New Office airing after the Super Bowl

Mint chocolate chip!

Looks like The Office is a repeat tonight. But you can catch Jenna Fischer (Pam Beasley) on The Tonight Show - tonight! And be sure to catch the full one-hour new episode after the Steelers win the Super Bowl. There's a preview clip available here in the Rainn Wilson interview with Jay Leno.

Aidan Moffat and The Best Ofs

If you ever find yourself sitting around at home in your long johns, sipping some Blatz on ice and wondering, what the hell ever happened to Arab Strap? Well, we've got an answer for you tonight. And if you do ever find yourself in that situation, call me, because we need to be friends. But back to Arab Strap.

After their demise in 2006, one half of Arab Strap, frontman Aidan Moffat, branched out to create a spoken word album I Can Hear Your Heart.

Now, Moffat is back, this time in Aidan Moffat and the Best-Ofs. It’s not really a band, says Aidan, so much as “an open-door club where anyone with a talent for something I like the sound of is welcome.” The band has a very Broken Social Scene flavor, with no real makeup to speak of but instead a revolving door of artists that come and go as they please, with Moffat being the one constant. The new release from Moffat and crew, titled How To Get To Heaven From Scotland, is set to be released on Valentine's Day. It's a very diverse album that can go from beatboxing to folk rock in mere minutes, but as Aidan explains, it's really an album about love:

“I decided it was time that I attempted to write some positive love songs, which is incredibly difficult to do if you want to avoid cliché and repetition,” says Aidan. “You have to try to make them both personal and universal, which can be quite difficult; you have to try to forget other people are going to hear them while also making sure it will appeal to an audience. There’s a lot more sunshine and happy endings on this record, plus a song about my grandfather’s non-existent ghost and a lullaby about the terror of impending fatherhood. Hopefully I’ve managed to keep it at least diverting for the 37 minutes it lasts.”

Check out the track "Big Blonde" off How To Get To Heaven From Scotland before you head out to pick up this nice little Valentine's Day gift for your loved one. "Big Blonde" has a Dylanesque rambling pace that tumbles over lyrics warmly and with much poise. Check it out, you'll be glad you did.

Aidan Moffat and The Best Ofs - "Big Blonde"

Hot Challenge

Waiting for The Office to come on, currently checking out a pretty cool show on the History Channel about 90's electronics. But I'm also on the hunt tonight for some new music.

One new niche that I'm finding myself getting into is indie electro rock, and one of the best ways to get introduced to the sound is through San Fransisco electro rock band Hot Challenge.

A band of brothers, Hot Challenge is an amalgamation of sound unlike you've likely heard in a while. Currently receiving airplay on the West Coast in places like San Fransisco, they have a catchy, underground vibe that plays nicely with the indie rock aspect of their sound.

I recommend dropping by the band's MySpace page to steam their new song "Eyes Open" which I think will quickly become a favorite of mine.

News on METRIC, The Black Lips

Photo by Julie Michaud

Just in time for tax-day, Metric will be releasing their fourth full-length studio album, titled Fantasies.

Due out April 14th in US and Canada, Fantasies is unconventional from most studio albums - the band actually had to pay to finish it themselves. They set up their own label operation and assembled a team to release the album worldwide. “But we’re not doing it totally on our own” comments guitarist Jimmy Shaw. “In Canada it's coming out with Last Gang Records who released Live it Out, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? and Grow Up and Blow Away. Our friends at Arts & Crafts will be releasing the album in Mexico. We’ve also set up distribution and hired our own staff to handle releasing the record in the USA, the UK, all throughout continental Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It’s pretty insane, but it’s really exciting. We might go down in flames, or it might be the best move ever. Either way, it will have been on our terms and for us that is success."

I'm not sure how it will work out, releasing the album this way, but regardless I'm probably going to pick up a copy because of how much in love I am with the first track on the album, "Help I'm Alive." From what I've heard of it so far, it's a delicate album that explores the band's electronic side while incorporating a good mix of meaty rock undertones and tight lyrical sidestepping.

We recommend dropping by the band's MySpace page to stream some songs, including the aforementioned "Help I'm Alive" (it's catchy, you'll see). If you love it as much as I do, make sure you preorder the album March 2 from the band's website on limited edition vinyl or CD, because you'll get a free MP3 of the song and more exclusive content.

