Bishop Allen, driven by Justin Rice (vocals & keyboards) & Christian Rudder (stringed thingies), is an amazing find. Whether you ran into their sound 5 years ago or if this is the first time you are hearing about them. Everything they produce is delightful, catchy, and indie perfect. I first heard ‘calendar’ off of their EP collection and have been craving more ever since.

Their most recent album “The Broken String”(2007) is amazing especially with Darbie Nowatka providing backup vocals on some songs and lead vocals on ‘Butterfly Nets’.

“Grrr…” is their third full length album scheduled to be released on March 10, 2009. I have yet to hear anything from these guys that I do not like. So I am thinking “Grrr…” is going to be some sweet audio deliciousness.

Check out a few songs off of “The Broken String”:
Bishop Allen - Butterfly Nets
Bishop Allen - Click Click Click Click
Bishop Allen - Like Castanets
. . . song off of “Charm School”:
Bishop Allen - Eve of Destruction
Bishop Allen - Things Are What You Make of Them
. . . song off of “EP Vol. 2″:
Bishop Allen - Calendar

Bishop Allen - Website
Bishop Allen - MySpace

Buy this sweet audio deliciousness (download or album):
Bishop Allen - The Broken String

Bishop Allen - Charm School

Bishop Allen - EP Collection Vol 2

*** Link Coming as soon as “Grrr…” is available ***

. . . . . time for an 80s Analepsis bringing you back to the songs of the 80s that were cool. OK, maybe they were not totally cool, but what is important is that you thought you were cool listening to these songs. Each song below cut a permanent niche into 80s music history.

Gary Numan - Cars
Devo - Whip It
Falco - Der Kommissar
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SidVision Ultimate 2008 BEST OF List

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2008! The year that brought Bill Gates and Slash on the same stage . . . holding guitars . . . together . . . pretending to rock out . . . together . . . yeechhk!

SidVision doesn’t need to create a “best of 2008″ list. All the posts this year on SidVision represent the majority of what we listened to and loved. Take a look through our posts from this year to get a good feel for what we like, or check out our JukeBox

The next best thing is to do what we do. Breeze through Best Of lists on many other music blogs and find some gems of your own. Check out our list that summarizes the Best Of lists from some of our favorite blogs:

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SidVision Ultimate 2008 BEST OF List

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I bought this soundtrack “Instrument” by Fugazi about 8 years ago. It is a soundtrack to their 1999 video of the same name that is more of a hodge podge of genius indie ideas and trials. I have seen a few reviews ripping on this album as a “bad introduction” to Fugazi. I disagree. Obviously their albums like “The Argument” are well rounded and solid songs, but that is not what this album is about. Instrument is a great sampling of demos, practice, and experiments in sound that gives you a good feel for Fugazi and its raw punk rock delivery.

Check out a few songs off of “Instrument”:
Fugazi - Lusty Scripps
Fugazi - Arpeggiator Demo
Fugazi - Turkish Disco

Fugazi - Website
Fugazi - MySpace

Get yourself a smooth copy of ‘Instrument’:
Fugazi - Instrument

OK, where in the world did the summer go. I haven’t had time to post anything for a month. SidVision will get its act together real quicklike. Until then enjoy an entertaining video from one of the most talented DJs out there. This guy can scratch and has been doing it for a long time. This video is a bit whimsical, but don’t let that fool you. Q-Bert is a sick mad sratchin’ genius that can throw-down with the best of them.

DJ Q-Bert Website
DJ Q-Bert MySpace

Ya, that is right, TR2N (i.e., Tron 2). Check out the bootleg trailer of TR2N at our TUBLR posting for 7/31/08. It is a great reminder of why we loved Jeff Bridges before the Big Lebowski ever came along. Not to mention the Tron game I couldn’t stop playing in the 80’s.
SidVision.Tumblr.Com
The true geek test? Watch the entire trailer, and if you have goose bumps by end of the trailer, you are a true geek . . . . congrats!

A great indie rock band out of Brooklyn, these guys are singin’-poppin’-catchy tune rockin’. The French Kicks have been around for the entire ‘Naughties’ (2000’s) putting out 4 full length albums. Their newest just came out in May 2008 - “Swimming”. They have a sound that combines the raw rock of the White Stripes / and the Strokes with the softer sound of Squeeze.

