Hillstomp - "Cardiac Arrest In D" Video

If I wasn't going to what should be a wild costume party, I'd be bummed that I'm once again missing a Hillstomp show. I first got hooked on the Portland band's gritty Delta blues coming over the speakers at the New Old Lompoc. Turns out our waitress had just seen them the night before and she couldn't stop playing the CD she picked up at the show. As you can see in the video, they play the blues in a raw and abrasive style similar to R.L. Burnside and the rest of the old Fat Possum Records roster.

They're playing at the Ash Street Saloon's 15 Year Anniversary Halloween Party. Should be a blast.

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast & Useless Creatures (2009)

Between Noble Beast and Useless Creatures, Andrew Bird is releasing nearly 2 hours of new music to kick off 2009. Not too surprisingly, Bird delivers excellence again with catchy & easy to listen to string ensambles, mellow vocals and carefree whistling throughout Noble Beast. Nothing crazy or cutting edge here, but consistent creative quality that both soothes and entertains—a stellar follow-up to Bird's captivating 2007 release Armchair Apocrypha. Useless Creatures, the accompanying "bonus EP," is all instrumental strangeness, albeit interesting and surprisingly listenable, that plays like the soundtrack to an artistic indie film. They may not be useless, but they certainly are odd creatures. All in all a must listen for this early year, and another feather in the cap of this extremely talented and creative multi-instrumentalist.

Grab a listen to: "Not a Robot, But a Ghost," "Fitz & Dizzyspells," and "Anonanimal" (especially after the jazzy snare drum interlude).