Rain from the Cloud – 01.28.12

Singles on SoundCloud from new releases featuring: Anchorless, Autoband, Leisure, Like Spinning, Miike Snow, Matt Pryor, and School of Seven Bells.

Anchorless – “Settle with the Signs”
from Every Nook And Cranny
out February 6 on Pony Records
“Settle with the Signs” is full of jangly arpeggios and bouncy beats reminiscent of early REM. The Danish sextet will satisfy those longing for the days of 80s college radio. While you wait for their second recording to drop, go ahead and grab their first, here.


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Autoband – “Sunbeam”
from Autoband
out now on Beat Service/Phonofile
On “Sunbeam”, Gudmund R. Østgård aka Autoband enlists the support of Ingvild Østgård (his sister) on vocals. Using a slow tempo of percussion with quiet chords from an acoustic guitar the track settes into quiet ambience as Ingvild sings mournfully. You can pick up the entire album on eMusic for less than $5.


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Leisure – “Invisible Hand”
from Plastic Soul
out March 2012
Leisure is back at it again with another release from the highly anticipated, “Plastic  Soul”. Sam Hamad’s guitar is featured prominently on “Invisible Hand” from its bright opening notes to the delicately played rhythm under the chorus. Another winner from this Boston-based outfit. Can’t wait for the album.


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Like Spinning – “Forces”
from the Forces/My Window double single
out now
Kari Kamrud Jahnsen fronts this five-piece band out of East London. Jahnsen is originally from Norway, and studied at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. “Forces” is an indie pop tune with a beautifully subtle composition. Jahnsen proves to be a skilled songwriter, who conveys emotion well.


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Miike Snow – “Black Tin Box”
from Happy To You

out March 27 on Downtown/Universal Republic
Lykke Li floats briefly into “Black Tin Box”, an austere electronic recording that has a cold, industrial feel. “Happy To You” is the follow up to their self-titled debut in 2009. You can preview “Paddling Out” and “Devil’s Work” at Miike Snow’s website.


Matt Pryor
“Your New Favorite”  
“Polish the Broken Glass”
from May Day on Big Scary Monster Records
out now
The Get Up Kids frontman releases his second solo LP, “May Day”, and it’s full of carefully crafted pop songs. Pryor effectively demonstrates his prowess as a songwriter  on this album, which makes good uses of folk and power pop arrangements. He walks the line between Michael Penn and David Dondero in the way he writes intelligent, accessible songs that can be played repeatedly with increasing enjoyment. You can check out Pryor’s track by track commentary for “May Day” here.

” Your New Favorite”

 ”Polish the Broken Glass”

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School of Seven Bells – “Lafaye”
from GHOSTORY
out 2/28 on Vagrant/Ghostly International
This is the second track we’ve previewed from “GHOSTORY”. “Lafaye” contains elements of shoegaze, ambient electronics, and Alejandra de la Deheza’s ethereal vocals.  Lafaye is also the name of a tormented character on the upcoming release. Looks like it’s a concept album! You can pick up the single with an exclusive b-side “Love From A Stone” through digital retailers such as Itunes and eMusic. 


CHEERS… 

—FRIDAY FREE FEATURE – Good Sport: And Now We Are Talking EP—

As the first track on And Now We Are Talking, ‘Going Steady’ establishes itself with a thin melody built on a chorus of echoing monotonous utterances; introduce a banging drum loop, punchy bass, & dreary gothic vocals of Ryan Hizer and you have the lazy/hazy electronic experiments of Good Sport.  ‘Bad Harmonies’ features a moaning mellotron with waves of modulating static; ‘Dudes’ has a Matthew Dear feel, and ‘Pushover’ has the inspirational vibe of a John Hughes 80s teenybopper movie theme song.  The excellent 5-song EP And Now We Are Talking is available as a free download on bandcamp.

Check Out: Going Steady [mp3]

Check Out: Dudes [mp3]

Download/Stream: And Now We Are Talking EP by Good Sport

Rain from the Cloud 1.25.12

Mr. Fogg – ‘Stay Out Of the Sun’
For his sophomore album, Oxford (UK)’s Mr. Fogg employed a new method – targeting the composition of 20 new songs in 5 months.  The first output from that process is the first single – ‘Stay Out Of the Sun’, which opens with whispered vocals, simple piano chords, and metronomic beats and alternates between that basic structure and waves of phasing synthesizer, hazy guitar and clattering percussion.

