Saturday, June 12, 2010

Civil Civic, 'Less Unless'


Now that Ratatat has made it readily apparent that they are only going to rehash their debut album over and over, there seems to be a spot available for a dancey instrumental duo to step up and fill a void. Smart money should be on European two piece Civil Civic. Live guitar and bass with a layer of electronics and a love of distortion, that seems like a mighty safe bet.

Here they are claiming their legitness with a live version of their song 'Less Unless':



More over on their MySpace and Bandcamp pages.

Rene Hell, Porcelain Opera


Renee Hell is the latest name taken by American electronic musician Jeff Witscher, who has recently released Porcelain Opera. Equal parts light and dark, this album falls more on the repetitive drone side of things and is worth repeated listens. You can preview the entire album below.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Tycho, 'From Home (Mux Mool remix)'

Ghostly International has digitally re-released an expanded version of Tycho's 2006 work Past Is Prologue. Included is a remix by hanBrolo favorite Mux Mool, which you can hear below. Blissful electronic pop that helps cut through the June gloom here in Los Angeles. Or maybe helps one to embrace it.


More info here.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

BEAK>, Wulfstan 12"

BEAK> is a relatively new-ish project from Geoff Barrow (Portishead) that also features Matt Williams and Billy Fuller. They released a debut album last fall and now they give the world the four song Wulfstan 12".

You can preview the tracks over on their Bandcamp page. 'Wulfstan' is dark, repetitive, murky and pretty spooky. It's the kind of music that plays in your head when you are walking down a desolate country road and you keep turning around to see if you are being followed.

If Geoff is going to dabble in projects like this than there is no real rush on that next Portishead album as far as I see it.

The 12" is limited to 500 copies.

Reissued!: Spiritualized, Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

There's a short list of things that could convince hanBrolo to emerge from the self-imposed blogger exile he lackadaisically entered over a month ago. News that one of the greatest albums of the 1990's is finally being re-released on vinyl is one of those things.

Those who care most likely know that the original pressing of Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space can be located on eBay from time to time, but you're not likely to snag it for less than 100 bones.

That's why the news that this Tuesday, June 15th, Plain Recordings will be releasing a new pressing on 180 gram vinyl should be met with cheers and tears of joy from any self respecting music fan.

Pre-order!

To celebrate, I give you the 1998 Flux Festival performance, where J. Spaceman performed a handful of Ladies And Gentlemen tracks accompanied by a choir:

Spiritualized: Flux Festival / Edinburgh, Scotland / 08.14.98

1. Intro
2. Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
3. No God Only Religion
4. Choir
5. Cool Waves
6. The Individual
7. Lord Can You Hear Me
8. Choir
9. Choir
10. Feel So Sad
11. Feel So Sad

Download!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Menomena, 'FIVE LITTLE ROOMS'

Three and a half years can feel like an eternity when you are waiting for someone like Menomena to release their next album. Good news- Mines is out July 27th on Barsuk.

Take a listen to a new song, 'FIVE LITTLE ROOMS', using the widget below. Hands down the best newsletters you will ever read come from Menomena, so don't worry about giving them that.

It's been a bit since I listened to the last record, Friend and Foe, but I don't immediately recall anything this moody being on there. Sounds like this one is worth the time spent waiting.

                       

(original source: P4K, where you can also stream the new song)

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Gold Panda, 'You (Seams remix)'

My fascination with UK's Gold Panda originated with this post. This was before I learned that the wonderful Ghostly International had him up their excellent sleeve. They will be relasing his You EP digitally on June 15th with the 12" version following shortly. It will be well worth the wait.

To celebrate this news, take a listen to the Seams remix of 'You'. I think I could hear a hundred different versions of this song before I got bored with it.

Gold Panda - 'You (Seams remix)'

Gold Panda will be a part of one of the more interesting and eclectic lineups I've seen in a while when they play the Echoplex June 8th with HEALTH, Best Coast and Indian Jewelry.

More info, pre-order and additional tour dates here.

Jurado does Dio

Damien Jurado pays tribute to Ronnie James Dio with a rendition of his most famous song for most, 'Holy Diver'. Being a huge fan of Jurado for years, a part of me had fingers crossed that he went electric for this one. Still, I think the resulting acoustic version can be appreciated by Jurado and Dio fans alike.

