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So I had a ‘pseudo’ opportunity to go to Radiohead, but with the cashflow a little tight these days and tix set at $75, I opted out.  Plus I’m headed to Fenway Park tomorrow for the first time this season.  So instead, I spent a couple hours looking into some new music that I’ve been meaning to check out for some time now.  Glad I did too, here’s some samples:

Bowerbirds – (Hymns for a Dark Horse LP)

Ok, all I have to say is that these guys have a girl who plays both the accordion and a single standing bass drum. Badass…akin to The Arcade Fire who has all sorts of people running around clamoring on different instruments or pieces of junk or whatever. Bowerbirds’ sound is a rather dark; a simple but effective trio of complexity. They produce some pretty big sounds from just three instruments that sometimes is just a guitar, accordion and single bass drum. Other times the drummer (in the video below) pulls out a violin, creating a baroque sound that is quite unique. Anytime though, they’re worth a listen. Here they are walking around NYC somewhere:

Fleet Foxes (Self-titled LP and Sun Giant EP):

These guys cut what might be the best folksy indie pop record I’ve heard since the first Andrew Bird LP and The Shins’ ‘Oh Inverted World’.  Just listened to almost the whole album and it’s a great listen.  Low key enough to do work too, but you could also turn it on at a party (not dancing music however).  Influences sound like a bit of Neil Young, but with a rather distinctive Asian flare that the Mandolin gives.  Here’s a little Vimeo clip from the Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge: Oh, and if you don’t like the beginning, keep listening, it gets good.

Blue Ridge Mountains from Grandchildren on Vimeo.