Photo by Dan Monik

In other news, The Black Lips, fresh from getting chased from their tour in India, are offering up a brand new track for free for you to check out. "Short Fuse" comes off the soon to be released 200 Million Thousand, which is due to drop Feb 24th via Vice Records. You can check it out below:

Black Lips - "Short Fuse"

Wisconsinites can check out The Black Lips March 15 at the Turner Ballroom in Milwaukee.

Monday night musings

That's the tax-rebate dance they're doing

It turns out our Monday night comedies are repeats tonight, so I'm back at the laptop, watching a little Anthony Bourdaine until either:

a) the ND-Marquette game heats up
b) "Cities of the Underworld" comes on (I found myself watching this show for like 4 straight hours this weekend, so now I'm hooked), or...
c) hell freezes over and I decide to subject myself to the conclusion of "The Last Templar." Now, we tried to watch this last night, we really did try, but somehow the once tolerable Mira Sorvino chasing after a "knight" on a horse that just beheaded a cop while the cops stand idly by, guns drawn, NOT firing at the sworded horsemen made me quickly turn off the TV and instead decide to finish reading The Watchmen so that I would be prepped for the movie come March. Not sure how I feel about the end of the book, but it certainly is not your average masked crusader story. More on that at a later date I'm sure.

Some interesting things on the web to check out tonight:

Trey Ellis (Novelist, Screenwriter, and Assistant Professor at Columbia University) breaks down the Obama inauguration speech at the Huffington Post:

"As a Zen Buddhist/Taoist I would probably have to check the box "non-believer" and I was shocked that our new President mentioned us at all and will be eternally grateful (O.K., for that alone I'll raise his grade to an A-). This is perhaps my favorite passage and the speech's first real serving of hope for a brighter future after the crisis has passed:

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

The most memorable passage and music to my ears. The magnanimity in the above passage is breathtaking." Read more of Ellis' breakdown after the jump.

Consumerist leads us this story about how New Jersey is trying to pass a bill that will require all high school seniors to take Finance 101. Man how I could have used that now that I'm staring at 45 grand worth of student loan debt.

Deadspin looks into the growing threat that is the chicken wing shortage and its impending impact on Super Bowl XLIII:

"The Super Bowl is about one thing—filling your slobbery gullet with the greasiest ranch-flavored foods on the planet. But throw all that out the window this year, because your party has already been ruined.

Noted chicken separator Pilgrim's Pride Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection on December 1, which in these troubled times is not that unusual. The problem is that they supply roughly one quarter of the 24 billion "wing segments" that were eaten last year. This development has severely stunted chicken wing production and driven up prices across the country."

57-57 ND-Marquette with just a few minutes left. Time to go.

Setting Sun

I feel pretty beat up today, as if during the night a badger awoke, found me in his hole, and decided he wanted no part of our little sleepover. Maybe it's the string of near zero temps, or the fact that I didn't go to bed Saturday night until after 4:30 am...but either way, I'm hurting a bit today. Fortunately for me I've got an evening of funny television in store and a few great emails to in the inbox to share.

I'll admit that I hadn't heard of Setting Sun before I decided to check out their cover of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky", but now that I have I'm pretty happy about it.


Setting Sun’s cover of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky” was recently released as part of Buffet Libre DJ’s compilation CD Rewind 2. It's an interesting cover, one that adds a little bit more of a groove, but it melds nicely with the Petty sound. You can check it out below:

Setting Sun - "You Got Lucky" (Tom Petty cover)

Setting Sun is the genius of Gary Levitt. The Children of the Remix EP, released by the band in November of 2008, is an experimental record that has received a lot of praise from critics such as the USA Today ("Here's another band where I had an impossible time picking one song, since all of them are podcast-worthy").

If you are like me, are new to Setting Sun, and liked what you heard on the Petty cover, why not drop by the band's MySpace site to learn more, and be sure to check out an additional original track below:

Setting Sun - "They're Calling"

News on Mos Def, Cold War Kids tour

I've admittedly been a big fan of actor-musician Mos Def, more so for his underrated acting roles (Be Kind Rewind was fantastic) than for his music, but his new single just may sway me to appreciate him for more than his acting abilities.

Currently available for streaming or download over at RCRDLBL.com is the new track "Quiet Dog" from the album The Ecstatic, due to drop in February. Swing by and check it out.



