Bowerbirds’ brand new album, The Clearing, on Dead Oceans is getting rave reviews across the board.  If you check out the official video for Tuck the Darkness In below, you’ll better understand why.  The video is inventive and the song is anthemic, which is a winning combo at Chez Lefort.  What child has not felt similar pangs in these settings?  The video answers the question:  why do we buy filets and not whole fish?  Enjoy, and then check out and download another new song off the album below, entitled In the Yard. And assuming you like what you hear and want to hear more, you can watch a mini-documentary about the making of The Clearing way below.  The band is headed out on tour in support of the new album, which you can stream in full HERE.  The tour dates are listed in full way below.

In the Yard

03-17 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
03-21 Washington, DC – Black Cat
03-22 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
03-23 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
03-24 Boston, MA – Paradise
03-26 Montreal, Quebec – La Sala Rossa
03-27 Toronto, Ontario – The Garrison
03-29 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
03-31 Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Centre
04-03 Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
04-04 Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
04-06 San Francisco, CA – The Independent
04-07 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
04-08 San Diego, CA – Casbah
04-11 Austin, TX – The Parish
04-12 Dallas, TX – The Loft
04-14 Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree
04-15 Atlanta, GA – The Earl

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are headed to Santa Barbara (Soho on May 21st) courtesy of Club Mercy.  Everyone loved their first album, but afterwards they’ve been met with some indifference as each new Flavor of the Week drew the attention of the bloggers.  By now they’ve established their long-term credibility, and we look forward to seeing them.  In the meantime check out this recent performance of Misspent Youth at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom.  The song’s lyrics follow (with a line or three reminding of Jeff Buckley and his plight).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWCRENgiQIQ&list=PL6F52271786E57066&index=7&feature=plcp

“The glory of a misspent youth
Chasing tire stains in muted thunder
Trading sex for drugs
And my Ophelia does not drown
She just barely hangs on

Now driving drunk in Daddy’s car
Honey, I won’t spoil the ending
But see that bend up in the road
Didn’t it seem that the night was little too quiet?

When it seems your subjects have all forgotten you
I need you to pretend that you are mine
And the water is just deep enough to take another chance
But the river doesn’t want you tonight

The engine was not built to last
And there’s a permanence to the memory of a bruise
And I still take it on the chin
For you”

We previously wrote about Toronto’s The Wooden Sky and their five-part series of live performance videos shot in the Grace On A Hill church in Toronto, all as directed by Scott Cudmore.  The band has now released “Part Two” of the series in which the band performs another beauty, Child of the Valley, off of their new album.

For the tiny number (yeah, right) of iPad owners out there, you can watch The Shins live courtsey of NPR Music at 7 pm Pacific tonight.  Tonight’s show at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City will undoubtedly feature songs from their impending album Port of Morrow.

The live concert will be streamed tonight only in the new NPR Music iPad app.  The free app can be downloaded in the iTunes app store.  If you are amongst the unwashed without an iPad, you can watch the show tomorrow on NPR’s website.  Read all about it HERE.

Sharon Van Etten has just released the official video for her fine new song, Leonard, off her recently released album, Tramp.    Check it out below (via LATimes.com).  We can’t wait to see her on March 20th at the Avalon in LA.

Up and coming band, Milagres (who we’ve written about before), is coming to Muddy Waters on March 21st, courtesy of Club Mercy.  The band is featured in NPR’s most recent Tiny Desk Concert.  Take some time to check them out (max of 12 minutes).  It’s well worth it.  And then get ye to Muddy Waters.  Leader, Kyle Wilson and the band gradually insinuate their way into your ears, not unlike the effect of Guy Garvey and Elbow.  Check out the Tiny Desk Concert below as the band plays Hard To Stay, Halfway and their popular Glowing Mouth (the title track of their most recent album).

Further to our recent posts about Bruce Springsteen appearances during Fallon’s Springsteen Week last week, you can stream the new Bruce Springsteen album, Wrecking Ball, below.  The album will be fully released tomorrow, so check it out while you can.  Our favorite:  Rocky Ground for its new elements (for Springsteen).  But in addition the hymnal horns within the album add heft and hue.

The Mynabirds are coming to Soho in Santa Barbara on March 11th in advance of the release of their sophomore album Generals on June 5th on Saddle Creek.  The band’s 2010′s debut, What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood, appeared in our Best Albums of 2010 list.  Since then lead singer-songwriter Laura Burhenn has been busy as a member of Bright Eyes’ touring band.  On the new album, Burhenn has again teamed up with winningly ascendant producer Richard Swift.  We’re advised that Generals is “filled with armies of stomps and claps, sweeping full spectrum orchestrations, and moments that range from intensely personal pleas to shout-out-loud protests with teeth.”  You can download and check out the propulsive title track below.  It’s a rocker with a vengeance.  Get your black boots and war paint on and head down to Soho on March 11th (tickets over at Club Mercy) to see the band, along with Portland’s Y La Bamba (stream their compelling new Steve Berlin-produced album, Court the Storm, below), and fellow Saddle Creek artist, Big Harp.

The mercurial Jack White was the musical guest on SNL last night, and he performed Love Interruption (with an all-female band) and Sixteen Saltines (with an all-male band) from his impending “solo” album, Blunderbuss.  You can’t say he isn’t egalitarian.  Like many, we love White’s oft-searing guitar playing, which can be found aplenty in Sixteen Saltines (but with some interesting effect twists).

Love Interruption:

Sixteen Saltines: