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I wanted to take a moment tonight to help introduce you to the Aussie trio of I Heart Hiroshima. We like their dirty yet delicate indie sound, and think you will, too.

The band will be accompanying Conor Oberst on his Australian tour this October, and will be promoting their first full-length, Tuff Teef. Unless you're playing on heading Down Under to catch them on tour, we invite you to check out a few of their tracks below, and head over to their Myspace for more information, like where to buy the album.

I Heart Hiroshima - "Punks"

I Heart Hiroshima - "Surgery"

Also among the introductions tonight is the amazing story that is the band Falcon. Falcon is the musical representation of one Jared Falcon, who, from 1986-88, attended Petaluma Junior High in Petaluma, Ca. He played baritone sax in the orchestra and did not do particularly well in school. However, he was a songwriting prodigy, writing close to a song a day and recording each onto a Fisher Price tape recorder. The practice started in January 1987 and ended, 336 songs later, in February 1988, when Mr. Falcon was institutionalized.

Two of Jared's classmates, Shannon Ferguson and Neil Rosen, found those tapes and collaborated with Longwave members Christian Bongers and Jason Molina to form the band appropriately named Falcon.

As their bio states, "Mr. Falcon entrusted his audio tapes to his friend Shannon who has kept them safe and sound since receiving them. “It took me about two seconds to realize I’d found something special,” Ferguson says of his first listen.

Surprisingly contemporary while simultaneously alien, it seems impossible for the material to have come from the mind of a fourteen year old.

“A lot of the songs are about animals. And many don’t have what one might conventionally think of as a chorus, or the standard pop structure,” Rosen says abut the songs, some of which are barely two minutes long, “but once we arrange [the songs] and bring them to life, they really work. Songs this good have a life of their own.”

Determined not to be too precious with the material, Falcon has taken the fragile recordings of a boy with an acoustic guitar and transformed them into fully realized, often epic arrangements. Falcon has used these songs to build a strong fan base in their hometown of New York City. Their live show has brought them to New York clubs like The Mercury Lounge, Pianos and Luna Lounge. They have also toured Scandinavia, played in London and have had Entertainment Weekly call the songs “marvelously dreamy.”

We love the innocence that you can feel in the songs, and hope that you will too as you enjoy the wonderful track below:

Falcon - "Sandfighter"

You can stream more Falcon at the band's Myspace site, and for an added bonus, check out this interview with the band which helps explain the back story of the band.


In other news, Cracked.com has a deliciously funny and enjoyable piece for any Simpsons fan as they count down their Top 5 Most Underrated Simpson Characters. Our favorite has to be Luigi. Disagree with the list? What do you recommend?

And for a little more esoteric read, check out this article on Hip Hop's "hidden history" and Islamic roots.

Oh, by the way, Kafka liked hardcore porn. Or at least what some are insinuating. Still doesn't help explain The Metamorphosis, but it does make you question this Kafka statue tribute.