Hear it over at his MySpace page.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Pulled Apart By Horses, 'Back To The Fuck Yeah'

I'm trying to figure out Leeds quartet Pulled Apart By Horses. Part of me thinks they would be all over Absolute Punk UK, if such a thing existed. The other part of me thinks that 'Back To The Fuck Yeah' is one of the better heavy rock songs I've heard in quite a while.


It's interesting that they list Future Of The Left as a MySpace friend, since in a couple of subtle ways they remind me of a snottier more abrasive version of them. Mclusky after guzzling a twelve pack of energy drinks. Each band member.

Who knows where these guys will go from here, but this song is enough to make me take a second glance somewhere down the line.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

So Percussion & Matmos, 'Treasure'

Experimental duo Matmos are one of my favorites, as it seems like they just aren't interested in making the same album twice. Now word comes that they have teamed up with Brooklyn's So Percussion for a new recording entitled Treasure State.

Don't think for a second that these guys aren't up to the aural hijinks we've come to expect. According to releasing label Cantaloupe Music, some of the objects used to create the sounds here include 'ceramic planters, pails of water, aluminum beer cans, cactus needles, cans of house paint'. Sounds absolutely excellent.

Take a listen at the track 'Treasure' below. It starts out with some soothing sunny day xylophones, but certinaly takes a turn for the...uh, Matmos, towards the middle.

So Percussion & Matmos - 'Treasure'

Treasure State is out digitally on June 13th and physically on July 13th. More info here.

(original source: P4K)

Jarvis Cocker: Nature Lover

News comes from NME and The Independent that our old friend Jarvis Cocker has helped put together a free album for UK's The National Trust. It's not quite what you might think though. This is an album that could be best described as ambient life and nature sounds: birds singing, noises of waves...even people walking up stairs and playing billiards. While it appears that Cocker solely plays curator, here is what he had to say about it:

(from The Independent article found here)

Cocker said he hoped that listeners would use the 13 tracks to help them to unwind and get a feel for the historic properties in the 33-minute soundscape.

He said: "It's not really meant to be listened to intently, like a piece of music, but more as something to have on in the background to aid relaxation or contemplation."

He added: "I hope it has the feel of one continuous journey and conjures up an image in the mind's eye of the places featured. I also hope it could inspire the listeners to then visit the sites for themselves."

Such is the musician's appeal that the National Trust website struggled to cope with the number of people logging on to hear the sounds for themselves yesterday.

There you have it. You can download the free album here. And remember to support your national parks and historic landmarks wherever you may be.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Malachai, 'Snowflake'

hanBrolo is constantly listening to hours upon hours of new music to satiate my millions of readers hunger for Best New Bands to be crowned right here on this very blog. I aim to keep things interesting around here and try to post things that haven't been posted on your favorite tastemaker sites.

To get to the point at hand, most of the time hanBrolo tries to pick the best of the best from bands you maybe haven't heard.  Many songs I hear I tend to immediately dismiss as not being worthy of your precious internet browsing time. However now and then I go back to one and listen again and for some reason it instantly feels like I've heard it a million times and have loved it for years.

The newest song / video from Bristol duo Malachai is the latest to seem ultra familiar. 'Snowflake' is a catchy pop tune with just the right amount of British snark, attitude and griminess. These two fellas seem like scrappers. A little rough around the edges. I want them to play my backyard and share a pint with them.


  
Ugly Side Of Love is the album name and it's out now on Domino USA.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Imaad Wasif, 'Ecstasy'

(Imaad channeling Alice Cooper)

Buddyhead points us to the latest track from local brother Imaad Wasif. 'Ecstasy' is a riffy little number that finishes things off with a nice psych solo, which is the equivalent of a happy ending for this style of music. Is Imaad singing about the feeling of love or about the love of the feeling from MDMA? It's up to your interpretation, dear listener.

Imaad Wasif - 'Ecstasy' 

The news gets better- you can pick up this little ditty on 7" starting May 20th. More info at iamsound.

Erland & The Carnival, 'You Don't Have To Be Lonely'

Latest single / 7" / video from Erland & The Carnival (Simon Tong's project with Erland Cooper and David Nock).


