ALBUM: GUARDS ep
FILE UNDER: alternative new wave power pop
LABEL: 3 syllables records
INFO: GUARDS are living proof that this Twitter / Internet malarkey actually works! Closely affiliated CULTS (you don’t get any closer than your own sister) tweeted an update to their mighty list of followers a few months back that they feature on a new EP by GUARDS.
ARTIST / BAND: Lonnie Walker
MP3: Summertime / Love Turn
ALBUM: These Times Old Times
FILE UNDER: Indie / Americana / Punk
LABEL: DiggUp Records
INFO: Raleigh’s Lonnie Walker will see a national release for debut full-length These Times Old Times December 14, 2010, after a successful local release in 2009. Currently on a month long tour with Future Islands, they will release a split 7” with them November 4, 2010. Titled The Ink Well/Love Turn, the release is limited to 300 pieces of peach vinyl.
ARTIST / BAND: Eat More Cake Site
MP3: Underwater
ALBUM: Climb The Ladder, Live The Dream
FILE UNDER: hip hop, trip hop, electronica
LABEL: Urban Torque Recordings
INFO: Eat More Cake are a 4-piece electronica band based in Harrow, NW London. Their music combines elements of dance, hip-hop and down-tempo which form the basis for an innovative and unique sound.
Their debut single ‘Red Sky’, featuring Alexis Griffith, was released on December 7th and was taken from the album ‘Climb The Ladder, Live The Dream’, due out in 2010 on independent label Urbantorque Recordings.
MP3: TRIGGERS Vol. 1
1. Sub Swara – Steam
2. Distal – Coke Bottle
3. Sub Swara – Bend You
4. Moldy – Embrace the Filth
5. Julio Bashmore – Batak Groove
6. Sub Swara – Vagabond Knowledge
7. Sub Swara – In Ether
8. Kraddy – Minotaur
9. Tinie Tempah – Written in the Stars (Starkey Remix)
10. Sub Swara – Schemes
11. Sub Swara – Future Fresh
12. Ultragamma – Stars Collapse
13. Big Boi – Shutterbug (Sub Swara Remix)
14. Stuart Bogie (Antibalas & Superhuman Happiness) – Horn Interlude
15. Sub Swara – October
16. Sub Swara – Bird of Paradise
ARTIST / BAND: Lille
SONG (MP3): "Tall Shoulders" / "Tall Shoulders" - Todd Buchler (Duchess Leo) Remix
ALBUM: Tall Shoulders
FILE UNDER: Melodramatic Popular Song
LABEL: Whale Heart Records
INFO: Lille is Grace Bellury, an eighteen year old songstress from Atlanta, GA. Born a poor asian boy, Grace accompanied his father and three sisters to America, where they sailed on a ship carrying spices to every corner of the earth. He was the friend of every swarthy sailor and sat up late at night in the cabins below the deck, the warm lantern glow radiating off the roughened yet kindly faces, spinning stories of exotic girls from every continent and exploits worthy of a Conrad novel. The sailors constructed papooses made from sturdy rope for Grace and his small sisters and they hung suspended from the ballast every night, sleeping peacefully
ARTIST / BAND: Elizabeth & the Catapult
MP3s: "You and Me" / "Go Away My Lover"
ALBUM: The Other Side of Zero
FILE UNDER: Folk / Singer Songwriter / Pop
LABEL: Verve Forecast
INFO: “I’d hope there’s humor to both of our albums, but they’re actually quite different from one another,” says Elizabeth Ziman, the singer/songwriter/keyboardist behind Elizabeth & the Catapult. “While Taller Children has the sarcastic lightness of a Woody Allen film, the new record’s more in the vein of Kubrick or Lynch. It’s a bit darker, a bit more tongue-in-cheek—another side to who we are.” The reason for this shift isn’t as simple as a sudden breakup or breakdown. The dissonant strains are lurking between the lines, from the clanging chords and galloping groove of “The Horse and the Missing Cart” to the hopeful but bitter contrasts of “Thank You For Nothing,” a heartbroken ballad that channels the Buddhist teachings of an old Leonard Cohen poem. As it turns out, Elizabeth read Cohen’s Book of Longing collection from cover to cover while working on the Lincoln Center song cycle—performed last spring for a commission from NPR’s John Schaefer—that gave The Other Side of Zero its title and a handful of tracks. As the pages sunk in, one particular theme stood out: Cohen’s struggle to meet Buddhist goals in a monastery, which Elizabeth felt paralleled her own coming-of-age struggles while living and growing up in New York City. “Once I finished the book,” she says, “I realized that reaching this zen state wasn’t a realistic goal. Not for Leonard, and certainly not for me.
ARTIST / BAND: Giant Sand
MP3: Fields of Green
ALBUM: Blurry Blue Mountain
FILE UNDER: alt. country
LABEL: Fire Records
INFO: Inaccurately yet affectionately dubbed the Godfather of Alt. Country by the British press, Tucson, Arizona-based musician Howe Gelb has remained the sole epicenter and creative force behind the ever-fluid configurations of Giant Sand for over a quarter century. 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the bands 1985 debut long player Valley Of Rain – the point in which Howes music visions began – and will see the release of the complete works of Giant Sand, Howe Gelb, Arizona Amp and The Bands Of Blacky Ranchette – a collection of works that maintains its own genre-defying singularity drawing on the not-so disparate threads of his south western roots, lo-fi, country, jazz, and punk … “Giant Sand is a mood,” explained Howe, as if to simplify the dizzying breadth of his prolific output as an artist.
ARTIST / BAND: Underworld
MP3: Always Loved A Film (Christian Martin Remix)
ALBUM: Barking
FILE UNDER: Electronic
LABEL: Universal International Music B.V.
ARTIST / BAND: GOSPEL CLAWS
MP3: Walk Me Down / Summer Nights Lakeside / Avenues
ALBUM: C-L-A-W-S
FILE UNDER: Indie / Melodramatic Popular Song / Thrash
LABEL: Common Wall Media
INFO: Gospel Claws have just released their first full-length record
C - L - A - W - S. Tracks from the record have been featured by Paste, Magnet, Large Hearted Boy, and more. With reviews that contain both the words “complex” and “pop” you know this is a must have.
ARTIST / BAND: Esben and the Witch
MP3s: "Warpath" / "Marching Song"
ALBUM: Violet Cries
FILE UNDER: Indie
LABEL: matador records
INFO: On the heels of their recent “Marching Song” 12″ EP and first US tour (culminating in tonight’s show at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory), Esben and the Witch will be releasing their debut full-length LP/CD/digital album on January 31, 2011 (February 8 in North America ). The Brighton trio, recently nominated for a Q Award, found themselves nearly drowning in plaudits following “Marching Song”‘s release “teetering on the edge of explosive emotion”, raved one observer, while the assessment, “thoroughly mesmerizing” came to mind for another.
ARTIST / BAND: Rebekah Higgs
MP3: Little Voice
ALBUM: Little Voice EP
FILE UNDER: Indie / Alternative / Pop
INFO: Rebekah Higgs is an instrument all her own. At times happy, often haunting, her voice echoes and chimes like a xylophone French kissing a wa-wa pedal. Produced by Brian Deck (Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse, Califone), Little Voice is not only a shiny new four song EP to wrap around yourself for warmth against the coming winter but also a glimpse into what fruit Rebekah Higgs' upcoming sophomore full length record will bear come the new year.
ARTIST / BAND: Ezio
MP3: A Small Dream
ALBUM: This Is The Day
FILE UNDER: Acoustic / Folk Rock
LABEL: Tapete records
INFO: This is the Day is NOT just another Ezio record.
Some good friends of mine could never quite understand my passion for the songs and lyrics of Ezio Lunedei till theyʻd actually seen Booga and Ezio perform live, preferably as a duo.
Here the songs finally fulfill their wild promise. The delivery is always poignant, at times deadpan funny, melancholic, political, sarcastic and quite mean, indeed. Not so comfy and nice as some of the records would want you to believe. Itʻs always been a wee bit the „Let It Be/Phil Spector“ dilemma with Ezio. Great songs and sentiments,... but who let the string section and choir in?
