourselves pretty well versed with the music of The Beatles, but have you heard each and every song from every album?  I’ll admit to missing a few myself, but this is a nice little site that has lyrics and youtube videos for every Beatles song in a nice little list.  Not a life changing post by any means, but it’s definitely a link worth passing around.

Beatles Tube

• Largehearted Boy lets you try a few of today’s releases before you buy
• …and compiles all the year end lists for you.  (mine top 50 coming soon!)
•  Sixeyes’ Christmas Mix
• Lily Allen covers “Mr. Blue Sky” over at Stereogum
• GvB’s Song for the Road
• St. Vincent’s video for “Jesus Saves, I Spend” at Shots Ring Out

I’m working on a new Perch Mix, so when I find free time from juggling my job, LemonDrop duties, and teaching my band all my songs, then I’ll post it up.  Adios for now!

Don’t cry too much while I’m gone. It won’t be too long. Hope everyone’s week is great, and since I feel kind of guilty, I’ll sit here for a bit before I pack and find some quality links for you.

Tomorrow I’ll be in Chicago seeing Tiffany. Couldn’t be more excited!

Links to pass the time:

• Pitchfork’s In Rainbows preview / and the actual review
  / and fan reactions!
• $250,000 question about Office Space (I knew that answer!)
• This list I can really get behind: 55 Must See Movies of 2008
  My personal favorites:
  Cloverfield
  Be Kind Rewind (new Michel Gondry w/Jack Black!)
  Synecdoche, New York (new Charlie Kauffman project)
  Iron Man
  Speed Racer
  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
  Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Judd Apatow project)
  Choke (one of my favorite Chuck Palahniuk novels now a movie)
  The Happening (M. Night Shyamalan, says it’s best script since 6th sense)
  The Incredible Hulk (written by and starring Edward Norton)
  Wall-E (new Pixar about two robots only things left on Earth…no dialogue either!)
  The Dark Knight (new Batman, this time featuring the Joker)
  Pineapple Express (another Judd Apatow produced film, but I love them)
  Where the Wild Things Are (loved the book as a kid, Spike Jonze is directing it)
  James Bond 22
  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt as a guy who ages backwards)
  The Box (Donnie Darko director goes back to his weird ways finally, thankfully)
  Brüno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt (the title of the new Sasha Baron Cohen movie, this time he’s Bruno, his gay character)
  The Fighter (new Darren Aronofsky flick about a washed up fighter on drugs, the man can portray drugs onscreen like nobody’s business, plus Brad Pitt’s in it)
  RocknRolla (new Guy Ritchie project finds him back in Lock Stock/Snatch mode)Can’t wait for next year’s movies! They’re going to kick this year’s movies a$$.
• Radiohead rarities
• White Rabbits on MOKB Sirius Radio
  (see also: John Vanderslice, Bowerbirds, Sea Wolf, Mancino, and Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s)
• New Annuals’ music (check out Manchester Orchestra’s cover of “Brother”)
• New Hype Machine is up and kicking
• While we’re at IGIF, here’s a remix to Radiohead’s “Videotape”)
• New Man Man song “Zombie” over at YANP

…and last but not least. Arcade Fire and Bruce Springsteen performing “Keep the Car Running”.
[dailymotion vKq5Ig9JF5zUUmFWv]

It almost looks fake, like how they put Tom Hanks in those old presidential videos in Forrest Gump. But it’s real, and that’s pretty damn awesome.

So, I guess I ended up creating that hodgepodge of links to keep you busy while I’m gone post I said I didn’t have time for. Funny how the blog does that to me sometimes. Enjoy all the links and I’ll see you next Monday!

• the tallest building from each state on one skyline
• facebook now worth $15 billion
• 41 days in Iraq vs. Insuring 10 million children
• Iran’s president speaking at Columbia University
• 5 ways supermarkets trick you into shopping their way
• How our financial system really works
• 12 best new cars for 2008
• 72 Simpsons scenes along side the movie they reference
• Yann Arthus Bertrand: Earth from Bird View

“You have worked 12 hours and 5 minutes” says my cell phone as I logged out today. 

Whew boy what a day.  I think I set the record or came very close to setting the record for games shot in a single day.  Today I did six, but one of them was two “onesies”, meaning you only shoot one of the two teams playing that game, at the same time.  That means the first I shot went smooth, then I had to race over to the other field and shoot that game even though it was half over.  Needless to say, that was not an ideal situation, but I did get through all the games and was happy with a lot of the shots I took.  It’ll be interesting tomorrow to finally see them printed out, and then to sell my own shots to the parents.

