New Decemberists!

There is a new Decemberists song that was released (sans money!) on their website today. It is called The Rake Song, and will be included on their new full length, The Hazards Of Love.

I'm not completely happy with this song, as it starts to get a little annoying at the end. I think the Decemberists have started to concentrate a little more on capping songs off at the three and a half minute mark, then actually creating quality songs. Y'know that's just me though, maybe I'm just another fan yearning for those Picaresque days?

Regardless of my opinion, give the song a listen. The Hazards Of Love is out 3/24 via Capitol.

The Rake Song - The Decemberists

01 "Prelude"
02 "Hazards Of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)"
03 "A Bower Scene"
04 "Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga)"
05 "Hazards Of Love 2 (Wager All)"
06 "The Queen's Approach"
07 "Isn't It A Lovely Night?"
08 "The Wanting Comes In Waves / Repaid"
09 "An Interlude"
10 "The Rake's Song"
11 "The Abduction Of Margaret"
12 "The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing"
13 "Annan Water"
14 "Margaret In Captivity"
15 "Hazards Of Love 3 (Revenge!)"
16 "The Wanting Comes In Waves" (Reprise)
17 "The Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned)"

On another note, I'm trying out a new file upload website,
so if there's any trouble, please send an email this way.

The raincoat you wore, I think it only made it rain more.

Good evening universe, and welcome to another fantastically Sunday evening, here on Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. This week has been just as hectic and inane as most other weeks of my existence, except this particular week is different. The reason this weekend is so very different, is because, for some unknown reason, Christmas is upon me. Now, I realize that it is still early November, and Christmas is a ways away. Still, something about the cold of this weekend, coupled with my 3534785430198571st viewing of A Christmas Story, has gotten me into the mood for Christmas. So, besides the regular new music goodness, today's post will include a very brief sneak preview, of what promises to be this years very extensive Christmas Mixtape.

First on the docket, we have a Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice favorite; The Decemberists.

Always The Bridesmaid; Never The Bride

The Decemberists have released their Always The Bridesmaid Vol.3 Single. The A-Side from said single, is a wonderful track entitled "Raincoat Song". It's very different from the other singles they have recently released, as it's very short, simple, and effectively sweet. Instead of giving you some inaccurate description of the song (it is objective, of course), you can listen to it here, via YouTube. Enjoy.



The Flaming Lips Share My Enthusiasm For Christmas! Yes!

I'm not even going to attempt to explain ...

The Flaming Lips YouTube Channel

The Movie's Website

The Wikipedia Page

By the looks of it (you can never really tell with those Flaming Lips) it's a movie! A science fiction movie! By The Flaming Lips! And it's about Christmas on Mars!

I'm pretty sure the unnecessary amount of exclamation marks, and the use of the words Flaming Lips and Christmas, are all you need to be convinced to buy this, or see it at the very least.

Free Radicals (Live) - The Flaming Lips

The Sneak Preview!

So, to cap off this incredibly short, and ultimately unsubstantial post, I'd like to give you a sneak preview of my Christmas Mixtape, which will be revealed in it's entirety (download-able form) in probably, about early to mid December. Voila ...

Once In David's Royal City - Sufjan Stevens

Silent Night - Tom Waits

Jinglebell Rock - The Arcade Fire

Hey Parker, It's Christmas - Ryan Adams

Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) - The Ramones

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas - Bing Crosby

... and, just to be a tease you can only download ONE of them. I know, I'm a jerk.

Have a wonderful evening.

Until Next Week?

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

The Decemberists will be releasing a new singles collection, before they set out to release their new album. Information's below;

Adored Mailing List Recipients,

Summer is upon us; our oscillating fans are circulating warm, jasmine-perfumed air through our bedrooms and ossuaries. The taste of tangerine sorbet is perpetually on one's palette. Our feet are finding themselves often submerged in mixing bowls filled with ice water. Summer is upon us.

Which brings to mind a slurry of news regarding your humble Pac NW Decemberists.

First and foremost, you'll be pleased to know that we've recorded a tidy heap of material which we're releasing as 12" vinyl and digital singles over the course of three Autumnal months. This 'singles series' is aptly titled "Always the Bridesmaid" and will prominently feature songs that the Decemberists really loved but presciently felt they would not fit on the band's forthcoming LP.

The first volume will hit fine indie record stores everywhere on October 14th, and will be comprised of "Valerie Plame," and "O New England" on the A and B side, respectively.

The second volume, "Days of Elaine" b/w "Days of Elaine (Long)" and "I'm Sticking With You," will be released on November 4th. In celebration of both Volume 2's release and the promise of a shiny new administration, the Decemberists will be performing "Valerie Plame" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on the 3rd of November.

The third and final volume, "Record Year for Rainfall," b/w "Raincoat Song," will be released on December 2nd.

Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series will be available on high-grade 12" vinyl and digital format in the US and 7" vinyl and digital in the UK. The lovely folks at Rough Trade will be overseeing the UK release of the series, Capitol Records will oversee the US digital release and the band's new imprint, Y.A.B.B. Records (in association with Jealous Butcher) will release the 12" vinyl version. The digital release will likely be available world-wide.

You can pre-order the 12" version of the singles on colored vinyl EXCLUSIVELY through the Decemberists Shop NOW. You can either have them arrive at your doorstep in the three installments or you can have them, all three, delivered in one shot around the release of the 3rd single on December 2nd. You'll be happy to know that no small effort has gone into the design and manufacture of these beauties -- each one will be on 180 gram vinyl in a rather lovely custom jacket. The shop will also be making available two (his 'n' hers) t-shirts to coincide with the singles' release.

And this mysterious LP which proved an inhospitable home to these little pop gems? The band is currently hard at work in the studio trying to tame its mangy throw. It's a tough bit of leather. . .a little mossy, a little evil. More on that later.

And what better time than summer to consider purchasing a fetching new t-shirt, as designed by Jason Munn of The Small Stakes. Jason did a nifty design for a Decemberists t-shirt, along with 19 other bands, and you can check them all out at www.insound.com/insound20. Drop in the code "Insound20dec" for a fan-friendly discount.

That's all for now! Keep those toes under water! And REGISTER TO VOTE!!!!

Yours,
The Decemberists
www.decemberists.com

The Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Manifesto

Good evening ladies and gentlemen; children and adults; Bourgeois and Proletarians. Today is a historic day, a monumental day, and an evening of epic proportions. In case you're unaware, I'd like to formally announce Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice's 100th post (fireworks and cheering). It's been a long, hard (that's what she said) journey, to this epic day. Up to this post, the bloggers here have clocked in almost 150 hours well spent. We have been dedicated to keeping your ears filled to the brim with fantastic, mind numbing goodness. So, today, as a thank you for your readership, we would like to share with you, for the first (well, kind of the second time), The Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Manifesto.

The Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Manifesto
written by Norman Nehmetallah
with contributions by Stuart Castillo

1. We promise to provide adequate and entertaining posts at least once daily.

2. We promise to keep our readers up to date on new music and artists.

3. We promise to be as unpretentious as possible (unless an appropriate occasion arises) and to keep our blog honest and humble.

4. We basically promise to try our best to not suck.

Now, we'd like to share with you ...

The Official Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice 100th Birthday Mixtape

1. Treehouse - I'm From Barcelona

2. Friend of the Devil - The Grateful Dead

3. 3000 Flowers - Destroyer

4. We Both Go Down Together - The Decemberists

5. The Season - The Dodos

6. Four Beds For BOAT - BOAT

7. What Goes On - Sufjan Stevens

You may have noticed, this mixtape has nothing to do with anything. Happy 100th!

Til' Tomorrow

Oh! Give us your vote, if you know what's good for you

Hello everyone, and welcome to another beautiful evening, here on Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. Now, it's been getting very warm these last couple days, which has me thinking about the summer time more and more. Graduation is close at hand and I've been mentally preparing myself for countless days of lazing about, playing guitar and recording music. So, I figured there would be no better way to really prepare for the summer than making, yeah you guessed it, a summer mixtape. This activity usually takes place sometime in mid-June, but I thought I'd get an early start on it, y'know, being the clever individual I am. So, without further ado, I present to you, my dear readers, an official Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Mixtape.

An Official Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Mixtape; Blogger See, Blogger Do (A Summer Mixtape)

1. Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave

2. Later Operator - All Girl Summer Fun Band

3. Summersong - The Decemberists

4. Summer Babe - Pavement

5. David's Last Summer - Pulp

6. Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft

(I'm pretty sure this riff was lifted by Destroyer for Shooting Rockets)

7.That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy - The Twilight Sad

8.Nothing's Ever Gonna Stand In My Way (Again) - Wilco

9. The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf

10. Your English Is Good - Tokyo Police Club

Til' Tomorrow

The stain in the carpet, this drink in my hand.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another lovely Wednesday edition of Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. As most of you may or may not know (actually, there's a very strong possibility that none of you know), both of my sisters are going to New York tomorrow for a couple days, on a school field trip. Immediately after this, my oldest sister Tracey, is going to be leaving to Italy for 3 months (teaching English to little Italy kids!). Now, you may think that my sister leaving for this significant amount of time would bother me. Nope, not even in the slightest. I'm not going to go into detail. but let's just say that my sister is really... MEAN. Mean is definitely a good starter word, but be weary, because mean is a gateway word to a whole mass of obscenities that I don't care to soil this blogs reputation by using. Anyways! Today's mixtape is going to be a collection of songs about being on both sides of the spectrum, the leaver and the left. So, take a little bit of time out of your busy Wednesday night schedule (NOBODY has a busy Wednesday night) and enjoy this mixtape!