French Kicks - Abandon off of ‘Swimming’
French Kicks - Oh Fine off of ‘The Trial of The Century’
French Kicks - So Far We Are off of ‘Two Thousand’

French Kicks - Website
French Kicks - MySpace

Treat yourself to some fine albums or downloads from French Kicks:
French Kicks - Swimming
French Kicks - The Trial of The Century
French Kicks - Two Thousand

What a great find on So Much Silence. I love Band of Horses and this is a 43 minute live performance from October 2007 at Amoeba Music in Hollywood California.

Wait a few seconds for the start of the video to be queued. This video is great quality so hit the “FULL SCREEN” option to enjoy . . . oh ya and turn up the volume.

UK native John Keston and Bay area Nils Westdal play organic electric jazzy music. Most of their music gives you a funky, jivin’, sit back & relax, groove on down . . .feel. I love instrumental groups, especially if they know how to set a nice groove and are spewing with talent. Keston and Westdal absolutely fit that profile. They are a good cross between some of my favorites: Thievery Corporation, The Baldwin Brothers, and Medeski Martin & Wood.

The Keston and Westdal - Panopticon
The Keston and Westdal - Sony’s Cut

Keston and Westdal - Website
Keston and Westdal - MySpace

Keston and Westdal Albums

The Rumble Strips . . . an English band from Tavistock, Devon. The band takes their name from (believe it or not) rumble strips (i.e., ya those lines of raised bumps along the edge of a road used to wake up sleepy drivers). I not sure these guys will like the comparison, but they have a melodic and interesting energy that reminds me of older Cure tunes, especially the inclusion of the horns (trumpet / sax) with their songs.

Their debut album, Girls And Weather, was released in September of 2007:
The Rumble Strips - Girls and Boys in Love
The Rumble Strips - Motorcycle
The Rumble Strips - No Soul

The Rumble Strips - Website
The Rumble Strips - MySpace

The Rumble Strips - Girls and Weather

We found a cool site where you can create your own online Mix Tape (i.e., for those of us old enough to be very familar with mix tapes). You share up to 12 MP3s, creating your own “Virtual Mix Tape”. Registration is free.
MuxTape

Check out SidVision’s Mix tape: SidVision MuxTape
This is a great way for SidVision to share what songs we are currently listening to. Check it out.

OK, so I’ve heard of ‘OF MONTREAL’ for years but never taken the time to get a good feel for their sound. Yes, I know . . . I have been hiding under a rock. Anyway I have jumped in head first and I really likey likey! They are unique, and crazy. Sweet beats, electro groove, original songs, with a touch of the evil scientist thrown in.

Their 2007 album “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?” is dy-no-mite. That’s right . . .JJ Walker style. I love how their songs are truly songs and not just music backing the lead singer. The vocals on most songs seem to just blend into the music (Pink Floyd - Animals style). The album is a real album to be listened to from beginning to end, however each song is its own quirky masterpiece.

Check out 2 of their songs off of “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?”

Of Montreal - Faberge Falls for Shuggie
Of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit

Get their album “Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?”:
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Of Montreal - Website
Of Montreal - MySpace

Before Nirvana, NIN, Ministry, etc. there was Killing Joke. Classified as an ‘English post-rock punk band’ (ya I am not sure what that means either), this band is always an in your face, raw sounding, punk rock band.

I used to listen to their song “Eighties” over and over as it was the first song on one of my skate-ratt mix tapes when I was growing up (yes in the 80’s). I recorded it off of a pretty cool indie local university radio station. Check out their myspace page below for some more current songs.

Check it out:
Killing Joke - Eighties

Get their album “Night Time”:
Killing Joke - Night Time

Killing Joke - Website
Killing Joke - MySpace

The Foo Fighters . . .one of the loudest bands I have ever seen live. Also one of the most deep rocking rocking bands that kick your ass with true rock heart and soul.

Check out their latest video of the song “Pretender” off of their new album due out in late September (Echoes Silence Patience & Grace).

Foo Fighters - Website
Foo Fighters - MySpace

Support SidVision - Buy this album using this link:
The Foo Fighters: Echoes Silence Patience & Grace