We already expressed our dismay over the general suckiness of this flick's soundtrack (though we're still amped for the movie itself) but it's still interesting to hear how the theme was tweaked for 2007. Interesting, but not very good. (We could do without the Linkin Park-style rap.)
Download: Mute Math - "Transformers Theme"
What this soundtrack needs (like most) is a little more Weird Al.
The UK's Winterkids, who you can catch tonight at The Lei Lounge at Niagra and Tuesday at the Mercury Lounge, will release its debut LP Memoirs in the States on March 12. The sound, a sprightly brand of new wave-ish indie pop, is both terribly infectious and quite accomplished for a young band from a "small countryside village called Peaslake."
"They write music for all to sing and dance to" according to the Winterkids' MySpace page. Fair enough. Do they get the job done? Check out "Tape it" and "All the Money" (which is also available for download below) and just try to tell them no.
Winterkids is also slated to perform at SXSW, so if you're making the trip do check them out. Our favorite quote thus far from the oh-so-excitable British press:
“If Lewis Carroll wrote a scene where Alice, after failing to catch the rabbit, drowned her sorrows in a pub made out of, say, marzipan and ribbons they would be the house band of choice” DISORDER
Download: Winterkids - "All the Money" off Memoirs
SS has started warming up to Bright Eyes, despite his still somewhat emo-ish persona (and hair.) We ain't buyin' into all the "new Dylan" hype that some bloggers are shoveling, but the Four Winds EP has been stuck in our heads all week, and catching one of his seven dates in NYC in May might finally win us over. But for now, we're still chewing on the latest leak from Oberst's upcoming Cassadaga LP, due April 10.
It's quite pretty with it's orchestral build and country guitar licks, but who's really ready to buy into a Neil Young-like cautionary tale from this pretty boy? Not us...yet at least.
Download: Bright Eyes - "No One Would Riot For Less" off Cassadaga
Generally speaking, we're not big into the Bright Eyes. His sensitive emo boy shtick might work with the teenage hipster chicks that hang Dashboard posters in their bedrooms, but Conner Oberst is just a tad mopey for our money. Strike that...mopey can be good, but does he have to be so gosh darn cutesy about it?
OK - This is not to say that Oberst doesn't have any chops. And so, though we might not be running out to grab the Four Winds EP arriving March 6, we're diggin' the title track.
Light on teen angst and heavy on end-of-the-world fire and brimstone, the track is set to fiddles and guitar plucking that would fit nicely on really good Dixie Chicks tune. It's pretty peppy for a song about the apocalypse, but at least he's not whining about that girl he gave his promise ring to...
Download: Bright Eyes - "Four Winds" or stream the entire Four Winds EP here.
Boston's The SLIP will be touring with My Morning Jacket soon, which by itself is likely enough to get one's foot in the blogger buzz door. But with new album EISENHOWER set for a November 7 release, we thought it time to find out if there's much else to the band's Boston-bred indie rock sound.
So far we dig, but you let us know. Check out four tracks at the band's MySpace, download some old nuggets at the official site then grab new single "Even Rats" below.
Download: The Slip - "Even Rats" off of EISENHOWER
Here's a treat: Today we've got a long-lost Louis Armstrong mp3 (the dude was way ahead of his time folks)called "You Can Never Hold Back Spring." All brass, piano and scraggly old man voice, it must have been recorded in Armstrong's declining years. Wait, it's a new song you say? From 2005? Boy, that Tom Waits gets way cooler, raspier and blacker every year...
"Spring" is the second leak off of Waits' Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards 3-disc set, due November 21 via Anti. The track follows the previously reported "Bottom of the World," both of which are great, but might have you unconsciously craving a cough drop by song's end.
Download: Tom Waits - "You Can Never Hold Back Spring"
Tom Waits has a treasure chest of "new and rare" material on the way, in the form of the 3-disc Orphans. Due November21 via Anti, the collection boast 54 tracks-worth of Waits' unique, very accessible, happy-go-lucky brand of pop.
But seriously..."Bottom of the World" is Waits at his bleakest, lyrically-speaking, but carries with it some semi-uplifting instrumentation. It's actually kinda...pretty.
Download: Tom Waits - "Bottom of the World"
Maybe we can squeeze some music out of this Lonelygirl15 fiasco after all. One of her recent videos, a more suggestive than usual one at that, featured the track "Junkie," by a pop-soul band called The Jane Doe's. Since we try to avoid linking to videos of 16-year-olds prancing around in bathing suits, we won't be dropping the video on ya'll here. (Though I'm sure you could just find it yourself...you perv.) BUT, the mp3 is below for some legal, wholesome enjoyment.
Download: The Jane Doe's - "Junkie"
After a soggy week or so, it looks like beach weather has descended on SS country for at least a little while longer. So while our seasonal affective disorder keeps us smiling, we thought we'd offer everyone a taste of Goldenboy's shimmering, bittersweet pop. The California band's new disc, Underneath The Radio, drops on October 3rd - hopefully with Indian Summer still in full swing.
Filter sums the Goldenboy experience up pretty well:
"The duo from the sleepy Los Angeles suburb of Diamond Bar create bittersweet tunes which remind you of childhood summers spent camping-out in the backyard."
No place is that more evident than on "Summer of the Evening," the lead single off Underneath. Download the track below (along with two others from the upcoming disc), then check out the band's MySpace page for more tracks including the SS fav "Motorbike" and another seasonal ode, "Summertime," featuring the late Elliot Smith.
Download: Goldenboy - "Summer of the Evening" | "Second Day of the Year" | "Underneath the Radio"
Van She has a very snazzy official site, which is sometimes enough to hook the web geeks at SS in for an extended look-see. They're a stylish buncha' dudes, we'll give em' that, but there wasn't any music to sink out teeth into. So we moved onto the back-up: the MySpace page of course. And there we found, in line with only the best of 80's synth, a band that backs up the duds with quality tunes.
"Sex City" is a brooding, fuzzy, delicious cut of pop that would fit in nicely as a ballsier Human League cut. "Mission" combines an old-school Cure riff, handclaps and the usual synthy goodness for another winner, but "Kelly" might be the break-out single here. It's definitely the most pop-oriented, and stops just this side of cheesy, but it's catchy as all hell. We're partial to the first two, but drop it right on the Breakfast Club soundtrack and you're in business.
Van She is currently touring the homeland in Australia, but will hit NYC on 11/1 for the CMJ fest, and the following day at record label Modular's Brooklyn shindig.
Download: Van She - "Kelly"
Also check out the oh-so-80's video below as well:
It seems like once a month that SS gets all googly-eyed about a band on Sub Pop. Well this time our gaze is fixed on The Album Leaf. Basically the Jimmy LaValle show, the band offers a blend of moody electronic and ambient rock that's quite a bit catchier than either of those genres have any business being.