An Official Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Mixtape; Before You Were Gone

1. Come Home Baby Julie, Come Home - American Analog Set

(I know I've already posted this, but c'mon!)

2. Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then) - The Decemberists

3. Done Left Here - Mississippi Fred McDowell

4. Left & Leaving - The Weakerthans & Sarah Harmer

(A little bit of skips here and there)

5. Before You Drive Away - Model Photographer

6. Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye - Leonard Cohen

So, I hope you enjoyed that fine collection of songs.

Til' Tomorrow

Mother, do you think they'll like this song?

Good morning everyone, and welcome to another Sunday here on Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. Today's edition will feature the first ever Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice official Mother's Day Mixtape. So, grab a blank disc, a sharpie and your mother; and prepare yourself for this mother of a mixtape. Enjoy;

The Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Official Mother's Day Mixtape; Mother, Do You Think They'll Like This Song?
WARNING: IF YOUR MOTHER IS ANYTHING LIKE MINE, SHE MIGHT HATE THIS MIX

Track Listing:

1.Mother- Pink Floyd
2.Your Mother Should Know - The Beatles
3.We Share Our Mothers Health - The Knife
4.Grendel's Mother- The Mountain Goats
5.Mama, You Been On My Mind - Bob Dylan
6.Tessellate - Tokyo Police Club
7.My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist - The Decemberists
8.Mother/Father - Swans
9. Mother Stands For Comfort - Kate Bush

So, get off your computer and go spend some time with your mother!

Til' Tomorrow

There's a tough word; On your crossword

Welcome everyone, to this weeks Album of the Week, here on Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. As many of you already know, every Saturday, I write a post that showcases one of my favorite albums. So, without further ado, I present to you ... the very prestigious Album of the Week.

This weeks Album of the Week ; Picaresque - The Decemberists

Upon discovering this album, many years ago, I did not listen to good music. Well, to be fair, I listened to my share of good music, but my musical archive was still littered with artists such as Eminem; 50 Cent; Good Charlotte...well, you get the point. This album was a major turning point for me. I had already gotten into classic rock rather heavy, but this album started to slowly morph my tastes in music. I can clearly remember riding in the car with my father, repeating the track "The Mariner's Revenge Song", which he thought was the weirdest thing he'd ever heard (He would periodically get annoyed and hit the button for the oldies station).

So, I think it's obvious that this record has definitely made quite an impact on me, which warrants the title Album of the Week. So now, I'd like to share a couple tracks from the album. From the dramatic drum roll of The Infanta, to the mournful, brilliantly written Eli, The Barrow Boy and finally the flair and grandeur of The Mariner's Revenge Song. Enjoy.

Eli, The Barrow Boy

The Infanta

The Mariner's Revenge Song

Til' Tomorrow

A long distance call to a mystery blonde

Hello, and welcome to the Sunday Edition of Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. I thought that instead of doing a general Sunday mixtape today, I thought I would let the vicissitudes that I so often try to repress in this blog be. My impetus for doing this mixtape is well ... nothing?. I just happen to think that a mixtape revolving around the human body is rather fascinating, so I'm going to give it a shot. Tell me what you think.
Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Sunday Mixtape: The Human Body

The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Foam Hands - Destroyer

Red Right Ankle - The Decemberists

Without A Face - Rage Against The Machine

Flightless Bird, American Mouth - Iron & Wine

Bigmouth Strikes Again - The Smiths

Pale Blue Eyes - The Velvet Underground

So, I hope everyone enjoyed today's special Sunday mixtape. On another note, I have a couple updates to tell you about;

1) I'm looking for another contributor to, well, contribute to the blog. If you have an idea for a theme or think you might want to contribute regularly, leave a comment in the comment box.

2) I'm seriously considering volunteering for a show at CJAM 91.5. If anyone is interested in co-hosting a weekly radio program with me, please, leave a comment in the comment box.

Yes, I suffer from a horrible aboulia, and therefore, lack the will to make a decision by myself. So, I'm seriously asking for some opinions on the above matters.

Thanks, and enjoy your Sunday.