ARTIST / BAND: Social Studies
MP3: We Choose Our Own Adventures
ALBUM: Wind Up Wooden Heart
FILE UNDER: Indie Pop
LABEL: Antenna Farm Records
INFO: Social Studies craft intricate songs that combine angular indie rock and classic twee-pop. What distinguishes the San Francisco-based group is their eclectic, complex song writing: unusual structures and mathy beats are tempered by soft edges and danceable casio hooks. Moody, defiant and hopeful, the lyrics celebrate duality through themes of discontent, violence, innocence, renewal, nostalgia, regret and joy. All these elements take shape in unpredictable, catchy songs that burrow into your consciousness and demand repeat listening and a critical reading between the lines. Combine this imaginative songwriting with a consistently high energy live show, and it is no surprise that Social Studies has generated a loyal fanbase and strong buzz in the SF Bay Area and beyond.
ARTIST / BAND: BOTANY
MP3s: Feeling Today / Waterparker
ALBUM: Feeling Today
FILE UNDER: Psychedelic
LABEL: Western Vinyl
INFO: Feeling Today is Spencer Stephenson's debut release under the Botany moniker. The culmination of years of assembling music, this EP, and his forthcoming full-length, flow with a transcendental radiance. Under the gauzy patina of decades-old samples, this Texan sound-sculptor masterfully merges the past and the present, the earthly and the infinite.
ARTIST / BAND: Frightened Rabbit
MP3: My Brother Tom, the Green Beret
ALBUM:If a Lot of Bands Play in the Woods…? (A compilation album by The Philistines Jr.)
FILE UNDER: Indie
LABEL: TARQUIN RECORDS
INFO: The Philistines Jr. are an indie-pop threesome from Connecticut whose members include super producer Peter Katis (Interpol, the National, Jónsi, and Frightened Rabbit), his brother Tarquin and Adam Pierce (who runs FatCat USA and plays drums in Mice Parade). October 19th will see the band release an album called If a Band Plays in the Woods…? along with an album of covers and remixes (If A Lot Of Bands Play In The Woods…?) from their impressive list of friends (the National, Jónsi, Tokyo Police Club, Tapes N’ Tapes and more).
ARTIST / BAND: Bird By Snow
MP3s: Friends In The City / There Is A Marriage
ALBUM: Common Wealth
FILE UNDER: psych-pop, indie pop
LABEL: gnome life records
INFO: Place is important. Bird By Snow was formed in the weather, wild, and little towns of Northern California. Cold water, dark woods. Fog in the branches, sunlight through a Pelican-wing. Abundance in all directions. This is theplace that has informed the aesthetic of the whole Lo-fi, Pacific Northwest Indie Scene. Bird By Snow can be seen there too, but not limited to one view, instead at home in the limitless, expanding west. --- You’ll find genres bent as if light through a prism. Song-craft as ritual, where themes of primitivism, pagan meditations, and transcendent dronings breathe deeply. Only one constant member: words, tunes, recording and much playing by Fletcher Tucker.
ARTIST / BAND: Tony Castles
SONG (MP3): Black Girls in Dresses
ALBUM: No Service
FILE UNDER: Indie Pop
LABEL: Famous Class Records
INFO: Tony Castles was born in August 2008 in Brooklyn, NY. For having been formed one year ago, the band has plenty of history. Paul Sicilian and Gabriel Wurzel first crossed paths as freshmen in high school. The two soon began playing together in bands and ended up attending college together continuing to write music throughout. During this time they were introduced to fellow student and musician Willie Miesmer. Within a year after graduation all three moved to Brooklyn where they reconnected and began playing together in loose free form sessions, often swapping instruments and experimenting with loop pedals and samplers. The chemistry was instant and they continue inventing, deconstructing and reinventing their sound all the while clinging to a shared adoration for both strong vocal melody and open space.
ARTIST / BAND: In Grenada
SONG (MP3): Distance & Temptation
ALBUM: Break
FILE UNDER: Indie Pop
LABEL: s/r
INFO: In Grenada was born from the ashes of Philadelphia’s premier ukulele indie-rock band, Movable Type, during the summer of 2007. Now, they make their presence felt with their debut release, Break.
Stuck with a few left over songs and an environmental conscience, songwriter/instrumentalist Jesse Leyh plucked the tunes from the trash and saved them for his compost heap. Over the next two years those first few songs grew in the fertile environs of a home studio, watered by a monsoon of shifting and breaking relationships and the pressures of finding a new place in the world and life.