I did have some time tonight to find some music.  Stars, one of those bands I never get tired of but rarely find myself listening to their music when I think about it, is releasing a new album on September 25th called In Our Bedroom After the War and I’m excited to finally hear new stuff from Stars.  Their last album was released in 2004, so it’s been a while.  If you haven’t heard Set Yourself On Fire, by all means go out and check that album out, then once that wins you over, you’ll have a reason to be as excited as me to hear their upcoming album later this year. 

01 The Beginning After the End
02 The Night Starts Here [mp3]

03 Take Me to the Riot
04 My Favourite Book
05 Midnight Coward
06 The Ghost of Genova Heights
07 Personal
08 Barricade
09 Window Bird
10 Life 2: The Unhappy Ending
11 Bitches in Tokyo
12 Today Will Be Better, I Swear!
13 In Our Bedroom After the War

While searching for that mp3 above, I also randomly found this interesting remix of their song “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” done by Final Fantasy (aka Owen Pallette).  I knew Stars put out a remix album, and that Pitchfork tore it a new one, but I never got around to listening to it.  Owen may have given me a good reason to go check that remix album out.

Your Ex-Lover is Dead (Final Fantasy remix)
 

Not related, but one of Stars’ best…
Set Yourself On Fire (towards the bottom) 

Another reason I like Stars so much is how cool to fans they’ve always been.  Case in point their latest message at their site which I’ll sum up briefly with four quotes from it:

“Inevitably someone will leak the album…We believe that the line between the media and the public is now completely grey…As such, we are making the new Stars album available for legal download today, four days after it’s completion…It’s our hope that given a clear, legal alternative to downloading music for free, you will choose to support the creators.”

Dear Stars,
You rock.  And I don’t just say that to anyone.  Stars and LemonDrop leading the new fan-controlled music industry.  Care to join us?

-Kevin

Official Site / Myspace / Buy Set Yourself On Fire
Amy Millan’s site (girl singer) / Mephis’ Site (side band)

(I’d honestly go as far as hosting the album here in complete support of them, once I found it, but that would destroy my bandwidth and shut me down for a while.  So you’ll just have to find it yourself and I’ll most likely post a few songs here and there until September.  Man, this turned into a doozy of a post out of nowhere.  See you tomorrow with probably yet another story in the continuing saga that is my month from hell) 

AOL Spinner Sessions:

• Cloud Cult
  
• The Little Ones
  
• The Decemberists
  
• The National
  
• Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s
  

-Arizona’s new EP Fameseeker and the Mono is being streamed over at I Guess I’m Floating
Thimble

-Video for Spoon’s new song “The Underdog”

-8 minute mash-up of Polyphonic Spree’s The Fragile Army.  I’m liking it and I’m sure you will as well.

-A few new live versions from Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s from their upcoming album Animal!

-I’m a fan of Bear Hands the band

Iron and Wine
Shepherd’s Dog
Release Date: September 25

Stereogum say it much better than I ever could, so check their premature evaluation of the album out for a more in depth view, but my oh my do I love this album. It’s like a very good mix between his collaboration with Calexico and his older, more stripped down stuff. Sam Beam has officially hit the big time with this album and while a few years ago I would have been skeptical if you told me he’d make an album where he was backed by a full ensemble, I’m here to say it works. Calexico returns for a few songs this time around, but the Iron and Wine feel to the songs are still here in full, they just feel bigger now that he has back up. There’s a good mix of old Sam Beam whispered vocals and his acoustic songs with the epic (for I&W at least) feeling ones. It’s tough to say just yet how everyone will ultimately feel about it, but new Iron and Wine is all good in my book so I couldn’t be more excited.

Pinback
Autumn of the Seraphs
Release Date: September 11

I have an unhealthy obsession with Pinback, considering how simple their music is, but Summer in Abaddon remains one of my favorite albums ever. I’ve only had a few listens to this new one, which was a long time coming for me, and was immediately floored by songs such as “Good to Sea” and “Bouquet”. Not everyone will like it, and the masses never seem to agree on Pinback since they are pretty calculated and simple, but I sure enjoy it. Autumn of the Seraphs finds Pinback truly perfecting the sound they’ve been developing for years.

Barnes (mp3)

Minus the Bear
Planet of Ice
Release Date: August 21

While I didn’t expect Pinback’s new one to be as good as my favorite of theirs, I was kind of hoping Minus the Bear would return to their glory days of Highly Refined Pirates over Menos el oso. The former is my favorite of theirs and featured simple, insanely precise math rock with finger tapping and electronics all over it. The latter found them to be a bit too rocking for their own good, and I’m happy to say Minus the Bear are back with this newest release. The lead singer stays out of the mix more, which seemed to always be their main problem, and instead there’s more focus on the clockwork melodies and harmonized lyrics. This is possibly the most surprisingly good album on this list. Didn’t expect it to be this good.