Also coming from RCRDLBL is news on the upcoming Cold War Kids tour:

Cold War Kids are set to break from the warmth of Southern California and hit two venerable New York City stages this month. On January 28th, fans across the country will have the opportunity to catch the five-piece for the first time this year on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The band will perform a track from their critically acclaimed sophomore release Loyalty to Loyalty (September 23, Downtown Records). Tune into NBC at 12:35am for this eagerly awaited appearance.

January 28th is a busy day for the guys, as Nathan, Matt, Maust and Jonnie will also stop off at the Mercury Lounge to play songs from their catalogue, including tracks from the much-lauded 2006 debut, robbers and cowards. This intimate performance will preclude a slew of highly anticipated tour dates across North America, including the band's first show at NYC's Terminal 5.

Tickets for shows beginning in March will go on sale January 16th.

Fans can also catch Cold War Kids on WNYC's Soundcheck on January 29th. You can tune in to hear them live at 2:30pm EST or listen online here.

Upcoming tour dates:

01/28/09 Late Night with Conan O'Brien
01/28/09 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
03/07/09 Miami, FL @ Bicentennial Park – Langerado
03/26/09 San Diego, CA @ 4th & B Concert Theatre^
03/27/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Orpheum Theatre^
04/02/09 Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre*
04/03/09 New York, NY @ Terminal 5*
04/04/09 Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall*
04/20/09 Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre^
04/21/09 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom^
04/22/09 Seattle, WA @ The Showbox at The Market^
04/23/09 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge^
04/28/09 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore^


*With Amazing Baby
^With Crystal Antlers

What, no Midwest love??

Stream the new LP from Cut Off Your Hands

So, I consider myself a fairly well-disciplined guy (most of the time), but I've got a few guilty pleasures: The History Channel, mint chocolate chip ice cream, Madden 2009, and American Crew Citrus Mint Shampoo to name a few. Well, you can go ahead and add the new L:P from Aussie rockers Cut Off Your Hands, titled You & I, to that list as well.

You & I is currently streaming in its entirety on AOL Spinner. It was just released stateside yesterday, so have yourself a listen and see what you think. If you like it, make sure it finds its way to your weekend shopping list. The music of Cut off Your Hands makes me want to transport to the 80's with some Zubas or to a backstage party at a Morrissey concert. That's a good thing, right?

In addition to steaming their debut LP, the band has put together an e-card for fans featuring an album stream, links to videos, and a full itinerary for their upcoming tour with Ra Ra Riot, which has expanded since initially announced to include another run of dates in March, both before and after SXSW. The shows after the festival include Frenchkiss labelmates Passion Pit.

Tour dates:
02-21 Vancouver, BC - Richards on Richards *
02-22 Victoria, BC – Lucky Bar *
02-24 Portland, OR - Doug Fir *
02-25 Seattle, WA - Neumos *
02-27 San Francisco, CA - Independent *
02-28 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey *
03-01 San Diego, CA - The Loft *
03-02 Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar *
03-07 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
03-15 St. Louis, MO – Fire Bird
03-16 Oklahoma City, OK – Conservatory
03-18 – 03-21 SXSW
03-24 Bloomington, IN – The Cinemat #
03-25 Akron, OH – Musica #
03-26 Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig #
* w/ Ra Ra Riot
# w/ Ra Ra Riot, Passion Pit

Cary Brothers preview new song "Ghost Town" on video blog

I remember first learning of Cary Brothers from Dodge over at MOKB back in 2004 when I was looking to learn more about the song "Blue Eyes" which was a favorite of mine from the Garden State Soundtrack. The band sort of fell off the radar for me after that, but a few years later we're glad to welcome back this artist to our daily playlist.

This year, Cary Brothers is returning to the stage with two exclusive performances in March. It's been a full year since Cary toured America, as the last time was in March/April 08 to support his debut album "Who You Are", with Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin, Sara Bareilles on the hugely popular Hotel Cafe Tour which he co-founded 5 years ago.

Cary has been in the studio for a latter part of 2008 and will preview a couple of tracks in the sets, like "Break Off The Bough," "Ghost Town," "After The Fall," and "Under Control" which will be on his, as of yet untitled, upcoming album.

Below you can see Cary Brothers video blog 2009.1 in which he previews a snippet of his new song "Ghost Town". He also plays an amazing cover of Ryan Adams' "Come Pick Me Up". It's a lot better than most of the "one guy with a guitar" videos you can find on YouTube (no offense BeBu).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RClZGugmc7Y

You can stream a whole bunch of Cary Brothers at the band's website.