Into the Blue Again, the band's latest release, hit stores this September and we probably won't get "Always for You" out of our heads before then. It sounds a bit like The Postal Service crossed with Modest Mouse, and well, it might just be as good as both.
The band's MySpace page has "Always," as well as three other, equally excellent tracks to stream. These "melodic daydreams" as they're being pitched, are perfect for that rainy day soundtrack you're making to show your scenestar girlfriend how hip you are, despite that collection of Creed and Third Eye Blind discs. Pick it up yo.
Download: The Album Leaf - "Always for You"
Also check out this nifty "making of" documentary we dug up on youtube. Good stuff.
Pitchfork might like busting on Cold War Kids, but we sure dig em'. "Hang Me Up to Dry," from the Up In Rags EP and available for streaming on the band's MySpace page, shows off a ragged, bluesy, imperfectly-beautiful sound and while critics might have a point about their decidedly chorus-less tunes, this slow-churned rocker just has soul brother. We'll take that over a Pussycat Dolls hook any day.
"Hospital Beds" is equally brooding, in a slightly poppier but equally wonderful way. Maybe the song doesn't really build to anything, but as quoted in Variety the "wide open spaces" of that track, and others, gives Cold War Kids "plenty of weight." Couldn't agree more. (Though the Editors bashing in that article, we could do without.)
Here's a batch of Cold War Kids tunes for ya'll. Download, enjoy and let us know what you think.
Download: Cold War Kids - "Hospital Beds" | "Tell Me In The Morning" | "The Soloist In The Living Room" | "Heavy Boots"
Finally, check out the video for "Hair Down," off last year's With Our Wallets Full EP.
That brand new, and brilliantly-titled Yo La Tengo disc (due Sept. 12), I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass, is shaping up to be pretty magically delicious. A second track, "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind," actually improves on the already great "Beanbag Chair." Enjoy!
Now we can all forget about Murdering the Classics and move on.
Download: Yo La Tengo - "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind"
See this is why Pete Doherty pisses us off. Instead of making headlines for being an ass, we could be talking about Babyshambles and the b-sides that will see an North American release via iTunes on 8/1. We could be talking about that, or even the aptly-titled The Implant Sessions, but instead he's getting pity from Paris Hilton! It's too bad, because the dude can actually write a song when he wants to. Check it:
Download: Babyshambles - "The Man Who Came To Stay"
Well isn't that just our luck? SS caught on to the Band of Horses bandwagon a little late (in blogger terms), and just when we find out how great the Seattle indie popsters' Everything All The Time really is, founding member Mat Brooke goes and leaves the band. Doh! Disappointing to be sure, but if you're a fan of lush, sweeping, guitar-driven pop, don't let our tears stop you from picking up the disc. Really. We'll be OK.
Band of Horses issued this statement:
"Mat was originally in the band to help with songwriting, and that due to his other projects taking off, he is no longer in the band."
No tearful farewell huh fellas? At any rate, they'll be playing the Pitchfork Music Festival on July 29, sans Brooke, but still quite awesomely we're sure. Also be on the look out for fall tour dates, via the band's official site.
Download: Band of Horses - "The Funeral"
Catfish Haven's label, Secretly Canadian, are pimping the band's upcoming (9/12) LP, Tell Me, as "one hell of a break-up record." Well, based on the acclaimed Please Come Back EP, we're sure it will be one helluva "something"...but based on the first leak track, "Crazy for Leaving," "break up record" might be a tad misleading. Lyrically it might be on the money, but the sound continues the soulful, acoustic bar music that CMJ called:
"Soul music for future generations of rowdy rustic types, and when singer George Hunter proclaims “I’m down on bended Knee,” with his raspy wail, we learn that the Midwestern trailer-park-born reincarnation of Otis Redding is a white kid strumming the shit out of his acoustic guitar… Catfish Haven have put together a mighty portrait of a band musically going for broke.”
Catfish Haven's MySpace page has a few more tracks to stream (don't miss "Madaline"), and you can grab "Crazy for Leaving" below.
Download: Catfish Haven - "Crazy for Leaving"
Proof that post-punk riffs needn't always originate in the UK, New York or Montreal, we offer The Sammies.
Out of Charlotte, NC, the band is serving up Futureheads-style licks with more than a few southern rock accents. Of note is "Falling Out," an irresistible track crafted around a free-wheeling guitar hook and chorus. You can stream it at the band's Space, but the official site also has several tunes available for download, the best of which might be "Let it Go."
Combining Cure-like guitars with Strokes-ish vocals, "Let it Go" shows off a clear knack for a crafting a winning melody. With an already established live reputation, The Sammies could be on the verge of something...or not. You be the judge. Post a comment and let us know whatcha' think ya'll.
Download: The Sammies - "Let it Go"
Upcoming tour dates:
Jul 14 2006 9:00P - The Spot Charlotte, NC
Jul 21 2006 9:00P - Visulite Theater Charlotte, NC
Jul 27 2006 8:00P - New Brookland Tavern Columbia, SC
Aug 24 2006 5:00P - Greenville Summer Series Greenville, SC
Aug 26 2006 9:00P - Spanish Moon Baton Rouge, LA
Aug 27 2006 9:00P - House of Blues New Orleans
Aug 28 2006 9:00P - The Social Orlando, FL
Aug 29 2006 9:00P - TBD Tallahassee, FL
Aug 30 2006 9:00P - The Nick Birmingham, AL
Aug 31 2006 9:00P - Smith's Olde Bar Atlanta, GA
Sep 1 2006 9:00P - 40 Watt Athens , GA
Sep 2 2006 9:00P - Visulite Theatre Charlotte, NC
Sep 3 2006 9:00P - King's Barcade Raleigh, NC
Sep 5 2006 9:00P - Black Cat Washington, DC
Sep 6 2006 9:00P - TBA Philadelphia, PA
Sep 7 2006 9:00P - TBA New York, NY
Sep 15 2006 1:00P - UNCC Charlotte, NC
Oct 14 2006 12:00A - Peoplefest Wadesboro, NC
The Killers' highly anticipated (and internally hyped) sophomore album will drop in October and will be preceded on September 18 by the single "When You Were Young." According to Billboard.com, other tracks likely to make the disc include:
"Read My Mind"
"Bones"
"Uncle Johnny Did Cocaine"
Frontman Brandon Flowers had this to say to Billboard, regarding the new disc:
"We're trying to strip it down a little bit. Not have it be so busy. Just let it breathe and let it be a great song. We wrote some great songs on the first one, but these have more of a classic feel."
A snippet of "We You Were Young" leaked a few days ago, and at first SS wasn't in love with it. But it's growin' on us, and we thought ya'll deserved a peek. Tell us whatcha' think. Sophomore jinx in effect?
Download: The Killers - "When You Were Young"
UPDATE The full version is currently streaming over at MyselfMyself.
UPDATE #2: Now you can hear it here.
Happy Hour is upon us and although it's only Monday, SS feels like gettin' a little jiggy tonight. What to do, what to do...Well, Sub Pop is always good for an mp3 in a pinch. Check out this track from Cansei De Ser Sexy (or CSS...not the stylesheet you web geeks), and just try to keep that ass off the dancefloor...
Download: Cansei De Ser Sexy - "Lets Make Love and Listen to Death From Above"
On July 25, The Long Winters will release Putting The Days To Bed, the band's third LP. According to their official site:
"It combines the lyrical intimacy and melodic complexity of the Ultimatum EP with the guitar pop rave-ups of the band’s previous full-lengths."
"Pushover," though its lyrics may fall on the melancholy side, is closer to the latter. Download the track below, and if that ain't enough to get you through the dreaded Monday morning, you can always stream the entire disc over at Mammoth.
Download: The Long Winters - "Pushover"
It's almost quittin' time for SS, but we've got one more mp3 for the road:
Sure, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness has been around a while, having dropped its debut LP Fear Is On Our Side back in March, but SS didn't really take notice until we heard "According to Plan," in all its brooding, new wave-flavored glory. Cue the 1980s late-night driving montage...
Download: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - "According to Plan"
Jason Molina is a busy beaver. In addition to the aforementioned Magnolia Electric Co. album, Secretly Canadian will release a limited edition solo album of Molina tracks on August 22.
Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go will be a vinyl-only affair, except for this groovy little free mp3, "Get Out Get Out Get Out." (Not sure what this repetition theme means here, but the song's a keeper.)
From the SC site:
"I wanted badly to revisit the type of songs I did on my more experimental albums The Pyramid, The Ghost, and Protection Spells. I put this project together in the last days before I began what was a long and harrowing move back to Chicago. I wrote these songs as well as the half dozen or so that did not make it over the course of 3 mornings in Bloomington, Indiana and recorded them one after the other in the order they were written."
Tracklist:
It's Easier Now
Everything Should Try Again
Alone With The Owl
Don't It Look Like Rain
Some Things Never Try
It Must Be Raining There Forever
Get Out Get Out Get Out
It Costs You Nothing
Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go
Download: Jason Molina - "Get Out Get Out Get Out"
Here's an 80s (well, 1989) reunion act we didn't see coming. Eddie Brickell (or Mrs. Paul Simon) has trotted those New Bohemians back out again for the band's first disc since 1990's Ghost Of A Dog. Stranger Things will drop on July 25, and is preceded by the single "Wear You Down," which is available for download below:
Download: Eddie Brickell & New Bohemians - "Wear You Down"
Is it just us, or has the hype around Outkast's Idlewild been a little lacking? We're not hatin', but these boys pretty much owned the game (critics and fans alike) a couple years ago right? You'd think August 22 couldn't come fast enough. Maybe it's just us, or maybe Gnarls Barkley stole their thunder, or maybe these two leaked tracks ain't that good. Give em' a listen, then you tell us. "Hey Ya" or hell no?
The site might only be useful to the bilingual Sonic Slanger, and the quality ain't great, but if any of you are curious what The Strokes might sound like covering Low Reed's "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" Rocksuckers has you covered. Plus they have a super duper RadioBlog playlist.
It's neither as bad as the haters would say, nor as good as TheModernAge would want.
Download: The Strokes - "Take a Walk on the Wild Side"
The Format returns on July 11 with Dog Problems - and though the lead track might not be as infectious as "The First Single" off Interventions + Lullabies...it's damn close. That's saying a lot considering the turmoil these guys underwent in the three years since their first disc. Dropped by their label not once, but twice, they stuck to their guns and turned the experience into the mocking but jubilant "The Compromise." The sentiment sure ain't nothing new, but it's a toe-tapper nonetheless.
Download: The Format - "The Compromise" off of Dog Problems
It's gonna be gorgeous all weekend in SS country, so here's some tunes to get your bender started. Right-click and save that shiz!
- The Futureheads: "Back to the Sea" (via indieblogheaven)
- Nick Cave: "The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane" (via sixeyes)
- Radiohead: "15 Step" (via Sit Down Stand Up)
- Klee: "This is for Everyone" (via My Old Kentucky Blog)
- Band of Horses: "The Funeral" (via Chromewaves)
Many of you might have noticed our recent love affair with bashing James Blunt. Sure, maybe he's not making dumbass headlines everyday like our favorite prank monkey, Pete Doherty, but at least his antics have the makings of a "beautiful loser" kind of status, a la The Replacements. That is if he ever gets around to putting out some new music.
But as for Mr. Blunt...well we just think he's a dick. And furthermore, "You're Beautiful" will likely go down in history as one of the most annoying, schmaltzy, over-played love ballads in history. It's like listening to "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker, without the...what's the word...oh yeah, talent.
All this being said, you'd think we'd have jumped the chance to post about the recent Weird Al parody, "You're Pitiful." But dammit, we've made it this far without ever posting about Weird Al, and we ain't gonna start now! Fortunately, Stereogum stumbled across this little nugget...
We don't know who wrote it yet, but this one goes out to all the desk jockeys out there. We feel ya bro'.
Download: Not James Blunt - "My Cubicle" and thanks to the 'gum!
You know, a Jurassic 5 track featuring Dave Matthews sounded like a bad idea to us at first...
And it was. Let us know if you agree as Spine Magazine offers "Work It Out," the first single off the band's upcoming Feedback LP.
As part of the late-twenties, Caucasian, college-educated demographic, we will always have a soft spot for some DMB. To hell with the haters! But guesting here, Matthews turns a potentially solid track into something that sounds suspiciously like a cast off from Stand Up. And that's definitely not a good thing...
The disc drops on July 25 and features other, likely better guests stars like Mos Def and Scott Storch.
Download: Jurassic 5 - "Work It Out" off of Feedback.
As we all know, Yo La Tengo is Murdering the Classics sucked. Sure the band was very frank about its suckiness, and at least for that we commend them, but that doesn't change the fact that it was largely unlistenable as anything more than a conversation piece for Tengo fanatics. So, for those of you that have been salivating for that next "proper" disc, the wait is almost over. (Well OK, it comes out September 12.) Best of all, the first track owns. Actually scratch that. The best of all might be the title: I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. Hah! But seriously, the first track still owns.