Young Hines – ‘Rainy Day’
Brendan Benson (The Ranconteurs) new protégé is a melodious singer/songwriter from Georgia – very Lennon-esque.

Swim Deep – ‘King City’
Birmingham (UK) trio release its first single of the year. It’s bright buoyant synth pop with pulsing guitar rhythms and reverb-soaked vocals. Starts off longing for better things, but it turns out that life isn’t so bad.

BretonlabsBlanket Rule EP
Mutated electro-grooves in the vein of LCD Soundsystem.  Forgive me for this… “Play that funky music British guys!”  Awesome stuff.

The New 01.24.12

Thomas Azier Metropolitan Tribe [mp3] (from Hylas 001 EP, out now)
Berlin’s electro-pop wunderkind Thomas Azier offers up shimmering synthetic beats with blissfully harmonious vocals and youthful abandon.

Lower Dens – Brains [mp3] (from Nootropics, out May 1 on Ribbon Music)
A creeping ballad of artificial intelligence with chugging drums, droning guitar, and waves of synth. The new album from Baltimore’s Lower Dens focuses on transhumanism –“the use of technology to extend human capabilities.”

First Person Shootr – Punch Struck [mp3] (from Mobility for Gods, out Feb 28 on Lefse Records)
A bleak yet seductive slice of soul-infused chillwave.


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Asa Milbankx Fresher [mp3] (from Fresher/Abaco single, out now on Mount Valley Records)
New Yorker James Ward is singer/songwriter for Analog Birds.  His solo work as Asa Milbankx is sunny, mellow acoustic folk-rock.  In his own words “Fresher has a Talking Heads-cum-Paul McCartney feel… Fresher features some interesting sounds, including kalimba, analog synthesizers (SCI Six-Trak, Kawai SX-240, Korg Monotron) and more.”

Eric Chenaux – Amazing Backgrounds [mp3] (from Guitar & Voice, out Mar 6 on Constellation Records)
Toronto guitar master Eric Chenaux’s forthcoming solo album features only his voice and guitar work with minimal overdubs.  The free single ‘Amazing Backgrounds’ displays his languid voice and sleek Nels Cline-ish guitar playing.

Circus Devils – Cyclopean Runways [mp3] (from Capsized!, out now)
Another year – another slew of albums from Boston Spaceships, Circus Devils, and Guided by Voices; it’s all in a day’s work for Robert Pollard. [Okay it's actually a 2011 release...]

Kishi Bashi – It All Began with a Burst [mp3] (from 151a, out Apr 10 on Joyful Noise Recordings)
Jubilant psych-pop from founding member of NY synth rockers Jupiter One and current current member of of Montreal K Ishibashi.

The Pharmacy Dig Your Grave [mp3] (from Dig Your Grave EP, out Feb 3 on Kind Turkey Records)
From Seattle, LSD pop with piano, organ, & cello (in that order).

Conduits  Top Of The Hill [mp3] (from Conduits, out Mar 20)
Omaha slowcore ambience featuring members of Eagle Seagull.  Nice tune that builds a dense foundation of bass, reverb guitar, and synth with ethereal vocals of Jenna Morrison rising above the fray.

Backwords – Anywhere Now [mp3] (from By the Neck, out Mar 6 )

Sunday Ramblings & Considerations

In this edition: mp3s from All the Saints, Baby Teardrops, Bear & Moose, and  Guy Capecelatro III; support the Kickstarter for John French & The Bastilles; get albums from Joseph Arthur, Arundel and Slowriter; and VIDEOS!

Quick Hits
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All the Saints – Half Red, Half Way
from “Intro to Fractions”
out  January 30 on Souterrain Transmissions
This is an explosive psych rocker that captures your ears and never lets go.  Fuzzed out guitars, lots of space and reverb on vocals float above smashing toms and booming bass drums to drive this track into a wall. Beautiful.


Baby TeardropsBanged in the Heart
from “X is for Love”
released April 2011 through  Golden Sound Records
There’s a trancing hook to this song that’s reminiscent of early Smashing Pumpkins. Megan Thomas’ backing vocals really add to the depth of this track, while the band plays a pulsing post-grunge groove with flair.