Dr. L’ling

Throwin’ Shapes

A few more

Stream the Whole Album

John Vanderslice
Emerald City
Release Date: July 24

I’ve had this one a while, but still figured I’d add it to the list. I was initially disappointed with this one, much like I was with Pixel Revolt, but also much like that album, this one is full of more mellow tunes that find JV still being more reserved than usual and it ultimately grows on you. The production is top-notch and you find some little bell or back up vocal hidden in the mix with each listen. Not up to the greatness of the upbeat Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, but still vintage JV none the less.

White Dove

Animal Collective
Strawberry Jam
Release Date: September ‘07

This one was a complete surprise to find, and while I could only find the six of nine tracks that have leaked, it’s still all pretty damn amazing. I rather enjoyed the “internet leak” section on their wikipedia page, where the journalist who leaked it was caught within a few hours because it was watermarked, much like my Spiderman 3 soundtrack was. You can’t be that dumb and leak an album this big that has your name all over it and not expect to get caught. Regardless, the guys from the band were mainly sad about the leak because people couldn’t experience the album as a whole, and while I’m still absolutely loving these songs, I see how it feels incomplete without the others. I’ve always been a huge fan of Animal Collective, but their albums have been shades of greatness mixed in with the just plain weird and inaccessible. This new one seems to find them sounding at their most accessible, with one song “Peacebone” turning from glitchy nothingness to a full on dance fest. If you’ve always wished Animal Collective would have expanded more on their weird but accessible elements, then you’re wish has been granted. Of course, it’s still weird as ever, with the occasional crazy screams and whatnot, but this album should turn some heads in the Animal Collective haters crowd and make them take note of this amazingly unique band.

Peacebone

Songs from Strawberry Jam at the Hype Machine

The New Pornographers
Challengers
Release Date: August 21

I’ve always been a “sort of” fan of the New Pornographers. With each release, I’d listen intently, love it, then sort of forget about it until someone randomly played one of their albums and I’d get in the mood again. Challengers may finally break this streak as I’ve had this one on repeat for a while today. The New Porno crew have once again crafted piano heavy, dual harmony filled pop gems and the songs are great this time around like usual. Songs like “Failsafe” stay reserved enough to be called the album’s “slow songs”, but there’s plenty of full on upbeat pop numbers like “All the Things that Go to Make Heaven and Eath” and “My Rights Versus Yours”. I’d have to say the slower songs, like “Mariad Harbour”, which features Dan Bejar (Destroyer), outweigh the faster ones on this new album and that may be the main reason I’m liking it so much. It’s just a really pleasant pop album to listen to and August 21 couldn’t come soon enough.

Head over to the Hype Machine for songs from Challengers

P.S. Everyone head over to this link and vote for Springfield, MO to host the Simpson’s movie premier.  You’ll get an advanced review of the movie here if you do since I’ll be able to see the sneak peek.  Don’t be shy and go vote!

That’s where all the recording magic is going to happen and we’ve almost got the closet all sound proofed for singing.  I met Tommy P and Casey, the two guys that make up The Spacetones, and we laid down a couple junk tracks to start things off.  Nothing much, but it felt good to get things finally rolling recording-wise.  But as I was sitting and watching Tommy rap over Casey’s beats, a thought came into my head.  One of my favorite blogs is Daytrotter, which is basically some people that have a home studio and get bands to stop by and play four acoustic songs, write up a brief note about the origins of those songs, then head on their way.  Charlie’s loft is literally in the middle of downtown where the two main venues are I see all my indie shows at.  I’m sure if I contacted band’s managers ahead of time, I could get at least a few bands that come to Springfield to hang out at Charlie’s loft and sit and record an acoustic number.  Right?  So, if you’re a band’s manager or publicist and your band is coming through Springfield, MO (considering they’re somewhat along the lines of who I post here…that means no Papa Roach) let me know and we’ll set up an acoustic session that will no doubt be seen by the masses since I’ll be promoting it like crazy.

Anyway, all tangents aside, the loft is great and I may even try to record some of my own songs tonight if we get around to it.  We’ll see.  Also, I don’t know if you have checked in on the ‘ol LemonDrop blog lately (I hope so), but we’ve added another band to our roster.  The Verbs!  I’m excited to get them in the studio and watch their guitarist, who is really good, work his skillz.  So far Charlie’s winning 3-0 as far as bands are concerned, but most the bands are going to be his friends until later on down the road when I have time to find some myself.   

Since I’m too tired/lazy to sift through my email today, here’s some random links from around the net I found interesting so this post isn’t just me rambling about the label. 