ARTIST / BAND: Jupe Jupe
SONG (MP3): Something About Love
ALBUM: Invaders
FILE UNDER: electro-ambient synth with guitars and poppy hooks
LABEL: s/r
INFO: Jupe Jupe mix sci-fi and glam into a synth-noir cocktail and serve it in the genre they wholeheartedly embrace: Pop. Invaders, this debut cocktail, see it’s national release October 5th, 2010!
Taking their textual cues from campy films and the excitement of a late-night dance hit, Jupe Jupe provide escapist songs you can move to – in Milan, or alone in your bedroom.
Jupe Jupe is composed of My Young on vocals and synthesizer, Bryan Manzo and Patrick Partington on guitar, and drummer Jarrod Arbini – veterans of the Seattle and Austin music scenes (Pleasurecraft, The Cinematics [U.S.], Maximum Coherence During Flying). The quartet’s first release, Invaders, combines crooning vocals, jangling guitars, shimmering synths and pulsating beats to take you on a glamorous ride to the far reaches of the electro-pop universe. Set the controls. Launch.
ARTIST / BAND: Fox In The Henhouse
SONG (MP3): Fears
ALBUM: Fox In The Henhouse
FILE UNDER: Indie
LABEL: iBot Records
INFO: After moving from coast to coast, and spending two years writing and recording, Wakefield singer, Ryan Escolopio has finally settled down in Baltimore, MD. Shying away from his pop punk roots, Ryan broke into the indie rock scene with his new project Fox in the Henhouse and their debut album The Fox EP, on iBOT Records. The bands latest album, Vulves Vulves, unites his poignant lyrical stylings with rollicking guitars to spark a number of crowd pleasers. The album, with standout tracks like "Fears," which appeals to indie rock fans and non-indie rock fans alike, is set to release October 12, 2010.
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ARTIST / BAND: Motorifik
SONG (MP3): Secret Things
ALBUM: Secret Things
FILE UNDER: Indie
LABEL: Modern Language Recordings
INFO: Phil Kay is a busy man… his main project, Working for a Nuclear Free City, has a new album releasing 12 October and he has this intriguing side musical partnership with French songwriter Idrisse Khelifi under the Motorifik moniker. Like Working for a Nuclear Free City, Motorifik is interested playing with space and texture in their tunes, evoking a certain pastoral sensibility, as well as an obvious nod to their shoegazing forebearers. The idea with this group was to be a bit less experimental than WFANFC and a bit more rooted in a pure pop aestethic. Motorifik’s Secret Things releases 9 November via Modern Language Recordings and we have the premiere today of the title track as well as Kay discussing the song in his own words.
ARTIST / BAND: The Moaners
SONGs (MP3): "Cowboy Bob" / "Humid Air"
ALBUM: Nocturnal
FILE UNDER: Rock / Folk / Experimental
LABEL: Holiday For Quince
INFO: Head south past the Mason-Dixon line and into the swamp-hot humidity of North Carolina’s summer months, and a porch-swing singalong with The Moaners starts to sound very appealing. Melissa Swingle (formerly of alt-country darlings Trailer Bride) and Laura King (formerly of Grand National) have been conjuring the spirit of the South for over five years and two records with the ambitious goal of “[capturing] the feeling of … Faulkner’s South, O’Connor’s South.” With Nocturnal, their spell is stronger than ever.
ARTIST / BAND: Filthybird
SONG (MP3): "Pick Me Up"
ALBUM: Songs For Other People
FILE UNDER: Indie Folk
LABEL: Holidays for Quince
INFO: Cosmic American four-piece Filthybird has had an busy year, migrating from Greensboro, North Carolina, to the Triangle, opening a guitar repair shop in downtown Graham (Fret Sounds), and putting the finishing touches on their brilliant new full-length record, Songs for Other People. The follow-up to the lauded Southern Skies, Filthybird’s latest record reveals an astounding depth, effectively marrying the lilting vocal melodies of Renee Mendoza (Ashrae Fax) to her husband Brian Haran’s (Glenn Branca Orchestra, LaMonte Young projects, Viridian) layered guitar atmospherics. Anchored by Michael Duehring and Otto Hauser’s (Vetiver, Bright Back Morning Light, Espers) powerfully inventive rhythm section, these songs are both soulful and dreamy, familiar and fresh. Lush, breezy and cinematic arrangements may recall the best moments of Gram Parsons, Jefferson Airplane, Roky Erikson and Chris Bell, but this band is unique, reassembling the most colorful fragments of a mythic American music into something entirely new.
