After 10 years, 3 albums, and 328 shows, The Rest have decided to call it a day. We originally started with the intent of making music with as many friends as possible, without any direction outside of that one goal. The seven of us made this band our whole lives, and amazingly without sacrificing our commitment to each other. A messy divorce with name calling, hair pulling, and gear custody seemed to be the logical end. Surprisingly, it’s not a drama-filled decision. This is the right time for us to move on. It’s that simple.

Name calling, hair pulling, and gear custody would be easier to take.  But this?  A mature, reasoned realization that it was time to move on?  How are fans supposed to process that?

Kidding aside, I am deeply disappointed to have to report this news.  As one of the most talented and underrated indie bands currently making music, I was looking forward whatever The Rest had in store for us next.  I'm not any good at these farewell tribute-y things, so I'll just say this: The music landscape is losing something special, and that's a real shame.

If you happen to live in the vicinity of Toronto or Hamilton, the band will be playing two final shows next month:

June 4 @ The Drake Hotel
June 8 @ Dundas Valley Montessori School

This post The Rest is breaking up first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

Anyway, in a highly unusual step, Marling released the first four songs from the new album via short film, "When Brave Bird Saved," further cementing her as one of the most unique and talented artists recording music today.  There's strong evidence in these four songs that Marling is prepared to knock us all over with her best offering yet.

Now she's released the fifth song, "Master Hunter," this time with its own standalone video.  In some ways this is the most aggressive statement we've heard from Marling, and the video certainly bears that out.  She's alluded to this fierce independence before, such as in Creature's "The Muse" ("I'm nothing but the beast / And I'll call on you when I need to feast"), but "Master Hunter" finds Marling in no mood to mince words: "You want a woman who will call your name / It ain't me, babe."

Once I Was An Eagle is available for preorder from Laura Marling's website.  Here's the full tracklist:

1. Take The Night Off
2. I Was An Eagle
3. You Know
4. Breathe
5. Master Hunter
6. Little Love Caster
7. Devil's Resting Place
8. Interlude
9. Undine
10. Where Can I Go?
11. Once
12. Pray For Me
13. When Were You Happy? (And How Long Has That Been)
14. Love Be Brave
15. Little Bird
16. Saved These Words

This post Laura Marling, “Master Hunter” first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

I would have much more to say, but it's taken me weeks just to get this far.  I blame the New-Dad Effect.

Check out the video (and don't forget to hit up bandcamp for that free download of the EP):

This post The Travelling Band, “Hands Up” first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

Watch Matthew Houck and his backup orchestra perform "Song for Zula" on Fallon:

Muchacho is out now via Dead Oceans.

This post Phosphorescent, “Song for Zula” (live on Fallon) first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

Album of the Day is a new venture here at Given and Taken in Ink, in which we feature an album that's worth mentioning despite not being the newest batch of tunes on the street.  We didn't go too far back for this first installment, with the #14 pick in GTI's Best Albums of 2012 post.  Still,

I actually had a tough time getting into Blunderbuss, unlike most of Jack White's band-material. The album contains some of his best songwriting, but avoids some of the musical punch of the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and the Dead Weather. That's a fairly standard pattern for band-leader-turned-solo-artist, but I think it's also a bit too simple a description for Blunderbuss. It's definitely a record that gets better with repeated listens, but like the man himself, it can be somewhat inscrutable. Some of that has to do with expectations; if you're looking for the punky energy of the White Stripes, you won't find it here. Instead, White employs the piano more often than he's ever done before (although it wasn't apparent from the songs chosen as singles), and shifts among classic blues, rock, and R&B at will. There's a catchy immediacy to songs like "I'm Shakin'," but others like "Weep Themselves to Sleep" could easily fall into the background if not given the close attention they deserve.

And while it all sounds great, it's his words that are perhaps most important here. Much of Blunderbuss feels like a kiss-off to the White Stripes (or, specifically, ex-wife/bandmate Meg White), particularly on "Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy." In fact, "kiss-off" might be too strong; more than any other emotion, Blunderbuss reveals White as deeply disappointed. And maybe that's the source of my (personal) hesitance with the record. As rock music goes, extreme emotions play much better - anger, love, joy, despair. But at age 36, White seems to have realized that adulthood is a scam - and for many of us, that's a sentiment that hits just a little too close to home.

I'm Shakin':

Freedom At 21:

This post Album of the Day: Jack White, Blunderbuss (2012) first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

This video takes advantage of the "rolling shutter" issue in digital cinematography, a problem inherent in all DSLR cameras with CMOS sensors. The progressive scan of each frame of video leads to the distortion of fast-moving objects, or sometimes turns shaky footage to jello. We turned that on its head and presented the effect creatively, as Guitars, cellos, desk fans, and hummingbirds become warped in a surreal way. An entirely in-camera effect with no post-production necessary.

Have a look and let me know what you think:

Seesaw is available from Auteur Recordings and the Rest's bandcamp page.

This post The Rest, “Who Knows” [official video] first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

This post Air Marshal Landing, “Little Town” first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

Do my crying underwater,
I can’t get down any farther.
All my drowning friends can see,
Now there is no running from it.
It’s become the crux of me,
I wish that I could rise above it.

Still, as just about any National fan will tell you, the band's best songs tend to be the ones that don't immediately grab your attention, but build over time.  (I have no idea what those fans are talking about.  Play me "Abel" or "Bloodbuzz Ohio" any day of the week and I'd never get bored.  But I digress...)

Check out the video for "Demons," featuring illustration by Azar Kazimir:

Or just audio:

Trouble Will Find Me is due for release on May 21 via 4AD.  It's available for preorder via the usual locations.

This post The National, “Demons” first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

Due to the whole birth-of-first-child thing, I haven't really had a chance to feature some of the big albums that were released in early 2013.  We've seen new music from Yo La Tengo, Frightened Rabbit, Josh Ritter, Phosphorescent, and Local Natives, along with Kurt Vile's new album coming soon.  But now you can find some of the best songs from those releases, all in the same place (yay Internet!).

But GTI hasn't entirely dropped the ball.  We made a point of reviewing City Reign's great new album, along with featuring singles from Ryan Adams, Caveman, Stone Cold Fox, Rilo Kiley, and Ivan & Alyosha.  They reprise their awesomeness here.

Finally, as always, releasing a new mix gives me a chance to share previews of some new indie rock stuff coming down the pike, namely Wildlife and the Travelling Band.  Look for more in-depth posts on both bands soon.

Let me know if you like The Beginning of Spring by clicking the heart icon in the widget.  Enjoy!

The Beginning of Spring (2013) from gtimusic on 8tracks Radio.

Here's the full playlist:

1. City Reign - Anchor
2. Wildlife - Born to Ruin
3. The Strokes - All the Time
4. Yo La Tengo - Ohm
5. Rilo Kiley - Let Me Back In
6. Ryan Adams - Shining Through the Dark
7. Frightened Rabbit - Backyard Skulls
8. Caveman - In The City
9. Stone Cold Fox - Seventeen
10. Local Natives - Breakers
11. Josh Ritter - Evil Eye
12. The Travelling Band - Hands Up
13. Phosphorescent - Song for Zula
14. Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Day
15. Ivan & Alyosha - Running for Cover

Spotify is missing "Hands Up," but here's the rest:

This post The Beginning of Spring, an indie rock mix for early 2013 first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.

The Modern Egotist is out now and can be purchased via Burning Jet Black's bandcamp page or via iTunes:

This post Burning Jet Black, “Bleeding Heart” first appeared on Given and Taken in Ink.