Bear & Moose - Wear the Wolf
from Bear/Moose out NOW (self-released)
“Wear the Wolf” is a trippy psychedelic rock tune that slowly builds until Eric Mueller lets his guitar rip it up for awhile. There’s an easy going air emanating from this duo, who recorded a double LP for their first release. It’s got that Haight Asbury sound. You can order their self-titled debut here.

photo: Michael Winters

Guy Capecelatro III - Like Anything
from “North for the Winter”
out February 21 on Dromedary Records
Never underestimate the placement of a musical saw. On “Like Anything,” it adds a hushed eeriness to a track about a guy with a secret crush, who is staring at the object of his affection while she sleeps. He’s not a pervert, he’s planning to reveal his secret by placing his open journals where she can find them upon waking. He’ll be in the bar waiting and hoping. The anxiety is palpable. Excellent songwriting and imagery from Capecelatro, who is a singer-songwriter out of New Hampshire. Looking forward to “North for the Winter.”


Support John French & The Bastilles Kickstarter

We wish to support John French & the Bastilles with their Kickstarter campaign. The Athens-based outfit is trying to raise $11,000 to record their next album, and they are more than halfway there. Throw’em a buck and make a dream a reality. Learn more here.

Check out: Infant Love from On the Face of It (2010)

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Discover: Lethal Dialect

Lethal Dialect is an Irish hip hop artist out of Dublin. We’ve been getting a lot of hip hop lately, and this one stuck out. His thick brogue forces intent listening, and it pays off. The tracks have a great vibe and are driven by powerful lyrics. They’re dropping LD 50 Part II today via Workin Class Records. You can preview the single, Keep It Real, below in videos.

Check out: The LD50 Part 2 Preview

Check out: Metamorphese (from LD50)

Stream:  LD50 (part 1) on Bandcamp.

Consider these…

Joseph Arthur has released Redemption City, a double album that Arthur claims being 10 years in the making. It’s FREE on his website, where you can also order it on vinyl. Get it while you can.

Arundel – Oliver Caves EP
Arundel 
(aka Lucas Arundell) is out of Brisbane’s hot music scene. An electronic artist, he mixes audio with video imagery to complete his artistic vision. The tracks on this album show great depth and imagination. He’s offering the album free (pay what you like) on Bandcamp.

Download/Stream: Oliver Caves EP

SlowriterSlowriter EP
Slowriter
is Brian Taylor, who is based in Atlanta. His EP is full of hook-ladened psychedelic pop that’s ripe and refreshing. He recorded the album as a solo project, but he’s recruited a full band to bring the songs out live. This is a recording I wished I heard when it was released last year. You can pay what you want for it on Bandcamp.

Download/Stream – Slowriter EP

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Videos, videos, videos…

Arundel – A Deep Freeze (Feat. Simon Crossley & Kate Jacobson)

Joseph Arthur – Travels As Equals (On Letterman 01.19.12)

Nat Baldwin - Weights

Lethal Dialect – Keep It Real

Jonathan Wilson – Desert Raven (highly recommended)

Cheers… 

Yellow Ostrich to release “Strange Land”

Barsuk Records is announcing the release of Yellow Ostrich‘s third LP, Strange Land, out March 6. Yellow Ostrich is a true band now, as multi-instrumentalist Jon Natchez and drummer Michael Tapper join singer/guitarist/ multi-instrumentalist/wunderkind/Yellow Ostrich founder, Alex Schaaf.

Pre-order: Strange Land here

Check out:Marathon Runner [mp3]


Cheers…

FRIDAY FREE FEATURE!!!: Free Swim – “Dennis”

Paul Coltofeanu (aka Free Swim), the man who imagined life with an extra set of hands and the escapades of the first Panda to climb Everest, is back with Dennis. The story is more conventional this time. Two buds are alienated by the presence of a woman, a new girlfriend to be precise. They’re having a blast playing tennis, drinking wine, pub crawling, hanging out, and then… Dennis finds love.

Dennis has a Kinks meets The Knack feel to it with the sensibility of Frank Zappa. It’s as fun as other recordings by Free Swim with lots of crunchy guitars and high energy. Coltofeanu has a knack for integrating comedy with very good rock compositions. As with past Free Swim recordings, it all works out well in the end. The unnamed, jilted friend gets a surprising reward for his devotion.

Like all Free Swim  recordings, it’s a freebie. You can download all three Free Swim EPs here. Coltofeanu also leads the band, Android Angel. You can grab their recordings here.

Spend your Friday afternoon with Dennis. Lots of fun, plus it has one of the all time great song titles (The Smell of Pregnancy).

Check out:

Track 1: Dennis

Track 2: Croydon Fernandes

 Track 3: The Smell of Pregnancy

Track 4: Cycling Holidays in the Ardeche


Happy Friday! 