Bon Iver's "Brackett,WI" available for streaming

Thanks to fellow Wisconsinite Ryan at Muzzle of Bees we learned that a new Bon Iver song, "Brackett, WI" is now available for streaming pleasure at the Day Was the Night MySpace page.

You can drop by Muzzle of Bees or the MySpace page for more information on Day Was the Night, but in case you are asking yourself "where in the heck is Brackett, WI?" we've got that answer for you below:

Brackett is an unincorporated community on US Route 53 in the town of Washington, which is in Eau Claire County in Wisconsin. It's just south of Eau Claire and the area where Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) was born. You can keep that little nugget of information handy for your next Wisconsin music trivia night.

Are you ready for some [playoff] ftooball?

image courtesy of NFL.com

We're relaxing at home on a snowy Wisconsin Sunday soaking in some playoff football, frosty beverages, and a fine assortment of cheese. It's Wisconsin - what do you expect?

The sportswriter in me is itching for a chance to say a few things, so I'll share some observations on the game so far (currently Eagles vs. Cardinals - Steelers/Ravens to follow tonight):

The Cardinals have executed a lot better than I expected them too. Offensively they've kept the Eagles and Jim Johnson's pressure-based defense off balance, which has allowed Larry Fitzgerald to score three touchdowns in the first half. As I'm writing this the Cardinals just went up 21-3 off a little fade to Fitz in the end zone, making it look like the Eagles have no match for their passing game. I've also been really impressed with their defense thus far - they've covered all the angles and have been a much better team tackling than the Eagles to this point.

As for the Eagles, McNabb has been off, and Aikman has been calling him on it all day, and rightfully so. Had McNabb been a little more accurate on a few of the passes in the first half I think it'd be a much closer game. We'll see whether the Cardinals defense can hold up this way the entire game once the Eagles get a chance to regroup at half, but so far, it's been all Arizona.

If you're looking for some halftime tunes to get you through the worthless halftime analysis from FOX, you might want to check out the Low Slung Podcast from one of our English readers. The podcast, which creator Charlie puts out every few weeks, features a number of English bands which you might not have ever been introduced to such as Sensible Pets and Fuzzface. You can stream the podcast directly from the mp3 link below:

Low Slung Podcast

Low Slung Podcast Episode 11 features:
SENSIBLE PETS (Brisbane, AU)
FUZZFACE (Essex)
CANTERBURY (Surrey/Hampshire)
NO MAD (London)
COPY HAHO (Newhaven)
DEAR MARTIN (Stockholm, SE)

The podcast also has a Myspace page which you can check out here.

Cactus's

If you need a little help waking up this cold January Monday morning, we recommend checking out the Nashville trio of Cactus's. Playing a self-described style of "tropical thrash rock," we think they've got a pretty fun sound that that echoes hints and tones of the Pixies, Toadies, and Bear vs. Shark.

Cactus's - "Where's My Skeleton"

Stream some tunes and discover more about the band at their Myspace website.

Their Tropical Terror EP was released last week and is out there for you to check out if you like what you hear.

Best of 2008

So long, 2008

2008 has come and gone, and what a year it was for us. We eclipsed the 1 million page views mark, largely without consistently posting new content (sorry about that), got married, and got a little closer to 30 (well, I did, not the blog..but the blog will turn a very mature 5 years old in May of '09). We're hoping to have a better blogging year in 2009 as we try and get back on the writing horse and renew our creative energies. I've found my desire to be creative diminishing the longer I stay in the 9-5 business rut, but I'm determined to right the ship and return to the golden era of creativity for me, if you will (sorry, I've been playing a lot of Civilization IV - a Christmas gift from the wife).

As far as the blog goes, we're hoping to add tons of new content, discover some great new music and help introduce everyone that stops by to new and talented acts. I'm also hoping to personalize the blog a little more to my professional tastes - adding a section that features both some of my creative and academic writing from the past (and hopefully, near future), a photo section featuring original content from shows we've attended, and whatever else we can conjure up to keep things fresh.

But for now, seeing as how we've already crept into 2009, we figure we should take a moment to reflect on 2008 and all its past offerings before launching into another year here at Veritas Lux Mea. What follows is some of our favorite music, movies, and other miscellaneous items worth noting.

Best Albums of 2008

If you've been around the blogs at all this past month, you'd notice there has been much discussion on the ""Best Albums of 2008. Interestingly enough, many of our favorite albums were those that quite often didn't crack most blogs Top 5. Sure, we dig the new releases by The Hold Steady, and we've enjoyed what we've heard of bands like Horse Feathers, Fleet Foxes, and our very own Wisconsin product, Bon Iver...but none of them quite held audience with us like the releases below. Here are our favorite albums of 2008, in no particular order:

The Whigs - Mission Control


If we were doing a countdown, I would have to lobby pretty hard for The Whigs sophomore effort, Mission Control. We were lucky enough to catch the The Whigs down in Madison when they opened up for The Toadies. The Whigs put on a very tight and powerful live show, one that was easily among the highlights of the year for me. Mission Control is an incredibly stellar and rocking album that found its place in heavy rotation on our iPod as one of the best albums of 2008, with the track "Right Hand on My Heart" being our favorite of the year.

The Whigs - "Right Hand on My Heart"

You can check out their new video for Like a Vibration at the band's website.

Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty



Another sophomore album that immediately found its way into our heavy rotation was the follow-up release to Robbers and Cowards from Cold War Kids, Loyalty to Loyalty. Despite not cracking many of the blogs Top 5 (or 10, or 20, for some), Loyalty to Loyalty was for us an excellent followup album from the California quartet. Sure, the lyrics about suicide and domestic violence aren't anything to pop into the CD player when you're looking for a pick-me-up, but for my money nothing beats the dark, embattled tone of an album like Loyalty to Loyalty when backed by the bluesy vocals of frontman Nathan Willet for setting the tone on some seriously good music. I think people will be looking back on this album in about a year from now wondering "why did I pass this up?"

Cold War Kids "Something Is Not Right With Me" video

Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs



Death Cab for Cutie's sixth release, Narrow Stairs, was one that received very mixed reviews among the blogs and critics alike. We haven't always been in love with Ben Gibbard's efforts, but for some reason Narrow Stairs struck a chord with us and really made us come around to the full catalog that Death Cab for Cutie has amassed. Tracks like "Cath..." and "I Will Possess Your Heart" are epic indie gold and a true testament to the strength of the album. While Narrow Stairs didn't impress as much as some of the past Death Cab for Cutie releases, it converted one on-the-fence fan in myself into a true believer, and for that, it's one of our favorite albums for 2008 for sure.

Best Songs of 2008

Again, in no particular order:
Frightened Rabbit - "Keep Yourself Warm"
Cold War Kids - "Something Is Not Right With Me"
Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Possess Your Heart"
The Whigs - "Right Hand on My Heart"
Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"
Sigur Rós - "Gobbledigook"
Fucked Up - "Anorak City"
Dealta Spirit - "Trashcan"
She & Him - "This is Not a Test"
MGMT - "Time to Pretend"
Jason Segel - "Dracula's Lament" from Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Best Films of 2008

There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson's sweeping epic of greed and oil in the West was a beautifully crafted piece of American cinema. Daniel Day-Lewis completely encompassed the role and turned out of the more brilliant efforts of the year as the maniacally successful Daniel Plainview.

The Dark Knight


The plot was average, but wonderfully dark and mature. The acting by Batman Bale was awful, but stoic. Aaron Eckhart's role as Harvey Dent was a nice subplot that helped define the film and give it some real moral meatiness. But what really iced the cake was of course Ledger's performance as The Joker, a role he seemed born to play. His twisted caricature was enough to set this film above any performance from any other character in the entire Batman catalog.

Be Kind, Rewind

I picked this up one night on a whim, more out of curiosity to see how Jack Black paired against Mos Def, who I have always considered to be a very underrated but excellent actor (see Italian Job, 16 Blocks, Bamboozled for reference). What I got was Michel Gondry's warm tribute to film making at its core, an homage to the love of film, and a brilliantly underrated little comedy.

Wall-E

This movie, while seemingly for kids, reveals a very mature, scary future, wrapped in a Disney/Pixar little bow that speaks to all ages and all people, loudly and unsympathetically, and it's simply beautiful.

Best Television Shows of 2008

30 Rock/The Office

No other show is as funny AND smart as 30 Rock. Period. But The Office is a close second.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia



I know guys from Philly. Their lives aren't nearly as interesting, but their point of view is pretty comparable at times. What do you expect from people that boo Santa? This show is a dark little gem.

No Reservations with Anthony Bourdaine

I love this Travel Channel show, since Bourdaine loves to travel and eat, and has the perfect drifter-meets-chef quality that makes this show irresistible.