"Beanbag Chair" is classic Yo La Tengo. A bright, airy pop gem, blending upbeat piano licks and some fun hornplay that makes you wanna just bounce around the room for a while. As with many of the group's best efforts, it makes for perfect background music to a lazy summer's day.
They don't sound like they'll be kicking any ass anytime soon...But it's damn good to have them back to writing their own material. You all can relax now.
Download: Yo La Tengo - "Beanbag Chair" of off I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass.
On 6/13 The Replacements finally get a proper "greatest hits" set that covers both their Twin/Tone and Sire/Reprise years. It also happens to have one of the great subtitles in recent memory: Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? The Best Of The Replacements. But the real big news, of course, was the reuniting of the band's surviving members to record two new tracks. Train wrecks or masterpieces? Considering the band's legendary self-destructive nature, either would suit us just fine. No reason to spoil the band's now mythic status with anything middle-of-the-road right? Well one of the tracks, "Message to the Boys," has leaked...and the verdict is...
First of all let's get the bad news out of the way...it's not a masterpiece. It starts off strong but seems to meander along at the end, not knowing where to call it a day. The chorus is catchy, but nothing about it is going to blow you out of the water, and it won't be that radio hit that gets Stinson out of Guns and Roses and back on the road with Westerberg. But for fans of the mid- to late-80s 'Mats (think Tim or Pleased to Meet Me) it'll still be a sight for sore ears.
Not the thrashy, sloppy but wonderful punk sound from early on, or the more "adult" acoustic pop balladeering that marked the last two discs and much of Westerberg's solo material (before his creative re-birth of the last three years), the song is a punchy pop-rock tune with a chunky, catchy-as-hell riff that will appeal to anyone who thought "Alex Chilton" was the shit back in the 80s. It might be the kind of track Weste can pull off in his sleep (as evident by last year's Besterberg track, "C'mon, C'mon, C'mon"), but if it doesn't bring a smile to your face then you were never a fan to begin with son.
I hear they also blew off an accompanying interview with Jim Rome as well. Woo hoo! The 'Mats are back!
Download: The Replacements - "Message To The Boys"
The rain's still here, but SS feels like rockin' again. Enter, Sam Roberts Band. Before you groan at the sight of another "Montreal Band" give em' a listen. Their Juno-winning We Were Born In A Flame was a passionate "rock and roll or death" type of disc that combined power pop, folk and psychedelia into an ultra ambitious mix that was hard to resist for even the most jaded critics.
The band's follow up, Chemical City, hits the States on May 16th (the Canadians are already eating it up). If "The Gate" is any indication of what's in store, lead singer Roberts is still carrying the rock and roll torch, haters be damned.
"Whoever said, you can't be saved by a song? Whoever said that, is stringing you along." ("Uprising Down Under")
Also check out the band's Space for more tracks off of Chemical City, as well as the official site's media section for selected videos and here for an album sampler.
Download: Sam Roberts Band: "The Gate" off of Chemical City.
File under rainy day pop: Bill Ricchini's "Dark Little Sea" channels The Cure, but his lush vocals add weight to simple, yet effectively repetitive lyrics. ("I waited for you to call.") It's a gorgeous little tune; one of many from the NYC-based singer/songwriter. The fella's been on the radar since 2002 when Ordinary Time found itself on several mag's year-end top ten lists including The Village Voice and Rollingstone.com. But his latest release might finally turn that acclaim into asses in the seats. One listen and you'll know he deserves it.
Ricchini's latest, Tonight I Burn Brightly, dropped last August on Transdreamer Records and spawned "Dark Little Sea." The equally dreamy "Cold Comfort" is also available for download on his official site, along with two tracks from 2002's Ordinary Time. (Don't miss other streaming tracks from TIBB including our fav, "Angela.")
Download: Bill Ricchini - "Dark Little Sea" off of Tonight I Burn Brightly.
It's a dreary Saturday afternoon in SS country, and we're laying low. But if you're looking for some weekend tunes to combat that seasonal affective disorder, check out two surprisingly great tracks from New York Dolls forthcoming comeback disc, One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This, due July 25th via Roadrunner Records.
"Dance Like A Monkey" is the first single, a party rave up that swaggers like it's been 30 months and not 30 years, not to mention has some pretty clever commentary on intelligent design. "Take A Good Look At My Good Looks" strikes a more mid-tempo groove a bit like prime-era Stones. By the way, did Johansen always sound so much like John Hiatt?
Download: New York Dolls - "Dance Like A Monkey" and stream "Take A Good Look At My Good Looks" off of One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This.
He might be on the pretentious side, a tad self-involved...hell even annoying to some, but The Streets (a.k.a. Mike Skinner) is certainly a clever little bugger. And sometimes, particularly in the hip hop game, cleverness is enough. He may not ever sell out arenas like 50, win Oscars like Slim, or make housewives swoon like Big Willie, but the guy certainly has the blogosphere eating out of his hands. Even if you want to box his ears now and again.
Continuing his streak of "ain't I clever" album titles, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living will be Skinner's 3rd full-length, and the follow-up to his breakthrough, A Grand Don't Come For Free. His MySpace page calls the disc "nothing short of a voyage to the heart of celebrity darkness, an epic of excess and personal disarray." Whatever. His latest single though, "When You Wasn't Famous," displays more of that infectious wit that keeps the hipsters coming back for more.
Download: The Streets - "When You Wasn't Famous"
The Rapture has teamed up with collaborators-of-the-moment Danger Mouse for their as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2003's Echoes, and the first leaked tracked just showed up here on I Guess I'm Floating.
We can't find a firm release date yet, but if "W.A.Y.U.H." is any indication of what's to come, we're in for a treat. The comments about some serious Talking Heads influence are certainly on the money, but since when is a little more TH ever a bad thing?
Download: The Rapture - W.A.Y.U.H. UPDATE: Busted!
The Sounds have announced dates for the band's spring US tour, supported by Morningwood and Action Action and kicking off March 22 in LA. They'll hit NYC on April 12 with a show at Irving Plaza.
The Swedish act will be supporting their sophomore release, Dying To Say This To You, which hits stores on March 21. Check out their official "sneak peek" website for three streaming tracks, or download a fourth, "Painted By Numbers" right here. All the tracks are a giant step forward from the band's catchy but scatter-shot debut, Living in America. Despite that title, this album might be the one that breaks big in the States. Try not to dance, we dare you...
Download: The Sounds - "Painted By Numbers" off of Dying To Say This To You
If Sinatra had played guitar and been a Brit, he might have sounded something like Richard Hawley, our latest SXSW pick (for all you lucky bastards that are going).
From SXSW:
"Richard Hawley is a singer from Sheffield UK. He has been compared many times to Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Scott Walker and Frank Sinatra. In reality he is an English romantic, a son of a steelworker and a person who believes in making honest music. He has been described by Uncut as Possibly the best songwriter in Britain and recently won the coveted South Bank award (he was nominated with Kate Bush and Gorillaz). He is simply the real deal. A rare thing."
