The Roches are three sisters, Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy, from New York that have been loved for their heavenly harmonies and quirky songwriting.  They have been talented enough to draw the attention of Paul Simon (he recruited them to sing on There Goes a Rhymin’ Simon) and Robert Fripp (he produced and played on several of their albums), amongst others.  They have a radiant discography that frippered out in the ’90s (though they put out a well-received album in 2007).

Their finest song is Hammond Song, off of their eponymous 1979 debut album, which we played to death.  The video below captures the sisters in all their harmonious glory, belting the song.  Hammond is a Louisiana town that the two older sisters, Maggie and Terre, spent six months in after singing on Paul Simon’s There Goes a Rhymin’ Simon. They went to Hammond together, though one was evidently following a suitor.  Despite the concerns expressed in the song, the sisters ended up back in New York. Together.  Check it out.

Over recent weeks, we’ve repeatedly shared new songs and official videos from the impending new Neil Young & Crazy Horse album, Americana.  We are crazy about the tracks we’ve heard so far.  Now go over to Rolling Stone and stream the entire album before its release on June 5th.  Long live Neil Young (and Crazy Horse)!

Check out Electric Guest (“Los Angeles indie funk soul brothers”) playing unplugged for Rhapsody at last weekend’s Sasquatch Festival.   The band’s Asa Taccone appears to have undergone a successful Prince-change operation.  Electric Guest will headline (with the ear-hospitable Hospitality opening) this coming Saturday at Velvet Jones.  Get your tickets from Club Mercy HERE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b8fpMzBig0&feature=relmfu

In honor of Memorial Day (and, judging from the closing seconds of the video, answers to prayer) the Avett Brothers today released a sweet capture of Bob Crawford and the Brothers-proper singing the ole gospel hymn, Closer Walk With Thee.  We wish you peace this day in particular.

The luminous Lambchop showed up on the Jimmy Fallon Show last night to perform the chugging Gone Tomorrow off of their masterful Mr. M album. “Hey, hey!!” Indeed. Nice Memorial Day work by J-Fal at the end too.

In other Lambchop news, Merge Records recently captured Kurt Wagner giving background on each of the tracks off of Mr. M. Check them out beginning with Wagner’s explique of Gone Tomorrow below.

After lighting up the Letterman Show recently, the White Rabbits were at it again this week, showing up on the Conan to perform their song The Day You Won the War.  Check them out.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse have released yet another video from their impending album, Americana, which is comprised of covers of old folk songs.  The video for God Save the Queen (we’d prefer the Sex Pistols’ song) was released today.  Neil starts off sounding a little shaky (if you will) on vocals, but picks up steam as the track plays on.  Check it out.  It’s prudent they released the video on Memorial Day weekend as opposed to Independence Day.  …..and her fascist regime!!!

When you need it most, kids will lift you up (along with your car?).  Heading into the gravitas of Memorial Day weekend, check out this video of Walk The Moon and a great group of choir kids from a public school (you can learn more about them at PS 22) singing Walk the Moon’s song I Can Lift a Car with gusto (via the fine music blog I Am Fuel You Are Friends).  The video is a great lead-in to letting you know that Walk the Moon is playing UCSB next Thursday (May 31st) at the Hub.   After check out the kids singing Walk the Moon’s wonderful Anna Sun song, followed by the first Walk the Moon video that dominated our screens.   There.  Feel better?

And in this corner, weighing in at full-tilt and swingin’ heavy, a man from the shadows of a past, a man back home from a journey and scrapin’ to live (with his mother last we heard), a man of thanks and praise despite the smite, a man the world is facin’ and embracin’, a man channeling the ghosts of Otis and James but with his own irrepressible imprint–this man, they call Charles Bradley.  If you missed his highly inspirational show at Soho last year (or not), check Charles out performing in April’s showers at La Cigalle in Paris courtesy of La Blogotheque.  And as they say, watch as he lifts mountains.  Love that man.

The Walkmen’s 2010 album, Lisbon, was amongst our favorites of that year.  Now comes their new album Heaven, which you can stream via NPR HERE.  Sounds like a heavenly gem to these ears.