FYI

So the Primavera Sound entries will unfortunately be sans pictures for about 9 days, as in my hasty packing, I brought my camera but not my USB cable. It starts in about four hours. I'm stoked.

The Malls are the Soon-to-be Ghost Towns

I will be in various parts of Europe from tonight until the second week of June. I will try to post about Primavera Sound Festival when I'm in Barcelona, though I make no promises. Otherwise, posting will resume when I get back.

Don Peris

Don Peris, in addition to being a founding member of the Innocence Mission, the Lancaster PA-based group that had a few minor chart singles in the late 80s / early 90s, also has a couple solo albums. I recently heard one of them for the first time and was very much impressed. I am still kind of busy, too busy to give a lengthy post (and I am trying to cut my post sizes down on everything but my absolute favorite bands, anyway), but thought people might like this. It's an unreleased track of his called "Blossom of May." Very pretty acoustic piece. Have at it:

Don Peris - Blossom of May

Sweet Beliefs

Cyann and Ben, despite the name, are actually a quartet based in France. They used to be on Gooom, now they are on Ever Records. You might have heard of them because they are on the last M83 album, if that is your sort of thing. Regardless, their most recent record, Sweet Beliefs (which is actually not that recent) is something I recently stumbled across on Pandora, and it's worth checking out.

Again, I am in my finals week hell here, so I am going to go for less talk and more rock (well, loosely defined "rock", anyway). This is the title track from that record.

Cyann and Ben - Sweet Beliefs

Helvetia

Helvetia (pronounced Hel-wait-zia) are an excellent rock band from the Pacific Northwest. I first had the pleasure of hearing them as openers for Built to Spill and Camper van Beethoven at the 930 Club back in the fall, an excellent show which is available as a stream via NPR here, although Helvetia's set is absent. They sound a little bit like Built to Spill, especially on their older material, but equally as much like some other things I haven't quite pinned down yet.

Their great misfortune is that their former label, The Static Cult, effectively folded. The label's site says that all future releases will be limited editions, which would put a damper on any band trying to actually, you know, succeed. Right now it appears they are working with Up Records, which isn't a bad place to be, given that label's historic ties to Built to Spill and numerous other great bands.

One of the other great reasons it seemed time to do a post on them is that I can provide you with a whole bunch of music without having to upload any. Their MySpace has four tracks from the forthcoming The Acrobats, all downloadable. You can also get a couple of older tracks here. Give it a listen.

Crunch Time

As many of you know, I am finishing up my last year of undergrad at the moment. I hope you will bear with me if the posting runs a little dry between now and the 20th. Forthcoming at the end of the month though: blogging Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona. Word.