ARTIST / BAND: Grandchildren
SONG (MP3): “Saturn Returns”
ALBUM: Everlasting
FILE UNDER: Electroacoustic / Roots Music / Pop
LABEL: Green Owl
INFO: In Grandchildren, every memory is a montage of sound. The beat-driven, orchestral-pop epics on Grandchildren’s forthcoming album Everlasting play like an audio scrapbook of nostalgia and pop-culture inspired by memories from the songwriter’s life. Sentimental harmonies and globally sourced rhythms weave through every track, reflecting a history that is both chaotic and serene, but ultimately uplifting. These energies manifest in Grandchildren’s “larger-than-life” live performances, the six multi-instrumentalists swapping instruments in what reviewers have called “a choreographed musical chairs.
ARTIST / BAND: Masonic
SONG (MP3): "Lifetime Of Deception"
ALBUM: Live Like A Millionaire
FILE UNDER: Indie, Pop, Rock
LABEL: s/r
INFO: Since their 2001 debut, Never Stood a Chance, Austin, TX band Masonic has been creating well crafted noise pop along the lines of Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, and The Vaselines framed by a Phil Spector influenced production and blending them into a seamless mixture of danceable rhythms, heavy guitar riffs, and catchy keyboard melodies. Masonic is comprised of brothers, co-writers Kevin and John Mason, and drummer Brian. Joining the band in 2004, Eryn Gettys’ French rock influenced vocals helped cement the unique mix of classic indie rock with expansive, reverb tinged pre-Beatles arrangements. Bassist Trey D’Amico joined in 2007 whose ear for bass melody was developed through his one man freak out band, Toof.
ARTIST / BAND: Young Man
SONG (MP3): "Up So Fast"
ALBUM: Boy
FILE UNDER: Indie Pop
LABEL: Frenchkiss Records
INFO: Itʼs enough to make you stop and say, “What is that?” It being the gorgeous
melodies and lean, spellbound guitar lines of Colin Caulfield, an English/French
lit major whoʼs about to change what it means to be a shape-shifting singersongwriter
in the YouTube age.
Just ask Bradford Cox. He knows. Why, just a year ago, the Deerhunter frontman
stumbled upon Caulfieldʼs organ-grinding rendition of “Rainwater Cassette
Exchange” and said itʼs “fantastically superior to the original. It actually sent
shivers up my spine, especially during the second verse.”
ARTIST / BAND: Solar Temple Suicides
SONG (MP3): "A Rough Road Leads To The Stars"
ALBUM: Sentinels of the Heliosphere
FILE UNDER: Shoegaze / Psychedelic / Rock
LABEL: Sleepy Records
INFO: Since their formation, Solar Temple Suicides have slowly been perfecting their own brand of drugged out, spacey haze. They preach long and tall effects-laiden, psychedelic lessons culled from ancient Yajurvedas of transformation and trial by fire, thrust from the sun to the outer edges of the universe. Their unabashed space rock tendencies and hallucinatory walls of sound drive their high volume live shows. Not fitting neatly into any extant mold, Solar Temple Suicides gather their influences together to form their own nebula.
ARTIST / BAND: The Phantom Band
SONG (MP3): Walls
ALBUM: The Wants
FILE UNDER: Indie
LABEL: Chemikal Underground
INFO:‘No man is an island’ wrote John Donne, but what about bands? Well, they’re probably not islands either, but like most things in life, you need exceptions to prove the rule. That’s why it was so remarkable when The Phantom Band, with their legion of musical references, still managed to sound quite unlike anyone else when they released Checkmate Savage in 2009, a debut that earned mass critical applause and made them the cult success of the year. Twelve months later, they’re still in a movement of one, and their follow-up, The Wants, looks set to cement their reputation as one of the most inventive and vital units at work today.