You can order the 7" here from Full Time Hobby.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Phosphorescent, 'The Mermaid Parade'


Here's a second glimpse into the upcoming Here's To Taking It Easy:

Phosphorescent - 'The Mermaid Parade'

Excellent, but that's almost to be expected from Matt & co. at this point.

You can pre-order the album now and get an instant digital download.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Harlem gets two videos for 'Friendly Ghost'

Official video:



Fan video (by Greg Szmurlo):



(source: Matablog)

Cheap!: Loose Fur, Loose Fur


All you need to know about this one can be summed up in three surnames: Tweedy, O'Rourke, Kotche. If that doesn't sound appealing then you are in the wrong place my friend.

You can buy the LP for $8 for the next week. Order here.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Cheap!: Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lie Down In The Light


Drag City announced something pretty neat recently. Every week they will pick an item from their catalog and sell it at a reduced price.

This week you can purchase the 2008 album from Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lie Down In The Light, for only $8. Regardless of the artist or the length of the album, $8 for an LP is a rare thing. And who couldn't use more Will Oldham in their collection? Probably people who listen exclusively to hip-hop.

More info and order link here.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

People of the North, 'Tunnels'


Seems like this 4 track People of the North record is really shouting at me to listen to it. The first promo track 'Tunnels' is entirely instrumental, the percussives are front and center and they have a picture of trees on the cover. Sold.

This song has been floating around the net for a few weeks now, but how about we give it the official hanBrolo stamp of approval? That will help move some units.

People of the North - 'Tunnels'

People of the North are Kid Millions and Bobby Matador, also of Oneida. Deep Tissue is the name of this one and it's out April 27th on Brah Records.

Can't remember the last time a record with trees on the cover steered me wrong.

Sunday Afternoon Coming Down, Vol. 2


Record Store Day and a new Blur song in the same weekend? Excellent.

Blur, 'Fool's Day'


The first new Blur song in eight years is now a free download on their official site (and streaming over at Twenty Four Bit). Haven't heard too much on what other Blurheads think yet but personally I think it's quite excellent and that's all that really matters.

Musically it sounds like Blur. No surprises, which is good as when a group of lads get the ol' band back together to make another song after it's been a bit sometimes there is trouble recapturing the magic and things can turn south.

Lyrically I think it can be taken pretty literally, with Damon describing one of the day's spent in the studio making 'Fool's Day'. If that's the case let's hope when he sings 'We just can't let go' he's hinting at something.

And by 'something' I mean playing a show in Los Angeles.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Happy Record Store Day 2010!


That special time is here again. Welcome to the third annual Record Store Day. Your humble narrator has the fine luck of living in L.A., so he will be hitting up the triumvirate of Amoeba Hollywood, Vacation Vinyl and Origami.

Have a fun time out there and good luck getting everything you are looking for. And no pushing or shoving- let's all be civil to one another. After all, these are only records. Rare, colored, limited edition records.

To the record store!

Friday, April 16, 2010

The Veils, Black Session #251 10.30.2006


There was a point in time when I thought we were only going to get one album out of The Veils. After The Runaway Found there were quiet rumors that the band had parted ways. Thankfully those rumors turned out to be false. Finn Andrews had just assembled a new group of musicians to play with. Now on their third album, these guys are one of the most interesting bands out there today and they are certainly doing their own thing.

This is their Black Session from October of 2006, a month after the release of their second album Nux Vomica. If you don't know The Veils, as I seem to consistently discover people who should know about them but don't, then you should go and track down all three proper albums. You won't be disappointed.

Many highlights are found in the below zip file, but the Nebraska-era Springsteen cover 'State Trooper' always gets me. Seems like that was only in their setlist for this tour.

1. A Birthday Present
2. Jesus For The Jugular
3. One Night On Earth
4. Calliope!
5. State Trooper
6. Nux Vomica
7. Advice For Young Mothers To Be
8. Under The Folding Branches
9. The Wild Son
10. Pan
11. Not Yet
12. More Heat Than Light

Download!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Kurt Vile, 'Invisibility : Nonexistent'


Go ahead and give Kurt Vile the prolific prefix from now on. Not only are he and The Violators working on a fall 2010 follow up to last years excellent Childish Prodigy, but Matador has announced a new 12" EP to be released on May 25th.