See now this is what the Internet is supposed to be about (well, what it's supposed to be about if you're in the business of publishing an mp3 blog).
Ted Leo (of Ted Leo + Pharmacists) has posted two new tracks that the band will supposedly be playing on their upcoming tour. Ted admits they are a little rough:
"I think that I got some good recordings of rough versions of two of them (especially ignore the guitar solos -- they'll get better) from yesterday's practice, so I thought I'd share them wif yiz"
But hell, in a world where artists guard their tracks with their lives (aside from those "accidental" leaks by blog-savvy PR folk) until after turning them into the glossy, red-taped, over-produced messes that so much of what passes for pop music ends up as today...it's refreshing to see a guy so willing to share a couple of messy, fun, off-the-cuff tracks that clearly are still in the planning stages.
Then again, a demo from Ted Leo is still a fair bit better than most artists on their best days.
Download: Ted Leo + Pharmacists - "Army Bound" and "Some Beginner's Mind"
If you're Billy Joe Armstrong, having just resurrected your once over-hill-snot-nosed pop punk band Green Day from cultural irrelevance and into a totally unexpected critical and commercial second-coming with the politically-charged anthemic LP American Idiot, what do you do for an encore? I've got it...record a hokey, Howdy Doody-on-acid pop track for freakshow puppet animation flick, Live Freaky Die Freaky (in which he also appears).
SS loved American Idiot...hell we loved Warning. But this song sucks. Download if you dare...
Download: Billy Joe Armstrong - "Mechanical Man"
If you're like SS, and not one of those fancy, millionaire, corporate-sponsored bloggers that got comped tickets to SXSW 2006, then we have something to cheer you up a little. Maybe we can't be there to hear in person, the over 1400 bands rocking Austin from March 15th to the 19th, but we can still get a taste of what we're missing (and gently sob as we fire up our iPods).
The SXSW website has a veritable mp3 goldmine with literally hundreds of free downloads from most of the participating artists and bands. Yes, it'll be quite a chore to sort through them all...but that's just the kind of ridiculous thing we do here at SS in avoidance of real work. But start perusing yourself, and when we hit upon a diamond in the rough, you'll be sure to read about it here.
First up is a band already an SS fav: Modern Skirts.
Paste Magazine says:
"Combining Ben Folds' emotive lyrical prowess, the dumb-grinning
singability of The New Pornographers and Pet Sounds jaw-
slackening harmonies, Modern Skirts make crafting unforgettable
pop seem about as difficult as a 25-piece Winnie the Pooh jigsaw
puzzle."
We agree. (Too busy downloading for additional commentary.)
Download: Modern Skirts - "My Bully" off of Catalogue of Generous Men
Mark Knopfler got a raw deal. Consider the following:
While fronting Dire Straits, the guy crafted quite a batch of solid, classic rock tunes ("So Far Away," "Sultans of Swing," etc) yet will forever be associated with that song that ushered in the MTV-era, "Money for Nothing." Perhaps it was a mistake including the ultra sell-out lyrics "I want my MTV." Perhaps Brothers in Arms has in fact aged horribly. And yes, perhaps those headbands were undeniably cheesy. But hey, it was the 80's, and while many artists never made it out of that decade, Knopfler went on produce a number of impressive solo albums (Sailing To Philadelphia, Shangri-La), and pick up no less than six Grammys over the course of his career. (OK, so the last one was "Best Surround Sound Album" for this year's Brothers in Arms, 20th Anniversary Edition, but it's still commendable.)
Point being, "Walk of Life" sure sucks, but Mark Knopfler sure don't. Which is why when All The Roadrunning, his album of duets with the equally great Emmylou Harris, hit stores in April, do yourself a favor and pick it up.
If you're unfamiliar with Knopfler's solo output, download these vids and enjoy:
Video Download: Mark Knopfler - "What It Is" off of Sailing To Philadelphia and "Boom Like That" off of Shangri-La.
Maritime will release We, the Vehicles on April 4, the follow-up to 2004's largely unnoticed Glass Floor. Surprisingly unnoticed, considering the pedigree: Maritime rose from the ashes of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan, and though their debut was pleasant if a bit slight, We, the Vehicles will no doubt move the band a few notches closer to their former band's heights...if not past them both.
The disc is filled with gorgeous pop moments of longing, exuberance, joy, a little despair...this is the album these guys are supposed to be making.
Several of the tracks from We, the Vehicles are streaming on the band's website, including the pop gem, "Tearing Up The Oxygen," or download "Sleep Around," off their debut, below.
Download - Maritime: "Sleep Around" off of Glass Floor
The new Maximo Park single, "I Want You To Stay," will be released Feb. 20, but the remix version is, naturally, available right now.
The Field Music remix is not what you might expect from the post punkers we've come know and love, but it is the closest thing to a true Brit ballad that the band has ever put to tape, remix or not. Really quite groovy.
Download - Maximo Park: "I Want You To Stay (Field Music remix)"
More news out of Matador, this of the happier sort: Pretty Girls Make Graves will release its latest, Elan Vital on April 11, but the first mp3, "The Nocturnal House" is available now for those with no patience (like us). Check it out below folks.
Download: Pretty Girls Make Graves - "The Nocturnal House" off of Elan Vital.
Had SS bothered to make a "Best Of 2005" list, Minus The Bear's Menos el Oso would have been a serious contender for the top spot. Combining Incubus-style surf rock with angular, math riffs, the disc should have hoisted the band into the big time. The jury's still out on that one (the boys are still touring the hell out of it) but it's good to see them getting some exposure.
Check out these mp3s from their recent appearance on Seattle's KEXP. The new single, "Pachuca Sunrise" is in their and still makes us want to grab our boards and hit the waves every time. Then we remember it's February in New York. Oh and that we don't surf.
Download: Minus The Bear - "Pachuca Sunrise" live on KEXP
It's been written that the upcoming Mellowdrone LP is a rather eclectic set. Judging by the two tracks we've heard, SS is inclined to agree so far. We previewed "Fashionably Uninvited" back here, and the track had us pegging the band as a moody, space synth kind of act. Now the latest leak,"Oh My," has thrown us for a loop.
A pulsing, beat-driven affair, the song has a much more pop feel and drops a pretty good dance floor bounce. Any way you slice it, Mellowdrone is two for two, and we're psyched for the whole shebang. Box drops on March 7.
Download: Mellowdrone - "Oh My" off of Box.
The second release from Magnet (Norway's Even Johansen) drops on February 14th. Titled The Tourniquet, the early buzz is calling it another blissful batch of electro folk pop, and an impressive follow-up to 2003's On Your Side.
