In the run-up toThe Stand Ins

In terms of fall releases, it is Okkervil River's The Stand Ins that has me the most anticipatory. Like Black Boy appendix was a follow-up in theme and sound to Black Sheep Boy, the Stand Ins is a follow-up to The Stage Names. Released in August of last year, The Stage Names is superb beyond belief. It coats my ears weekly; a fair achievement in these "drop it after it's hot" times.

To be released in a few short weeks, September 9th, Okkervil River have begun to release a series of videos in the run-up. Track by track, they are releasing a series of video performances on their youtube channel. The songs feature other artists performing the album's songs. Lead-off track, Lost Coastlines, gets the treatment from the New Pornographer's A.C. Newman (who just announced he is releasing his second solo album, Get Guilty, early next year). Every couple days they are releasing a new interpretation on their channel. Bon Iver and David Vandervelde have also lent their stylings to a song off the album.

Myself, I'm saving it all for the 9th, save for the first "single". It's included here for your daily consumption.

01 The Stand Ins, One
02 Lost Coastlines
03 Singer Songwriter
04 Starry Stairs
05 Blue Tulip
06 The Stand Ins, Two
07 Pop Lie
08 On Tour With Zykos
09 Calling and Not Calling My Ex
10 The Stand Ins, Three
11 Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 1979

Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines mp3

Monday mornings make me wanna Holler

Ray Lamontagne - You Are The Best Thing mp3
This is the leadoff track for Ray's new album, Gossip in the Grain, out October 14th. Ethan Johns produced and tackled drums again. Leona Naess also guests on two tracks. Apparently the album is more of a full band affair this time around. If this track is any indication, its going to be quite good.

Kings of Leon - Crawl mp3
Off Only By The Night, out the 23rd of September. The Kings of Leon lads had this available for download for a while on their website. It's such a rocker and really ramps up my anticipation for the album. Their show at the Kool Haus in Toronto is all sold out. This really messed with me last week whilst trying to obtain tickets. I'm usually the guy who grabs the tickets, so when a friend casually mentioned he had grabbed an extra ticket as he said he would I was pleased as a pig.


Florence and the Machine - Kiss with a Fist mp3
We live in a different time so it is doubtful the song will create the kind of stir The Crystals "He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)" did back in 1962. But for those who want to set the tone for the week could do worse than this rocker of a gem. More than enough pep to get you through its barely two minute running time. For the record, Florence felt compelled enough to state on her myspace that this is not a song about domestic violence. The B-side "Bitch Had it Coming", however, leaves little room for plausible deniability.

Grow up good into the light/ Grow down deep into the dirt

From The Fembots camp comes news of their fourth album. Calling Out will be released September 16th on (weewerk) records. It features eleven tracks:

01 Good Days
02 Can I Be Your Mirror?
03 My Hands Are A City
04 Get In The Van
05 God Keep Our Hands Clean
06 JL Recalls His Amazon Adventure From A Comfortable
Chair In The Window Of No.5 The Kingsway
07 Hand Print In Wet Cement
08 Lost At Sea
09 The Ballad Of Lucybelle Carter
10 The End Of The Day
11 Ship Breaking

The album was originally intended to be recording using the junkstrument creations of Iner Souster. Eight months into recording the unpredictability of these creations simply made it too hard to sustain for a whole album. The sessions were not entirely scrapped and will provide rhythm and backing tracks throughout the record.

The two-piece, Dave MacKinnon and Brian Poirier, also enlisted Nathan Lawr on drums for the record. Paul Aucoin provided string and horns.

They've got a few Toronto dates late August before things heat up after the release of the album. Check those out at their myspace.

Fembots - Gilded Age mp3 (from 2005's The City)