Here is a 7 minute plus song (!) from Square Shells EP:

Kurt Vile - 'Invisibility : Nonexistent'

More info and pre-order here.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Tweak Bird, 'A Sun/Ahh Ahh' / 'Stampeado' 7"

  (photo by Gary Copeland)

If you are a close follower of The Brothers Bird than you heard the new song 'A Sun/Ahh Ahh' on their MySpace page a month or two back (although the song is called 'Millions of Suns (Ahhh Ahhh)' over there).

Now Souterrain Transmissions is allowing you to aquire a 7" of the track with a song called 'Stampeado'on the flip side.

Tweak Bird - 'A Sun/Ahh Ahh':



Can't spot a pre-order link yet but it's scheduled for a May 10th release. More info here.

More Tweak Bros. action here.

Now how bout some more details on that full length, hmmmmmmmm?

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sunday Afternoon Coming Down, Vol. 1


Hazy, breezy Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles. Might descend from the tree house into the backyard garden and do some reading.

Record Store Day 2010: Dum Dum Girls / Male Bonding Split 7"


Few buzz bands can ever live up to the heaping of praise that they receive from the hipsterati blogger elite. And who can expect them to in the literal overnight success story that is the internet, where they are being listed as 'rising / band to watch / best new music / quit your day job / highly recommended / in heavy rotation' in multiple places in the same day? Sure it's exciting the first week but then you realize you have to actually play well and there are expectations to live up to. And this is a very fickle crowd you have as a captive audience. They have a blog and can post to it from their iPhone.

So far so good for Sub Pop's Dum Dum Girls. They weathered the initial year long next best thing assault and actually delivered a full length that you might not be shy about sliding on the ol' hi-fi in front of your gathering of friends five years from now. So with this in mind you might want to consider adding their Record Store Day split with Male Bonding to your list of must haves. Fascinating that the songs here are 'Pay For Me / Before It's Gone' which can sum up both the releases you'll find on Record Store Day as well as the 'here today, gone tomorrow' nature of the eternally marching hype parade.

Speaking of hype- Male Bonding (Sub Pop, also) have been on the receiving end of some of that recently. Despite being from the UK the jury is still out on them for me. Hopefully this split will help with the convincing.

If you are lucky enough to live in Los Angeles you can see both bands perform on Record Store Day (this Saturday) at Origami Vinyl.

You've already watched this video for 'Jail La La' several times, but what the hell. Watch it again:



Male Bonding - 'Years Not Long (Live on the Beeb)'

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Gold Panda, 'You'


Gold Panda isn't chillwave, but his new song 'You' delivers what most artists from that genre can't for me: a confident beat. It's not wistful or nostalgic or hazy. It's current and assured and clear.

Gold Panda is from London and he makes electronic music so of course I think he's top notch. Minotaur Shock has remixed this track which makes a ton of sense as they appear kindred spirits.

Purchase here.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

The Smiths, Live at The Haçienda 1983

You may or may not have heard of a Manchester band called The Smiths. They were active from 1982 through 1987 and achieved moderate success and received some good write ups in local newspapers. Once the band decided to call it quits the guitarist went on to perform in influential indie outfits such as Johnny Marr + The Healers, Modest Mouse and The Cribs while the singer worked on his charisma and managed to get a gig as the front person of The Morrissey Band. Some members gave up music and decided to pursue litigation as a career path.

Anyways, here are some songs from the first and only show The Smiths ever played. Maybe one day people will discover them and create horrible covers of their songs. Maybe someday.

1. Handsome Devil
2. These Things Take Time
3. Hand In Glove
4. What Difference Does It Make?
5. Reel Around The Fountain
6. Accept Yourself
7. Wonderful Woman

Download.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Lawrence Arabia, 'Apple Pie Bed'

Couple of months back I rediscovered the joys of John Lennon's post-Beatles albums. Don't worry- I'm not about to announce that I think Lawrence Arabia is a modern day Lennon. But I would be telling a lie if I said that when I listened to 'Apple Pie Bed' it didn't sound comfortably reminiscent to my time spent with Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey. I'd also be fibbing if I told you that I'm not completely addicted to this song.

New Zealander James Milne is Lawrence Arabia. He's been a part of some bands you may have heard of (Brunettes, The Ruby Suns). He has two albums out. Not sure why he just landed on my radar now but I'm glad he did.