Discover: Radio for the Daydreamers

From Pittsburgh, PA comes Radio for the Daydreamers – an experimental rock band offering an amalgamation of avant garde jazz, classical music, black metal, & electronic music and striving for soundscapes that convey suspense, horror, & thrills.  Their current project is a conceptual triptych of musical compositions revolving around a Faustian character (i.e. one that sells his soul to the devil for power and knowledge).  The first in the installment is ‘Mother Superior and Her Fields of Migraine’, which the band claims

tells the story of our character indulging in misery, self-realization, seclusion, developing phobias, anxieties and a need to break out to help his own mind. Accepting negativities, even though it is clear that the consequences of those negativities would be grim. To accept evil just to get some purpose. This section of the story takes place in a single room. We hope the music is picturesque enough for you to immerse yourselves into this story.

The album is mostly instrumental, so you’re free to ascribe whatever meaning you choose.

The excellent track ‘Curl Up, Time to Die’ was included as the opener on Thedadada Winter Mix 2011-12.  Also:

Check Out: Freelance Dream Killing Machine (gunpoint dub mix) [mp3]

Check Out: Wasted Faces in Secret Places (behind this wall acoustic version) [mp3]

Download($5)/Stream: Mother Superior and Her Fields of Migraine

The New 01.17.12

Porcelain Raft Put Me to Sleep [mp3]

Porcelain Raft – Unless You Speak from Your Heart [mp3]

(each from Porcelain RaftStrange Weekend, out Jan 24 on Secretly Canadian Records)
An eagerly anticipated debut album of elegant electo-pop from Italian Mauro Remiddi.  Bursting with snyth, drums, and Remiddi’s androgynous vocals, these songs suggest the visual dreamscape of Remiddi’s journeyman musical past.

Lee Renaldo Off_the_Wall [mp3] (from Between the Times & the Tides, out Mar 20 on Matador Records)
A little pop ditty from Sonic Youth stalwart – kinda reminiscent of “Wish Fulfillment” off of Dirty.

Mind Spiders – Wait For Us [mp3] (from Meltdown, out Feb 21 on Dirtnap Records)
Denton, TX’s Mind Spiders made a really fun album in 2011.  The new album is more of a team effort with Mark Ryan being joined by members of Bad Sports, Marked Men, and two simultaneous drummers!

Shearwater – Breaking the Yearlings [mp3] (from Animal Joy, out Feb 14 on Sub Pop Records)
Early reports suggest that the new Shearwater album is less grandiose and expansive than the previous trilogy of “Island Arc” albums ( Palo Santo, Rook and The Golden Archipelago).  The first single ‘Breaking the Yearlings’ is a forceful, confident, yet understated – not your typical indie rock.

Tanlines – Brothers [mp3] (from Mixed Emotions, out Mar 20 on True Panther Audio Warfare)
Jesse Cohen (formerly of Professor Murder) and Eric Emm (previously with Don Caballero and Storm and Stress) comprise this Brooklyn-based electronic duo that specializes in sunny, rhythmic electro-pop with lazy lyrical delivery.

Pontiak – Lions of Least [mp3] (from Echo Ono, out Feb 21 on Thrill Jockey Records)
Heavy psychedelic rock from the rural compound of three Virginia brothers.

Digital Leather – Young Doctors In Love [mp3] (from Modern Problems, out Feb 14 on FDH Records)
Invigorating synth punk in the vein of Wavvves!

Sleigh Bells – Comeback Kid (from Reign of Terror, out Feb 21 on Mom & Pop Records)

Sleigh Bells – Born to Lose (from Reign of Terror, out Feb 21 on Mom & Pop Records)

Discover: Yes Know

Sandy Gilfillan is Yes Know. A multi-media artist, Gilfillan focuses primarily on music, video, and photography. In less than six months, he’s recorded two full albums, Over Under and Place.

Largely experimental, Yes Know dabbles in a bit of lo-fi shoegaze, folk and ambient electronic music. Of the two releases, Over Under is far more polished, featuring tracks that favor clean acoustic sounds and ambience over the DIY noise and shoegaze of Place.

In either case, you should take Gilfillan’s advice, “…and purchase a good set of speakers or headphones.”  You’re gonna need them.

Check out: Stop from Over Under

Sooner or Later (By Storm) from Place

You can pay what you want for both albums on Bandcamp.

Preview/Download: Over Under
 

Preview/Download: Place

Watch: Drop and Roll Montage Video
 


Cheers…