The first time I ever heard The Olympics, I was about to graduate college and fretting over the fact that my college radio days were numbered. Reliving a decision from the previous spring, several friends and I made a rather impromptu 3-hour road trip see The Envy Corps in the middle of the week, down at The Blue Moose Tap House in Iowa City. (The year before it had been a desire to see Other Lives and S. Carey at The Mill, which was not regretted.) As a part of this journey, a fellow radio station DJ and I had set up an interview with Luke and Brandon of The Envy Corps; milking my college radio DJ position to the last drop. These guys are also originally from my hometown of Ames, Iowa, and despite the fact they are also one of my top 10 favorite bands, I had never seen them live. So my expectations were high as we sped south on the highway, attempting to get there early enough to make this all possible. 

And yes, the interview was quite fun, and seeing The Envy Corps for the first time was memorable. But the memory that stands out the most is being surprised and impressed by the openers, The Olympics, who I knew nothing about beforehand. Then almost a year later, in the dead of winter at the Maintenance Shop on Iowa State University's campus, I drove 4 hours south to see Snowmine, another of my top 10 favorite bands. And who was opening? The Olympics. Coincidence? I think not. In fact, these guys have played with many of my other favorites, including Dear and the Headlights, Yellow Ostrich, Blackbird Blackbird, Now Now, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Miniature Tigers, White Rabbits, and more. My theory is: good bands who play with great bands, become great bands. 

So the guys and I got to talking and we've kept in touch since. Although I've known for a while that The Olympics are working on a new album, this past week Jeff gave me a sneak peek at the latest music video, and now I'm passing that off to you. "Who Are You?" premiered today on Newdust.com, and I highly suggest you take a look. 

Besides the fantastic camera work, both the music and the story-line are well thought out and well performed. Known usually for the brighter atmosphere in their sound and headnod to the time of sock hops, this time around The Olympics get dark and grungy: embracing a tone that has matured and allowed them to take risks, exploring the edges of expectation while creating a dynamic audio and visual experience. With elements of a Miyazaki nightmare, Jeff's character wrestles with a picturesque romance while demons roam in the mind, and possibly, on the beach. This dive into the dark and twisted for The Olympics is bold, but like every time I've ever seen the Olympics live, it meets and surpasses every expectation. I wait eagerly for rest of the album. 

The following opinions are those of The Aural Premonition.
When a company is no longer successful enough for its consumer base to buy their product out of free will and choice, it will first include free extras of some kind to entice the buyer into continuing loyalty. Then it might try to make that choice for them, making its products difficult or impossible to use with other brands or systems. And in the recent case of Apple and U2's new album, Songs of Innocence, it simply force fed its customers a product without warning.

This is disturbing on several levels. Not only did Apple deny its consumer clients a choice in whether or not to acquire U2's new album (which could have been done with a simple add or download option), Apple enforced its authority and control over people's personal music libraries (although "personal" is not really accurate, as Apple retains a level of ownership of all iTunes tracks), by adding in the U2 album for them, whether they desired it or not. This was not a free offer of music to all Apple consumers, this was an infringement on privacy, personal preference, and an affront on the ethics of the music industry.

From the tiniest of indie scenes to the major world of Top 40 and multi-millionaire musicians and producers, the foundation of the music industry in America is based on choice. Don't like the song? Change the station. Really like the song? Request it on air or buy it and listen to 50 times in a row. Excited about a band? Go see them on tour, or stream their live performance online. Dislike a song or its message? State your opinions where you like, or petition it off the radio if you desire. America is obsessed with music, with bands, with experiences, and whether or not you like the most popular music today, you have the freedom to choose exactly what you listen to any day of the week. Choice is where the power and agency of the listener is embodied, and listeners and professional musicians are intrinsically dependent on each other. Without choice, the whole system fails to work properly.

And by taking away the option of choice in purchasing or downloading U2's album, Apple has reduced the value of Songs of Innocence to nothing. While the bigger name musician you are, the less hype your music needs to sell, that doesn't mean that it deserves to be automatically added to anyone's library. Artists such as Beyonce have released entire albums and corresponding music videos without warning to great success, flipping the tactic of anticipation in marketing on its head. Some artists give away new albums for free for a limited time, sparking excitement and urgency. But there is always, ALWAYS, a choice in a person owning the music. Spending your hard-earned money on an album not only supports the musicians who have created the music (and the labels that support them, and the record stores that sell it, etc.), but it is a demonstration of worth towards that product. It is proven that as consumers we highly value what we pay for, more than if we just got it for free.

The automatic installation of this music into your iTunes library is like if your famous older cousin was like "ehh I don't like this classic designer shirt I bought last week," came into your apartment without asking or you knowing about it, hung it in your closet and left. Only to announce later that day that they so graciously gave you this new shirt because they "thought you would looove it!" and you are left standing there thinking: "how did you get in my apartment without a key?!? and you've been in my closet?!! What? Why?!" Maybe in a day you'll finally look at the thing and realize it's not that ugly, and maybe you'll wear it (if it fits), but the confusion and shock of its sudden appearance in your life will taint its reputation forever.

So no, U2 and Apple, no one was thinking "oh my gosh I got a free album! how thoughtful of them!" when it showed up in their libraries. They were thinking "How did this get in my library?! Apple can do this without my permission?!" And then a day later maybe they got around to listening to it and thought, "well, it's not a bad album at least..." But it will forever be The Album That Apple Put In My iTune Library, not "the U2 album that proved the band was still relevant in 2014." And as Fortune magazine notes, “U2 lead [singer] Bono noted on the band’s site the day of the release that everyone might not appreciate the gift.” No really. 

This whole situation got me thinking about the work that I do. I claim to find “what you wanted to hear before you knew it existed” and let you know about it. That sounds a bit like I’m choosing the music for you, that I am taking away your choice. On the contrary – I am like the host of a large party with many friends who have not yet met: I help create connections, start up introductions, and then each person can decide for themselves who they would like to spend more time with, or never talk to again.

My mission is to introduce people to new music that they can take or leave, buy and go see live or never care about again. But I am not paid to tell you to listen to anything, ever. Either I have been asked personally by a band to share their music, or I personally admire a band's sound and desire to share it so that you can enjoy it, too. And I never recommend anything that I don't feel is worth at least one listen, whether it is to broaden your experience with music, or just get out of your comfort zone once in a while. Most of it I am unabashedly in love with, and I suspect you might end up in love with it, too. I aspire to create a more informed choice, to reduce limits, to be able to listen to more of what you love rather than less.

More choices equal better a situation for all… Sounds a bit like the greater economy of capitalism we live in, which the music industry reflects: consumer choice determines who is successful and who will need to change their strategy. So when a powerful company takes choice out of the game, it's not playing by the same rules anymore; it's cheating because it knows it won’t win if it lets people choose. And Apple hasn't ever played fair to begin with, cornering the market and paying the musicians who create the music they sell measly sums compared with the massive profits iTunes rakes in.

Luckily, there is one choice that a consumer can always make: not buying a company's products.

So here's to choice - to Bandcamp, to SoundCloud, to all the independent magazines and blogs and radio stations and writers out there who support and spread their un-bought thoughts across the world, and to good old word of mouth, for giving us the ability to make our own discoveries and choices about the music we listen to, purchase, and live by. And to the hard-working musicians who make it possible for us to do so.

For the record: I have only ever bought 2 albums off of iTunes and have never owned an Apple product in my entire life, and I am alive and doing well - and as a music critic and promoter to boot.

So last winter I made a holiday mixtape (or CD, rather) by tag surfing on Bandcamp, clicking on anything that said "holiday," "Christmas," "snow," or what have you, and then listening to the bands that came up from those searches. One of my best finds was a musician named Paul Cook & The Chronicles, who I opened the mix with. I barely promoted the mix, as I was so frustrated with the website I used to make the streaming version, that once I posted it I forgot all about it. 

Little did I know, Paul would find out that I had included his song on my mix, and half a year later, email me in May with his new EP, Radar. It sounded much too familiar, and after doing some research, I realized his email wasn't as random as I thought! So I am pleased to present to you both his new 3-song Radar EP and his latest single, "Come Out Wherever You Are," which is currently a free download - for the next few weeks at least. The track was produced and co-written with Todd Roache, who also worked on Radar with Paul. 

Paul was also kind enough to respond to some questions via email, which are below. Get to know him better by reading the interview highlights, liking his Facebook page, and checking out the many other releases he has, all onhis Bandcamp! 

KS: Are there any specific musicians whose sound have greatly influenced you? or unrelated favorite musicians?
PC: Simon & Garfunkel, Elliot Smith, and Gram Parsons, but with a huge dose of huge pop music. With Radar I'm trying to bring back some of that Indie Pop vibe. 

KS: What has gone into the making of this EP? Any specific inspirations or ideas, events, etc. or anything in the process different than previous releases? 
PC: ...I’ve been doing the folky/country acoustic guitar thing for a while but I noticed at a recent gig that every one of the ten songwriters playing had this same finger picking style and ernest delivery. I just found it all a bit dreary as no one really stood out. So I wanted to get away from that for a while so I can hopefully approach it with fresh ears/eyes if I feel the need to put some new heartbreak into a folky tune. So with this one I approached this guy I know called Todd Roache who was in an incredibly underrated band by the name of The Heart Strings... it was great to send him some rough ideas and see what magic he could work.  

KS: Anything else that we should know?
PC: ...Probably just the fact that there are going to be more tracks/EPs on the way very soon. The lead track on the next EP is a song called "A Real Thunderbolt" that I can't wait to get out there - I'm hoping we might have it streaming in July some time if we can get it done in time.  So keep your ears peeled for that people of the world! 

It's the middle of July, and Minneapolis is feeling some serious heat - which means it's the perfect time to for a new summer single from my friends Chris and Rebekah, also known as Bora York. I met this adorably talented couple in fall of 2012, right when I had moved to Minneapolis and they were promoting their first release, Dreaming Free. Joined by friends and his lovely wife, this new band of Chris Bartels' had set off in a different direction than Bartels' own music, on his label Anthem Falls Music. 

This new single from Bora York, "Let Loose," has again branched off in a different direction, with a catchy, peppy vibe that will have you playing it on repeat: in your car, in your apartment, or biking around the city. And soon Bora York will be releasing another album continuing on this same sound, sometime later in 2014. If you're in Minneapolis this fall, be sure to hear them live and say hello - they'll be opening for The Dig in September at First Avenue (7th Street Entry). 

It has been too long since I've thrown together a summer mix, let alone one with all the latest and greatest releases. So here it is! The Late Summer Sampler. Remember - if you get in touch, I'll send you one for free! Although I highly recommend owning each of these albums in full. 

This mix features some of my good friends (Bora York, The River Monks), bands I met in person (Hollow & Akimbo, Geographer), great recommendations (Glass Animals, Trails and Ways, Waterstrider), written and upcoming reviews (Emma Ruth Rundle, Paul Cook), those who have responded to my love on Twitter (Hannah Georgas, Speak), bigger name indie bands (Arctic Monkeys, First Aid Kit, Wye Oak), as well as bands I secretly admire from afar (Khushi, Douglas Dare, Low Roar, Sylvan Esso, Kiev). 

Pools, Glass Animals
Falling Bough, Kiev
Peaks, Speak
Swim, Douglas Dare
Sick Talk, Wye Oak
Nunca, Trails and Ways
Redwood, Waterstrider
Fantasize, Hannah Georgas
I'm Leaving, Low Roar
Let Loose, Bora York
I Am A Lake, The River Monks
Radar, Paul Cook & The Chronicles
Still Life, Hollow & Akimbo
Uncatena, Sylvan Esso
Arms I Know So Well, Emma Ruth Rundle
My Silver Lining, First Aid Kit
In the Sun, Khushi
Night Winds, Geographer

19 songs, 79 minutes
all rights retained by respective artists