Lawrence Arabia - 'Apple Pie Bed'





His latest album is called Chant Darling and was released last year on Bella Union.

Record Store Day 2010: Wilco, Kicking Television 4LP Box set

With last years vinyl repressings of A.M., Being There and Summerteeth Wilco fans should now have no problem acquiring a complete collection. What's that? You're missing something? Oh right! Kicking Television, their 2005 live album that has never been released on wax.

Thankfully Record Store Day can remedy that. For the first time Kicking Television will be available on vinyl. Further from that it will come in a nice box set spread across 4 records. Even further- the 4th record will include 7 songs that didn't find their way onto the original release. At $65 this might seem pretty steep but the RSD site has it listed as being limited to 1,000 copies. If this holds to be true you can consider buying this early as saving yourself money. Just envision your future self scouring eBay a year from now and shelling out over $100 for this thing.

Songs exclusive to vinyl release:

Another Man's Done Gone

How to Fight Loneliness

Theologians

Kamera

Just a Kid

Outtasite (Outta Mind)

I'm a Wheel

More info here.

Monday, April 5, 2010

S U R V I V E, 'Lunar Eclipse'

Huge pat on the back to the people who run the Transparent blog for introducing me to S U R V I V E from Austin, TX. Not even going to bother explaining how this song sounds or play the ridiculous adjective game here. What I will say is 'Lunar Eclipse' is one of the best electro jams I've heard in quite a while. I've listened to it three times in a row now.

S U R V I V E - 'Lunar Eclipse':



The tracks up on their Myspace page are just as good.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

10 Years Later: The Avalanches, Since I Left You

It dawned on me the other day that Since I Left You, The Avalanches sprawling debut album, is approaching its 10 year birthday in November. For some reason this was a hard concept for me to understand. Probably because the aughts was the first decade for me that really flew by. I still think of 2000 as being just a couple of years ago. But when you realistically think about where you were then and how the world was, it starts to be put into perspective. For me, I was still living in upstate New York and was a good five months away from being able to order my first legal alcoholic drink. For America, we were still trying to figure out who was going to be our next president three weeks after the election. For the world, it meant still being able to bring regular sized shampoo with you on your plane. We had just calmed down from our biggest worry at the time, Y2K. Radiohead fans were frantically downloading Kid A off of Napster. There was no such thing as an iPod.

The point of all of this is that almost ten years later, we are still waiting for the follow up from our Melbourne friends. Details of a new album have been trickling out every year starting in 2005. You most likely know the story by now, but you can read the synopsis of the trials and tribulations of album number two here.

Since I Left You could be considered one of the earliest successful mash up records, a more subtle (and more original) version of what Girl Talk would start doing in 2002. Which is probably a key reason why we are still waiting for new music. The album is famously quoted as being comprised of around 3,500 samples, a bunch of which assumedly remained uncleared upon release. Something that is much harder to get away with in the year 2010. In fact the update last year was that the group were in the midst of this process. The last new details given were in January of this year that an October release was being anticipated. I think we all can agree that as long as we don't have to wait another 10 years, it will be worth it.







Delve deeper into the samples here.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

The Hundred in the Hands, 'Ghosts'

Brooklyn duo and recent Warp signees The Hundred in the Hands have a new EP, This Desert, set for release on May 18th. New song 'Ghosts' below. This should fit like a glove for anyone who digs female fronted electro-pop.

Lonely Galaxy, 'Have A Heart'

'Have A Heart' is the song J. Spaceman would have written if he were coming up in the bedroom pop scene. There's been a bunch of music released over the past couple of years that waves the 'studio apartment vs. recording studio' flag proudly, but it appears as if Harry Granger Howell is taking it in another direction. A welcome change.





For more visit this page.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Band of Horses, Live on KEXP 04.16.06

Ahhh, the beauty of the internet. When I first heard comparisons made between Band of Horses and the hallowed My Morning Jacket* I immediately downloaded some mp3's, checked the tour dates and went and saw them open up for Earlimart at the King King a couple of days later. That was March of 2006. These songs were recorded a couple of weeks later:

Band of Horses, Live on KEXP 04.16.06

1. The Great Salt Lake
2. Part One
3. Wicked Gil
4. The Funeral

Download

While the MMJ reference gives a hint of how Band of Horses first sounded to many, repeated listens of Everything All the Time quickly showed that they were in fact their own band with their own unique sound which has evolved over time. Yesterday, almost four years to the day later, they gave everyone a glimpse of what to expect from their third album. Proof that they continue to tweak their sound while still being Band of Horses.











