The good folks over at the much-hated Pitchfork continue to woo me through their love for Okkervil River. (And I hope my love for Okkervil River is rubbing off to you all.) Pitchfork introduced me about this great performance on Conan...
...and the official Okkervil video for "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe"...
...and this live video of "Unless It's Kicks"...
Here's the stuff I listen to when reading or doing something that takes considerable concentration, meaning, this stuff is mostly instrumental. I often turn to Explosions in the Sky (MySpace) as brilliant, thematic, engaging stuff. Eluvium has been a recent favorite on the more passive and ambient side (MySpace). Pelican, an instru-metal band from Chicago (MySpace) has been rocking my face off. The Field is a new edition to my collection, but already a very welcome one. Even when I'm perfectly still The Field has me dancing (MySpace). I've recently mentioned E.S.T., modern jazz (MySpace). Very good for the study.
One last thing. Cloud Cult's new one is really great: The Meaning of 8. This is one of those quirky bands that finds a way to make every song awesome in a way it's hard to fully describe. Here's an MTV interview.