-If Fire Were Water
-For the video gamers out there: The new Grand Theft Auto IV trailer
-An actual airline complaint (I like the stink shield part)
-All Apple employees get free iPhones.  That’s convenient.
-Lewis Black on conservative media (Conservapedia?  Really?)
-Bush used his executive powers to deny the recent subpoena placed upon him by Congress regarding his illegal wire taps.  Here’s what Keith Olberman had to say about it.
-Matt from You Ain’t No Picasso turned 21, and he celebrates with a huge list of great songs
-The next Shins?  Meet Shapes Have Fangs.  Their song “What in the World” is insanely Shins sounding.

-An old favorite of mine, Simian, is now Simian Mobile Disco and their new song “I Believe” is pretty dang good.
-Top 10 Stephen Colbert videos
-Hey There Delilah interpretation

You Ain’t No Picasso

• New Okkervil River (thanks originally to Pitchfork, but I’ll give Matt the credit here)
• The Polyphonic Spree “Running Away” (The Fragile Army is excellent by the way)
• …and “Light to Follow” as well
• Of Montreal cover songs

Gorilla vs Bear

• Chris (and Matt above too) points us to Adult Swim’s newest free music offering Warm & Fuzzy: a 14 song comp featuring TV on the Radio, Les Savy Fav, and SOUND Team, and Broken Social Scene to name a few
• St. Vincent – Your Lips Are Red video…if you click one thing from this links list, make damn sure it’s this.  I still haven’t posted about the Vanderslice/St. Vincent concert, I swear I will, but Annie Clark simply blew me away.  Watch the video to get somewhat of an idea why.
• The new Animal Collective album is called Strawberry Jam.  There’s some live version of album tracks there as well.

An Aquarium Drunkard

• A whole lot of Ryan Adams rarities in anticipation of Easy Tiger
• Bonnie “Prince” Billy in Edinburgh, Scotland 2006
• More St. Vincent greatness: two songs from the album and a couple videos
• Justin also points us towards John Vanderslice’s new free offering: Pixel Revolt Analog Redux…which is Scott Solter remixing JV’s latest album analog style.  From what I’ve heard it sounds like JV mixed with Boards of Canada.  Read an interview about it here from Sixeyes.

Pitchfork: Best of the Forkcast

• The Books – Take Time video…the single greatest thing I’ve seen in a long time.  I’ve yet to see The Books live, but they play videos that go along with the song they’re playing, such as this one for Take Time, and all of them are now available on their new dvd.  I think I may just have to go pick that up.
• New Smashing Pumpkins – Taratula (thanks mainly to the ever great Spinner for this).  I honestly am really disappointed with this.  I’d say I’ll let it grow on me, but I don’t know how much I’m interested in hearing new Smashing Pumpkins.  I don’t want the old SP’s ruined. 
• Page France – The Ruby Ring Man
• Grizzly Bear attempt to sing some French lyrics and do quite well
• Architecture in Helsinki: “Heart It Races (Trizzy’s Rusty Tin Can Mix)”
• Ben Gibbard – Palmcorder Yajna
• …I could go on all day with the links.  While I slightly dislike the site for continuously bashing blogs for not being legitimate, then going an turning into a big blog themselves, you can’t deny the great stuff they continuously come up with.  I guess if I had little indie kids feeding me tips about videos and songs streaming online everyday my site would be pretty chock full of goodness as well.  But alas, no one feels honored to have given me a tip, so I receive very little, nor do I have a huge staff of writers, so the Perch will remain the little blog it is written by its modest writer and my loyal readers will come by every couple days like they always have.  Honestly, I couldn’t ask for more than the support I’ve received so far from everyone who stops by here and you know it means a lot to me because I never get all sappy here.  Heck, how else do you think I got featured by Best Week Ever?  Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that.  Best Week Ever featured my blog the day I took my last final and posted “Mr. Blue Sky” because I was so happy.  I’m pretty sure I had the best week ever that week for sure.  I set a record for most hits on my site, graduated from college, and was featured by Best Week Ever.  Yeah, it’s going to be hard to top that week.

I have no idea why I started rambling out of nowhere on that last bullet, but that’s my style I guess.  I just type until I stop.  Hope the above links point you to at least one thing you enjoy.  I know I said I probably wouldn’t post until Wednesday, but I also forgot that I’d just be sitting all day at home bored until my sister’s graduation, so I went and wrote this huge post.  Don’t forget to click the many blog links I’ve got on the sidebar as they’ve all got just as much great stuff as the ones I linked to above.  I just randomly chose those for today.  Alright, I’m out.

• The Pelican’s Perch featured on Best Week Ever’s blog for the second time