* Yes- I continue to be a huge MMJ fan even after Evil Urges. That record was criminally misunderstood.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

65DaysOfStatic, 'Crash Tactics'


Sheffield instrumental quartet 65DaysOfStatic have a new album on the way and a new song to listen to. Slow intro, but it sure does build into something fantastic by the end. Kind of makes you want all post-rock to have Richard D James type beats to it, eh?

65DaysOfStatic, 'Crash Tactics':



We Were Exploding Anyway is the name of the record and it's out in a couple of weeks. Thanks to Drowned In Sound for the tip on this one.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Libertines played a show tonight

It was announced earlier this week that The Libertines are reuniting to play Reading and Leeds. They scheduled a press conference tonight at London's The Boogaloo to talk about the reformation, but after a brief chat they grabbed their instruments and played an 8 song set.

NME has more details here.

Reports that drugs fell out of Pete Doherty's coat pocket whilst he was tuning could not be confirmed at press time.

Welcome back lads. Good to have ya.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Record Store Day 2010: The Soft Pack 7" box set

The main Record Store Day website doesn't have this listed yet but according to a Facebook photo they uploaded today, The Soft Pack will be releasing their eponymous Kemado debut as a 7" box set on April 17th.

Limited to 1,500 pieces and promised not to be repressed, each 7" will have its own unique sleeve with collage art put together by singer / guitarist / rad dude Matt Lamkin. Also included- "previously unreleased on-vinyl bonus tracks!" Not sure which songs they mean exactly but it sounds mysterious.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Scuba, Triangulation

Scuba seems to slowly be finding his way across the Atlantic here to the States with his latest album Triangulation. A Google search yields a variety of genre titles. Dubstep. Techno. Electronic. Minimal. Dark House.

Whatever you decide to call it what really draws the listener in is the percussives, at times pretty metallic sounding. Take the below track as an example. After the ease of the intro, the beat kicks in and sounds a lot like a couple of workers rhythmically banging around with metal contraptions in their shop.

Scuba - 'Before':



If you are in L.A. this weekend you know how absolutely beautiful the weather is here right now. Scuba is a nice companion piece to the crisp spring breeze.



More Scuba info here.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Pulp, Auto Festival 2002

This recording is the last show Pulp played before going on a hiatus they have yet to emerge from. Sorry the tracklisting seems to be out of order, but the sound quality is pretty great as far as boots go.

Interlude 1
Lipgloss
Something Changed
Sorted for E's and Wizz
Razzmatazz
This Is Hardcore
I Love Life
Sunrise
Interlude 2
Happy Endings
Babies
Common People

Download

Forgot how I originally acquired this but a big thanks to whomever it was.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Roky Erickson, True Love Cast Out All Evil


Anti- sure does know how to make a longtime musician feel relevant again. Not to imply that Roky Erickson has been irrelevant for a single day in his long and fascinating career, but the label could just have easily released another Roky Erickson album and it would have been great. Instead they paired him with the blog worthy Okkervil River and had Will Sheff from the band produce the record. What a genius way to introduce Roky and his music to a whole new audience that may never have heard him otherwise.

There is a lot of popular music out there that is written in the third person, if it's actually written by the person performing it at all. It doesn't mean these are bad songs necessarily but it does mean that it's missing that first person emotion. In the below track, Roky keeps repeating the title. 'Goodbye Sweet Dreams'. When it hits the high mark towards the end and he starts singing in a more frantic tone, you experience that first hand emotion that seems such a rarity. Roky has lived a lot of life. And you believe every word he sings here.

Roky Erickson - 'Goodbye Sweet Dreams'

True Love Cast Out All Evil is released April 20th.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A Place To Bury Strangers, Ego Death EP

NME ran a story yesterday announcing that A Place To Bury Strangers have a new EP coming up called Ego Death and it "...is the follow-up to 2009's Exploding Head and was recorded in Brooklyn."