"Hold On" continues in the artist's tradition of lush, sweeping melodies and subtle electronics. The track is restrained but anthemic, oh yeah, and gorgeous.
Download: Magnet - "Hold On" off of The Tourniquet
PS - Magnet will be joining Isobel Campbell, formally of Belle and Sebastian, for three select dates in early March. Check the website for more details.
Proof that great post punk isn't only found in one of the five boroughs or the UK: My Old Kentucky Blog always brings the goods...but the music rarely actually comes from The Colonel's home state. That makes The Apparitions even more of a pleasant surprise, and MOKB's comments nailed it for sure. If these guys were playing in the 212, we'd all be all over this shit by now.
Download: The Apparitions - "God Monkey Robot" and "Electricity and Drums" off of As This Is Futuristic.
Chromewaves came through with another great find in Film School last week. They cite the band as example of moving away from the " 80's post punk, new wave" scene and into the next logical obsession: 90's shoegaze.
The post names Interpol and Echo and the Bunnymen as influences...hmm, sounds like post punk new wave to us. We liked this quote from Spin though:
"More balls than Sigur Ros and less eccentricity than Moby."
Personally, we're feelin' the Interpol influence, but whatever you wanna call it, "Pitfalls" is a great track. Download it below, and stream some more here.
Download: Film School - "Pitfalls" off of Film School
SS has been decking the halls and trimming the trees more than usual this year, so holiday posting has been scant. But fear not! We shall return to our normal schedule shortly. Until then, we leave you with one more holiday nugget, our gift to you.
Pledge Drive bring us a ridiculously earnest/absurdly brilliant, Christmas-themed cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." You wont find it on their disc, I Gave at the Office, but it's sure to make all the holiday party mixtapes by next year.
Happy Holidays from Sonic Slang!
Download: Pledge Drive - "Christmas Rhapsody"
Much of the blogging around SS country tends to focus on the NYC scene, but we often forget that our little empire began way back in the City of Brotherly Love. So for the straggling scenestars that still think Philadelphia only brought us Rocky Balboa, Will Smith and oh-so-delicious cheesesteaks, we offer you The A-Sides.
A slice of 60's-vibin', indie pop rock beauty, The A-Sides' Hello, Hello made a minor splash in the blogosphere back in March. Recently, the hype has picked up again:
via Junkmedia:
If you've yet to drink in the charms of the band's debut Hello, Hello, well, honestly, we don't know what the hell is wrong with you.
As accurate a review as you'll ever read.
PS - The A-Sides are hitting NYC and Philly over the next few weeks. Check the tour page for more info.
Download: The A-Sides - "Sidewalk Chalk," "Park Avenue" and "Here or There" off of Hello, Hello
"The Mystic Underground (below, photo by Gigi Pulisic-Socci) carve and craft tales of longing, lust and the relentless loathing of boredom and set it to a dance beat."
- via the Mystic Underground's MySpace page.
The weekend is upon us again, and if you know anything about SS, you know this: when we party, we party 80's style (minus the coke and mullets). So enjoy another new wavey treat to get you through to happy hour.
The Mystic Underground's retro, brit pop sound is influenced perhaps most heavily by synth acts like Erasure and very early Depeche Mode. Lead singer/songwriter Vladimir Vale's vocals, in particular, evoke the heyday of the former while Benedetto Socci lays down pulsing, hit-worthy beats.
A new, limited EP, "Under the Clearest Moon" will drop shortly, but we've got a couple of older tracks here to get you up to speed. Download, bust out that old "Frankie Says Relax" tee and enjoy.
Download: The Mystic Underground - "April Fool's Day" and "Mary's Dead"
A track apparently recorded for Elliott Smith's final LP, From a Basement on the Hill, has some how shown up on an ES fan site.
For an album cast-off, it's pretty brilliant. But we are talking Elliott Smith here.
Download: Elliott Smith - "Stickman"
While we're still in the mood we simply had to add one more holiday track, this one from our favorite Kids in Philly.
It's Marah. It's about New York. It's about Christmas. What's not to like?...Unless you're Jewish...or from Chicago...or don't like Marah. Nevertheless...
Download: Marah - "New York is a Christmas Kind of Town" off of A Christmas Kind of Town.
First let us say once again, we love the holidays at SS. But, if you personally are feeling a big "Ba Humbug" coming on this year, never fear. We're ready to provide alternate entertainment for your Grinchy ass. So instead of lousy presents, annoying carolers and drunken, mistletoe-inspired passes at your cousin, why not spend the day contemplating the year in Ryan Adams on XM radio?
What, don't think our boy Adams and Christmas cheer go together? Well, he was "strung out like some Christmas lights" in "Hotel Chelsea nights" right? OK we're reaching, but maybe this'll convince ya:
Download: Ryan Adams - "Hey Parker, it's Christmas"
Guess who: I'm an alt-country rocker with punk roots, a reputation for drunken road antics, earnest singer/songwriter leanings and ruggedly hipster coiffed hair. Nope, it's not who you think.
Leeroy Stagger hails from Canada and made some waves with his debut, Beautiful House, earlier this year. He's currently at work on a follow-up that will surely see some buzz in the ole' blogosphere.
PopMatters said:
"Unlike the annoyingly ambitious, preening Adams and the gritty, Springsteen-esque Malin, there's a sincerity and warmth to Stagger's music, something heard instantly on his second album, Beautiful House."
Ya'll know our allegiance to Adams cannot be shaken, but "Just in Case" is pretty catchy in a poppy, Demolition-era sort of way, so he's cool in our book. Keep an eye out.
Download: Leeroy Stagger - "Just in Case" off of Beautiful House
When the hip hop/soul quartet Asamov (or their PR folk more likely) found us on MySpace, their existence only reinforces how great that next MySpace Records disc really could be if they ditched the emo.
Based in Florida and available on 6 Hole Records, Asamov has an organic, old-school sound with a vibe that evokes classic De La Soul or A Tribe Called Quest, but really sounds fresher than anything you'll hear in current hip hop. Finding the perfect middle ground between MC boasting and sharp social commentary, the memorable lyrics are delivered in razor-sharp rhythms and backed by funky, soulful beats.
These guys should be huge.
Check out a few tracks on their MySpace page, or download their free mixtape.
Burnside Project's second LP, The Finest Example is You, dropped in October on Bar None. The band hasn't really broken big outside the NYC scene yet, but it's certainly not due to a lack of chops.
You can get taste of their electro indie vibe via four tracks on the new Douglas Keeve documentary Seamless, including their new single "And So it Goes."
via the Village Voice:
"heart-on-the-thriftstore-shirtsleeve hooks and just intoned-vocals."
and, via the New York Post:
"dance beats New Order synthesizer style and tops them with Jankovich's vocals...a fine example of good electronic pop."