If Checkmate Savage was the product of a band mulling over the human race’s inexorable slide into oblivion, then its follow-up found them turning feral and heading for the hills to ride out the storm. Holing up in Chem19 (Chemikal Underground’s studio in the wastelands of Blantyre), The Phantom Band immersed themselves in a primordial soup of influences before emerging six months later, emaciated and squinting in the pallid sunlight, cradling The Wants: a nine-track musical folly and the soundtrack to their own personal apocalypse.
Charged with creating a second album more or less from scratch and in situ - an album upon which their creative and material survival depended - they contracted a virulent strain of cabin fever and promptly set sail into the mouth of madness. Keyboardist Andy Wake elaborates: “As you know, The Phantom Band was built on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, so every time we record it's like an emotional exorcism. It's painful, prolonged, confusing; at times it's hard to tell what's happening outside of this other-world.” Guiding them through this tortuous birthing process was the chimerical figure of Mungo Bang, “a spiritual adviser of sorts who came highly recommended. He also added vibes.”
Their madness had method, because a lot came out in the mix: a forest of tuned percussion, poly-rhythmic group vocals, fuzz guitars and medieval electronics. Musical inspirations included David Lynch and John Carpenter soundtracks, German kosmische music of the 70’s, Tom Waits, digidub rhythms, R&B harmonies, doo-wop and rock'n'roll. Lyrical inspiration emerged from lycanthropy, vampires, doppelgangers and the Salem witch trials. That’s also Teenage Fanclub’s Wurlitzer organ you can hear on Everybody Knows It’s True, alongside a host of other instruments, both homemade and hard-bought. Various bits of furniture, wood, a toy drum machine, some home-made drum triggers and FX pedals (aptly named the Phantosizer), shelvaphones, a dulcimer and the studio fire extinguisher - all had roles to play on the final recording. “Sink [Greg Sinclair] appeared at rehearsal one day with what looked like a body bag containing at least one corpse. It turned out to be a full size vibrophone with all the trimmings,”explains Wake. If any more evidence of creative initiative was required, the album opens with the sound of a baliphone being sawed into tune in preparation for a take.
The end product represents a major leap forward for the band, a sound more of their own. Juxtapositions are more apparent – arcane folk melodies and gothic lyrical imagery straddle vintage analogue synths and primitive drum machines. “Where Checkmate Savage was varied, we've intensified those elements, because we've got no reason to be subtle with them,” says Wake. “It's much more concentrated, more skilfully executed and with more decoration. It’s Checkmate Savage - On Ice.”
The Phantom Band was pulled together from all four corners of Scotland, settling on Glasgow as PB HQ. Duncan Marquiss (guitar), Gerry Hart (bass), Andy Wake (keyboards), Rick Anthony (vocals) and Greg Sinclair (guitars) are a volatile cabal of creative contradictions: a disorientating amalgam of music, art and performance that defies categorisation and provides an object lesson in how to forge something distinct and unique from well-worn sources. Checkmate Savage won plaudits from the mainstream music press and the indie blogs alike, finding famous fans in Peter Buck and comic artist Frank Quitely, while the influential music emporium Piccadilly Records named it their album of the year. Their new album may be The Wants, but what do The Phantom Band want for? “Survival. For this album to lead to another after it, that's all. We think it's better than the last one, and if anyone agrees with us then brilliant, they can hop aboard. Those who disagree can hop aboard too, but they're sailing at the stern.”
ARTIST / BAND: THE RADIO DEPT.
SONG (MP3): The New Improved Hypocrisy
FILE UNDER: indie, pop, rock
LABEL: Labrador
INFO: "The New Improved Hypocrisy" is The Radio Dept.'s second distinct political song. The first one, "Freddie And The Trojan horse", from 2008 was '...about the untruthfulness of the Swedish right-wing government and how the leading party seized power by portraying itself as supportive of the workers' (The Radio Dept.).