As exciting as that sounds, it's a bit misleading. 'Ego Death' is track 6 on Exploding Head as well as the new single. Factual error aside, the Ego Death EP does exist. It's available digitally right now here in the States on iTunes and there is a 12" on the way. Or at least I hope it's on the way. I caught them in L.A. with The Big Pink a couple weeks back and my eagle eye didn't spot this at the merch table.

Either way the tracklist is:

1. Ego Death (Radio Edit)
2. It's a Fast Driving Raveup With a Place to Bury Strangers
3. Ego Death (Figo Remix)
4. Exploding Head (RX Dub Remix)
5. Ego Death (Allen Blickle of Baroness Remix)

A Place to Bury Strangers - 'Ego Death':



Exploding Head was one of the better records released last year that probably slipped right by you. Highly recommended live band as well.

Check upcoming tour dates here.

Of course we can all hope that the NME is correct and there is an EP of all new material on its way.

P.S. Video has been released (via The Scenester):

New Teenage Fanclub Album Announced


I feel like I read Alan McGee quoted somewhere once where he said something to the effect that Scotland's Teenage Fanclub are his favorite band that he signed to Creation Records. Now hopefully I'm not putting words in the poor chaps mouth but if that holds true that's a pretty epic statement considering the bands that were on that label.

Teenage Fanclub are re-emerging after five years to release their new album Shadows June 8th on Merge.

Here's a new song to listen to:

Teenage Fanclub - 'Baby Lee'

Tracklist:

1. Sometimes I Don’t Need To Believe In Anything
2. Baby Lee
3. The Fall
4. Into The City
5. Dark Clouds
6. The Past
7. Shock And Awe
8. When I Still Have Thee
9. Live With The Seasons
10. Sweet Days Waiting
11. The Back Of My Mind
12. Today Never Ends

Monday, March 22, 2010

Black Tambourine, Black Tambourine LP


Seems like lots of people are either rediscovering Black Tambourine or discovering them for the first time. Feels like the right timing. Slumberland Records celebrated 20 years last year and is continuing the party next week with two West Coast shows. Also it's nearly impossible to hear a Black Tambourine track (keep in mind most of these were recorded between 1989 - 1991) and not hear some solid similarities to the current crop of buzz bands that have been all over your favorite blog in the last year and a half. These guys were truly ahead of their time.

On March 30th Slumberland is releasing a 12" simply titled Black Tambourine. Compiling the handful of tracks the band released in their brief existence, the comp also includes unreleased songs including four brand new ones that the band recently reunited to record.

Black Tambourine - 'For Ex-Lovers Only'

At $10 this is a steal. Pre-order here.

Record Store Day 2010: Sonic Youth, Confusion Is Sex and EVOL reissues


For 2009's Record Store Day, Sonic Youth released two solid 7" splits with Beck and Jay Reatard respectively. They return once again to help celebrate the annual holiday, only this year you can snag reissues of two of their earliest albums which have been out of print for some time. Confusion Is Sex (the bands debut, originally released in 1983 on SST) and EVOL (third album released in 1986, some might say their first classic full length).





Both albums are being put together by Original Recordings Group, are being pressed at RTI and will be 180 gram. Confusion Is Sex will be pressed on white vinyl and EVOL will be pink. Each will be limited to 1,500 pieces worldwide.




April 17th is the day you want to wake up early.

Sonic Youth, 'Shadow of A Doubt' from EVOL:

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Carl Barat finishes solo album

(photo credit: Paul O'Neil)

Carl Barat (Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things) has confirmed with the BBC that his solo album is now finished, saying it's '...definitely different from The Libertines. It's different from anything I've done before. It's more me." No other details, such as album name / release date, were offered up.

Barat also touched on those ever rampant Libertines reunion rumors, saying that he sees the other members of the band often. Read the full article here.

NME recently talked with Carl about the upcoming album and you can watch that video here.

Looking forward to this one quite a bit.

Carl Barat - 'Can't Stand Me Now (acoustic)':

Video: Serena-Maneesh, 'I Just Want To See Your Face'


Surfing on Steam sends the tip that Serena-Maneesh have a new clip for 'I Just Want To See Your Face'. Personally speaking, this band is one of the more fascinating groups out there right now and hopefully the new album, SM-2: Ayisha Abyss in B Minor, gets the due attention with whomever is making your music listening decisions for you these days.



Their latest album releases this Tuesday from 4AD.