It’s Friday, and…well, not so much.  We know too many out there in throes, dispirited and arc-less.  And the relentless gray is our tailspinner.  Convenient, then, that we stumbled anew upon Andrew Bird’s Take Courage, and were taken down and lifted up.  Take Courage was a bonus track from Bird’s 2009 album Noble Beast.  Check out the studio version of the song immediately below, and after, two live performances–one well-recorded (audio anyway), and one well-captured (video anyway–at the Guggenheim).  And know that you’re not alone.  The song’s lyrics precede the videos.  And if you need more convincing, let Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy provide further assurance HERE.

“Night’s falling, so take courage
that you’re not alone, no you’re not alone.
Night’s falling, so take courage
that you’re not alone, no you’re not alone
Then these words begin to crumble like the sidewalks
all around this crumby neighborhood.
And from the chalky Cliffs of Dover, I’d come over,
I’d start over if I could.

From the tropic of Cancer, to Capricorn,
you’re so far from you’re so far along.
Now you spin dirty laundry
You dream of the kind of love you knew the day you’re born

Night’s falling, so take courage
that you’re not alone, no you’re not alone.
Night’s falling, so take courage
that you’re not alone, no you’re not alone.

Night’s falling, night’s falling,
but you’re not alone, no you’re not alone.

You swallow far from home
It’s how you find your room

Though my words begin to crumble like the sidewalks
all around this crumby neighborhood.

And from these chalky Cliffs of Dover, I’d come over
I’d start over if I could.

Night’s falling, night’s falling,
but you’re not alone, no you’re not alone.
Night’s falling, night’s falling,
but you’re not alone, no you’re not alone.
Take courage, take courage,
that you’re not along, no you’re not alone.

Night’s falling, night’s falling,
but you’re not alone, no you’re not alone.
Take courage, take courage,
that you’re not along, no you’re not alone.”

Sufjan Stevens first gave us the album Michigan and then Come On Feel The Illinoise, vowing to release an album for each of the United States of America.  And that was the end of it.  From there Stevens ventured off to Adz, maneuvered orchestrally in the light, and then went completely Christmas (repeatedly).  Today on his Tumblr, Stevens released an untitled song that on first blush seems to wrap up the Fifty-States Project in one fell swoop. The song opens as follows: “It’s part of the act, the fifty states, pack up your bags, it’s never too late.”  We haven’t done a full State-audit, but the song does seem to call out every remaining non-Michigan, non-Illinois state in the union.  It’s not the completion many states had stridently sought, but it does wrap it up so that Stevens can move on.  You can listen to the new song HERE.  Pack up your bags!  It’s never too late!

Brit buzz-band Palma Violets have released their official video for Step Up For The Cool Cats from their debut album 180, which will be released on February 25th (UK) and 26th (US) on Rough Trade.  Click here to pre-order the album on iTunes: http://www.smarturl.it/palmavioletsitunes or pre-order it from Rough Trade here: http://bit.ly/Tr91jA.  Check out the psychedelic treatment below.

Chillo? String hop? String rap? Analog-electro?  Clean Bandit is a new Brit-collective that somewhat defies categorization.  They work with a variety of vocalist cameos (frequently Nicole Marshall) to create a culture clash of strings, bass and beats.  The Cambridge collective – Jack Patterson (bass/sax/deck), Luke Patterson (drums), Grace Chatto and Neil Amin-Smith (both on strings) – fuses classical, electronica and hip-hop beats.  We ran across them performing a cover of Labrinth’s Earthquake for BBC Radio 1 below, and have been mesmerized since.  This little aural earthquake might rock your world a bit.  After, check out their official videos for single A&E, Nightingale and the older Shanty.