The Swedish elections are held on Sunday. "The New Improved Hypocrisy" about the present government is released today
ARTIST / BAND: The Tallest Man On Earth
SONG (MP3): "Like The Wheel"
ALBUM: Sometimes the Blues Is Just A Passing Bird
FILE UNDER: Acoustic / Folk / Blues
LABEL: Dead Oceans
INFO: The Tallest Man On Earth's new EP, Sometimes the Blues Is Just A Passing Bird, will be for sale exclusively on iTunes until its official release date. CDs, LPs and digital copies will be available at all othe retailers on November 9th, 2010 (8th in UK).
At many of the Tallest Man On Earth shows this year, Matsson closed his set with a new song titled “Like the Wheel.” It quickly became a fan favorite, with YouTube videos spreading virally, and the sets closing on a high note night after night. We are happy to share this song today!
“Like the Wheel,” along with four other new songs, make up Sometimes The Blues is Just a Passing Bird, an EP written entirely after The Wild Hunt. Recorded during a quick break from touring in the summer of 2010, “Like the Wheel” is joined by “The Dreamer,” which Matsson performs on electric guitar. Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird is an open and shut chapter in the Tallest Man On Earth’s songbook – five new additions to those magical performances.
UNKLE is pleased to release the six song 'The Answer' EP which includes two new songs, a collaboration with hip-hop prodigy Lupe Fiasco and a remix by original UNKLE member Tim Goldsworthy. The record drops today in the UK, but those in the US are going to have to wait until tomorrow. In celebration of the release, UNKLE is releasing the track "Runaway, Lupe's Revenge (Lupe Fiasco vs UNKLE Reconstruction)" online for free. Our friends over at RCRD LBL got their hands on it first and you can grab it here.
In support of the release of The Answer EP, UNKLE will be embarking on their first US appearances in three years at select cities in the US and Mexico during the month of October. Tickets available via unkle.com. See below for a full list of US dates.
The hip-hop reworking of 'The Runaway' off UNKLE's most recent album 'Where Did The Night Fall' sees Lupe Fiasco rhyming with an untouchable, laid-back cool as splintered synths and a shuddering bass-line envelope around him. Original UNKLE member, Tim Goldsworthy (LCD Soundsystem/DFA), morphs the subtle, desert-scorched previous single 'Follow Me Down' into a breathless, urgent 8-minute epic. The cinematic 'Separate Half' featuresSan Francisco quartet Lumerians with vocals by Rebecca Coseboom. Pulsating and airy, 'Separate Half' takes listeners on a journey passing through kaleidoscope worlds. The quiet, dusty lament of 'Country Tune' builds to become vast and expansive in scope, anchored by fragile vocal from UNKLE collaborator Gavin Clark.
ARTIST / BAND: Small Black
SONG (MP3): "Photojournalist"
ALBUM: New Chain
FILE UNDER: indie, pop
LABEL: Jagjaguwar
INFO:The internet has been all abuzz about "Photojournalist," the first single off of Small Black's new albumNew Chain (which comes out October 26 in the U.S., October 25 in the U.K.). "Photojournalist" topped the Hot Tracks chart on Elbo.ws last week and is currently the most read review on Pitchfork's Forkcast. XLR8R Magazine might have put it best: "While the sound of 'Photojournalist' is thick and filled to the brim with punchy sonics, it's the subtleties of the poignant instrumentation and the heartwarming sentiment delivered by the lyrics that draw us to Small Black's song. Being emotional in music is easy, but being graceful and understated-- while still driving your point home-- is something else entirely."
Starting October 22 Small Black will be driving to your home town as they embark on a month-long U.S. tour that will take them coast to coast. Class Actress will support on all dates, and on specific dates Small Black will also be joined by Delorean, Young Prisms, Lemonade, and Matthew Dear. Before the official tour starts you can also catch Small Black opening for No Age on two dates later this month in Brooklyn and Philadelphia.
ARTIST / BAND: Women
SONG (MP3): "Eyesore" / "Narrow with the Hall"
ALBUM: Public Strain
FILE UNDER: Indie, Progressive
LABEL: Jagjaguwar
INFO: Women recorded their 2008 self-titled debut album with label-mate Chad Vangaalen over 4 months on ghettoblasters and old tape machines in his basement and outdoors. This debut brought the young band critical acclaim from across the blogosphere, tour opportunities across Canada, the United States, UK and Europe, and a heightened level of international interest from many lo-fi junkies and seasoned audiophiles.