Download: Burnside Project - "And So it Goes" off of The Finest Example is You
Everyone is getting in the spirit over at SS, so spice up your hipster holiday party with these indie rock covers of holiday standards:
Magnet - Also known as Even Johansen (above), Magnet's US full-length debut was the acclaimed On Your Side. Full of blissful folk pop, it followed three EPs of equal splendor. His 2nd full length, The Tourniquet, hits the States February 14th.
This track is off one of those EPs; a beautiful and unique take on "Let it Snow."
Download: Magnet - "Let it Snow" off of the Minus EP
Pedro the Lion: Recording the third in the continuing series of Christmas singles from Suicide Squeeze, only 2000 copies (on marble vinyl!) of their take on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" are being released, so grab it while you can.
Too often "experimental" is a synonym for "inaccessible" or even worse, "unlistenable." SS has seen this moniker attached to Bound Stems a few times (experimental that is, not those other things), but from the music we've heard so far, the band is dancing on that tightrope between pop accessibility and artistic indulgence.
Bound Stems debut LP, Appreciation Night, won't be in stores until next summer, but in anticipation of that there's already an EP available now from Flameshovel.
The Logic of Building the Body Plan features seven songs, including two from the upcoming LP. It mixes ragged but accomplished guitars, and off-center timing and rhythms with beautiful pop-ish melodies, so in the end the disc dishes up some generally straight ahead (and very fine) rock, but with some ambitious fine tuning on the fringes that makes them unique.
In other words, they are good.
Download: Bound Stems - "Wake Up, Ma and Pa are Gone" and "My Kingdom For a Trundle Bed" off of The Logic of Building the Body Plan.
Folk punk duo Two Gallants will drop its second LP, What the Toll Tells, in February on Saddle Creek. Though that means no stocking stuffers for your hardcore mom or Pogues-loving brother, fret not. There's a 7" single, "Las Cruces Jail," to tide you over until then.
If "bloody-knuckled punk" by a band named after a James Joyce story is your thing, you're in luck. The single is "officially" available December 6th, but we've got it today. Enjoy.
Download: Two Gallants - "Las Cruces Jail" off of What the Toll Tells.
A big welcome back to Belle and Sebastian, returning to Matador in 2006 with The Life Pursuit. The disc doesn't hit the street until February 7th, but you can get a taste of the latest from everyone's favorite twee rockers named after a French children's show, right here, right now.
Download: Belle and Sebastian - "Another Sunny Day" off of The Life Pursuit
Christmas came early for SS, courtesy of the generous folks at Filter. Now we just re-gift these mp3s to all of you, and our holiday shopping is done. Enjoy.
Download: The Lashes - "Sometimes the Sun"
The Lashes (pictured) came on the scene with the garage pop EP The Stupid Stupid. This latest track has those catchy riffs we keeping hoping for from each new Strokes leak.
Download: Mellowdrone - "Fashionably Uninvited"
Their debut, Box, drops on January 24th, but this early track shows some real promise for this LA three-piece.
Download: The Subways - "Rock and Roll Queen"
Straight ahead garage punk from this much buzzed-about UK trio.
Download: Sabrosa Purr - "God Damn You"
Dreamy rock that soothes, then punches you right in the gut. Blasphemy rarely sounded so cool.
Download: Diamond Nights - "The Girl's Attractive"
Crappy song title aside, it's still a catchy, if somewhat robotic Cars-ish track that'll keep your head noddin'.
Baseball fans may see the Mendoza Line as the barometer for total futility (a batting average of .200), but in the music world it's been something quite the opposite in 2005.
The Mendoza Line (above, photo by Sonya Kolowrat) formed in Athens, GA back in 1996 and turned out quality indie pop for nearly a decade after. Recently though, their music has eased closer and closer to the alt-country area, and with Full of Light and Full of Fire (released this November), the band delivers a brilliant combination of the two genres that recalls the finest work of Whiskeytown during their swan song. It's gorgeous, subtle yet epic and thoroughly American. Ryan Adams may have them beat in quantity, but (and this isn't easy for SS to say) he wishes any of his trio of 2005 releases were this good.
Download: The Mendoza Line - "Catch a Collapsing Star" and "Mysterious in Black" off of Full of Light and Full of Fire.
Is it just us, or is this country sorely lacking in Thanksgiving Day rock or pop songs? Christmas albums are already in stores, we had the indie single, "Do They Know it's Halloween?," with guys like Beck and The Arcade Fire, but no Turkey Day rock anthem from anybody but Adam Sandler. What gives?
Well Ray Davies, founder of British legends the Kinks, is ready to tackle the market. With a new disc, Other People's Lives, already due in store February 7th, he's also released a 5-song EP this Tuesday to tide us over: Thanksgiving Day.
The title track might not be a rock anthem, but it is a charming, bluesy little number that might be perfect for drowning out your relatives at dinner tonight. Stream it here and enjoy (sorry no download folks).
If you don't like your Thanksgivings mellow, there's always this:
Download: Rye Coalition - "Thanksgiving Day for Cats" off of Lipstick Game
Any other ideas for good Thanksgiving songs? Send em' on. Who knows, maybe we'll release our own Do They Know it's Thanksgiving album next November.
SS will be spending our Turkey Day fat and drunk (ok, fatter and drunker). Updates will resume over the weekend.
If Billy Corgan ever comes crawling back for that Smashing Pumpkins reunion...and he will....James Iha should take a pass.
Between his stint in A Perfect Circle, those guest DJ gigs in NYC and his current band Vanessa and The O's (who just released their second disc), the man's got his hands full.
Download Iha's sweet remix of Stellastarr*'s "Sweet Troubled Soul."
SS discovered these guys via Grapejuiceplus, who in turn found them through Screenhead. Ahh the tangled web that is the blogosphere...
At any rate, we're all in luck. Rumble Strips has a soulful, ska-tinged sound that clearly hearts the 80's (you didn't really think we'd go a whole day without one did you?), but a part that hasn't been thoroughly exploited yet in 2005. Grapejuiceplus suggested Dexy's Midnight Runner's...wait, come back! No, they really are good. Seriously.
Maybe they can be the starting point for some sort of post-ska revival. Kind of like The Strokes, but with the horns and some lasting relevance. (OK, the Strokes-bashing must stop. We'll wait to formally trash them when the new disc comes out.)
We've posted four mp3s below. (Our favorite is "No Soul") You can also watch a video here. Their debut drops in January on Transgressive Records.
Download: "Hate Me" - "Motorcycle" - "No Soul" - "Running Away"
Update: They yanked the mp3s, but you can still watch the video for "Motorcycle."