The great Anaïs Mitchell has collaborated with Jefferson Hamer on a new album entitled Child Ballads, a collection of traditional songs from the British Isles, named after their collector, Francis James Child.  You can check out below live, solo performances by Mitchell of the first track on the album entitled Willie of Winsbury and also Clyde Waters.  The album cover is by the talented Peter Nevins, who also created the illustrations for Mitchell’s acclaimed album Hadestown.  The new album will be released in the UK & Europe by Wilderland Records on February 11th and in the US & Canada on March 19th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op7IW4E3Edw&feature=em-uploademail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgUEji2jbb0

There’s something about ghost songs.  When done well, they insinuate themselves deeply into our psyche.  The Psychedelic Furs’ Ghost in You, Band of Horses’ Is There A Ghost?, Bob Dylan’s Spirit On the Water, Radiohead’s Bodysnatchers, but especially The Specials’ Ghost Town–have all floated inside at times and taken us over.  The latest entry in this ghost anthology is Helado Negro’s Dance Ghost from the impending new album Invisible Life (on Asthmatic Kitty).

Helado Negro is Robert Carlos Lange, son of Ecuadoran parents who grew up in South Florida with its associated atmospherics (the Three H’s:  heat, humidity, hurricanes; but accompanied by a soundtrack of the musical and cultural coloratura of the surrounding Latin American communities).  Robert Lange has previously worked with Juliana Barwick and Bear in Heaven, and on Invisible Life members of Bear in Heaven return the favor along with Devendra Banhart.

Helado Negro has now released the official video for Dance Ghost, which you can watch/listen/download below.  About the song, Lange says: “They are ghosts to maybe most who are usually trying to create the least amount of resistance when trying to survive in the US due to the many instances of inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants in the US. The song may be saturated in ambiguous synth tones, but the reality of living somewhere or being somewhere where others want everything about you but you, is what haunts them.” In the video, while the smoothly-hypnotizing, steel-drummy song plays out, a man-ghost floats invisibly past and through dancers, Jai Alai matches, clubs, bars, record stores, a mansion and other stations of the (Miami) community.  In the end, the video leaves us just wanting to engage all the “ghosts” we see.  You do the same, and the world will be better for it.   Let’s just say it’s National Engage a Ghost Day.  Go forth.

You can pre-order the album and learn more HERE. If you like what you hear, you can listen to and download the song below the video.

We caught the supremely-eclectic band Akron/Family the last time they were in town in 2011 at Soho, and they assailed with a scintillating onslaught on the senses.  The Swans Michael Gira has captured A/F well in his descriptive sentence: “A conflation of orchestrated Jazz, Prog Psych, R&B and devotional mantras.”  After a break, Akron/Family is set to release a new album Sub Verses (cover above) on April 30th.  Today the band and its label Dead Oceans have released a cut from the impending album entitled No-Room.  Check out the song which thankfully drones on and on.  Akron/Family plays Muddy Waters on January 29th courtesy of Club Mercy.  You can get your tickets HERE.  Don’t miss what will likely be the show of the year at that venue.  The new album’s tracklist is below the song.

Tracks

1. No Room
2. Way Up
3. Until The Morning
4. Sand Talk
5. Sometimes I
6. Holy Boredom
7. Sand Time
8. Whole World Is Watching
9. When I Was Young
10. Samurai

Allo Darlin’ put out our Favorite Album of 2012, Europe.  They’ve since released a phenomenal covers album (cleverly called Covers), which you can stream below.  Covers features several of the band’s influencers’ songs, not the least of which is The Go-Betweens.  Originally available as a limited bonus CD given away with Europe, it’s now been re-released as a white colored vinyl 10″ (only 300 copies are available so get ’em quick).  Covers features six covers of songs by AC/DC, The Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, Eux Autres, The Go-Betweens and The French (Darren Hayman’s post-Hefner band).  Make sure you check out the crazy-great guitar work on their cover of The French’s Wu Tang Clan.  You can buy Covers HERE.

We wrote recently of young LA band Cayucas.  Coinciding perfectly with Central and Southern California’s current warm-spell, the band has released (via Spin) their new video for High School Lover, another new pop-gem off their debut album, Bigfoot.  The new, Richard Swift-produced album will be released on April 30th. In the meantime check out High School Lover below.  Cayucas opens for El Ten Eleven this Wednesday at Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara.

Tracklisting for Bigfoot
1. Cayucos
2. High School Lover
3. Will “The Thrill”
4. A Summer Thing
5. East Coast Girl
6. Deep Sea
7. Ayawa ‘kya
8. Bigfoot