It's Saturday night and SS is headin' out on the town for a night of drunken debauchery. In that spirit, and since we haven't posted any straight-up rock and roll in a while, enjoy this track from Speaker Speaker.
Download: Speaker Speaker - "Again and Again" off of Again & Again & Again
Courtesy of the excellent mp3 site, 3hive. Oh, if you see us, buy us a shot.
Cat Power's new disc, The Greatest, drops on January 24th. It's not a greatest hits collection, but after hearing the gorgeous title track, you might think it is.
Download: Cat Power - "The Greatest" from the album, The Greatest
The story is familiar: A band scores big in the UK and gets lathered in buzz by the trigger-happy British press, yet the music remains relatively unknown in the States. Ho hum, we've heard it many times before. Ask Robbie Williams - his latest disc has topped the charts in 18 countries. Name a song, we dare you... Thought so.
Thus far, the same can be said of We Are Scientists. But don't count on it to stay that way for long.
Instead of a band of Brits trying to cross-over into the U.S. scene, this band's flavor was brewed stateside, in good ole' Brooklyn, NYC. If you haven't heard them yet, you will. Blogger hype is gaining momentum and their disc, With Love and Squalor hits the U.S. in January.
The band is currently on tour, opening for Hot Hot Heat. Half angular geek and half trendy dance, the sound takes pop cues from their touring mates, while adding the jittery riffs of the Franz Ferdinand-era. At their site you can stream songs and videos from Squalor. Don't miss SS's favorite, "Great Escape." (The video is a bit slow, but be patient!)
Download: We Are Scientists - "Inaction" off of With Love and Squalor
In 2003 Tommy Hilfiger scooped up Ezra Reich's "Behind the Scenes" for an ad campaign. That, coupled with an appearance on AOL Music First Break that year...well you've got yourself a pretty good buzz machine in the works. The band's Brit-influenced, retro-pop was fresh two years ago, but does it hold up in the synth-happy present?
Milkshake Arcade is the follow-up to the band's debut, Freeze the Night. A release date has not yet been set, but you can download a few tracks from MySpace.
Lead singer Reich's vocals channel David Bowie (who happened to be the face of Hilfiger's '03 ad campaign), while tracks like "I Need a Moment Alone" sound like they were lifted straight out of a particularly cool John Hughes soundtrack.
Think they're the real deal, or more 1980's style over substance? Check em' out and let us know.
Download: Ezra Reich - "I Need a Moment Alone" off of Milkshake Arcade
Today's MySpace adventures have introduced SS to the charms of the recently deceased, NYC-based Sex Sells, and its infant offspring The Sugar Report.
Sex Sells was the brainchild of New York artist Curtis Williams. Tracks like the Stroke-ish "Artists" and especially the Bob Mould-ish "You Against Your Art" have a slick, catchy and very New York sound that should have sent all the hipster's hearts a flutter. Stream them and you'll agree. Yet, a record deal never materialized. Exit Sex Sells, enter The Sugar Report.
Slightly tweaking the formula has added a new wave, 80's-leaning element that reminds us a lot of recent SS favorite, VHS or BETA. The Sugar Report (above) will release a three song EP shortly and you can download their first official track here:
Download: The Sugar Report - "This Year's Insomnia" of off their forthcoming debut
Time will tell whether they can build on the promise of Sex Sells. And, in a world where MySpace friends are a dime a dozen, time will tell whether they can rise above a suddenly very crowded genre. Hey, if MySpace does ever actually get around to releasing that good comp we're hoping for, maybe The Sugar Report has a shot.
Sometimes at SS, like lots of places I'll wager, we forget that not long ago it actually wasn't cool to listen to indie rock. Instead of hitting all the trendy parties, we holed up in the basement listening to Fugazi records. Kind of a sad picture I know. But, at least it was all about the music right? Oh and that Perfect Strangers t-shirt of yours wasn't ironic, just dorky. Ahh, those were the days. Perhaps with more bands like The GoStation, we can get back there one day.
I'm kidding of course (as I rummage my closet for a Ben Sherman shirt to wear for the next Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah show) but there is something refreshing about The GoStation (above, photo by Marcus K. Jones). Not to be confused with current hipster-darlings The Go! Team, they craft a brand of indie rock that is devoid of the usual pretensions associated with the "New York Bands" drooled over in the blogosphere. Consider this: they aren't new wave, have no obvious 1980's influences and no fashionable photo shoots. They also have considerably less blog buzz...so let's start changing that right now because what they DO have, is a batch of tight, passionate, British-hinting rock tunes that has them sharing the stage with bands like Robbers on High Street, Elefant and The Bravery.
Not that they aren't cool, mind you. But the cool is decidedly secondary. And with tunes this solid, that's the way it should be.
Stream a clip from "Hold On" and others from The Quiet Zone at their official site, or at our new best buddy MySpace and tell us what you think.
Download: The GoStation - "Wandering Away" of off The Quiet Zone
A band called The Thieves that rips off countless 70s arena rock bands, not to mention a few other revivalists of varying quality, can't be without a sense of humor about it all right?
Well I don't see it yet on the first single, "Gimme Some Lip" from their debut LP Tales from the White Line, but I"ll reserve judgment for now. So far, the Oxford-based band treads closer to the more serious, and half-baked work of Jet, than the over the top ecstasy of The Darkness.
Hell, if you're gonna try and bring the sound of Boston, or late-70s Van Halen and AC/DC back into vogue, you might as least have fun with it right? As it stands, the track has some good riffs, but it's nothing you haven't heard, and heard better, before. Check it out, and decide for yourself.
Oh, but I will say this: Their label, Liquor and Poker Music, has a pretty sweet website. Now if we get some pretty sweet bands, we're in business.
Download: The Thieves: "Gimme Some Lip" off of Tales From the White Line
Novillero's second disc, Aim Right for the Holes in Their Lives, somehow snuck by me when it hit the racks this past June. If you missed out as well, it's time to play catch up baby.
Drawing on all sorts of 70s pop influences and funneling it through a punk-rock swagger and vaguely disco-ish groove, Novillero sound like a pretentious version of The Killers on "Laissez -Faire System," but tracks like "The Hypothesist" sound more like Elvis Costello channeling AM radio. It's all catchy as hell and, despite a few too many three dollars words, one of the most fun pop albums of the year.
Download: Novillero - "The Hypothesist" off of Aim Right for the Holes in Their Lives.
Pom Pom Diary's fondness for New Order is inescapable, but their debut album has as many glossy synth hooks as anything their idols have dropped this century. And that's saying something.
Download: U2 (maybe) - "
Download: Richard Hawley - "
Download clips from: "
Recent Comments