[new music] Brazos - Saltwater

New music from Brazos!

Very exciting news to share. After releasing the amazing debut Phosphorescent Blues in 2009, Brazos has just announced the news on their upcoming follow-up. Set to drop on May 28 (via Dead Oceans), Saltwater will feature the new single "How The Ranks Was Won" (see video below).

[video] Foals - "Inhaler"

Foals try out arena rock

You can now pre-order your copy of the Foals' 3rd LP, Holy Fire, which is set to release on February 11. You can also check out the new music video for their first single, "Inhaler". Additionally, if you pre-order Holy Fire from iTunes, you'll receive a digital copy of "Inhaler" today! Based on the new track, it seems the band may be headed toward new waters. 

Pre-order :: Foals - Holy Fire

[new music] Chaos Chaos - S

New music from Asy and Chloe Saavedra

The first year I was out in Seattle, I vividly remember attending an Eels show at the Showbox. This was back in the summer of '06, but what really stood out though wasn't the weird performance by Mr. E and his kung fu dancing body guard (though that was quite weird). In fact, it was the opening band that really made the night memorable. That's because before any of the shows started, I felt like I was back in elementary school. I remember being completely surrounded by little kids and parent chaperones. At the time, I was quite confused, but when the opener Smoosh took the stage, which featured sisters Asy and Chloe (they were only 14 and 12 years old at the time, respectively), the tiny fans erupted in screams. This was probably the only concert that I've ever been to where I was "that tall person" where no one could see around.

So fast foward 6 years, and the Smoosh sisters have a new band called Chaos Chaos. Yesterday, they just released their debut EP entitled S, which you can get here. It's streaming on Spotify (and below), and it's definitely worth checking out. Pretty cool to hear how these two musicians have really grown, and it shows in their song structure and harmonies. Expect big things from these two indie pop prodigies!

[first listen] Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams

Hear Lord Huron's new album right now!

Head over to NPR's First Listen to hear Lord Huron's debut album Lonesome Dreams in it's entirety!!! To date, the Michigan natives have released two amazing EPs, and I'm so excited to feast my ears on their first proper long player. Physical copies of the album drop in stores October 9 on IAMSOUND Records (pre-order).

The album's second track "Time To Run" should be included in everyone's road trip mix tape. Just listening to it makes me want to hop in the car and start driving toward the wild!

Click here to visit NPR.

[first listen] Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits

Hear Divine Fits' new album right now!

Head over to NPR's First Listen to hear Divine Fits' debut album A Thing Called Divine Fits in it's entirety!!! If you've been living under a rock for the past couple months, Divine Fits is a new musical outfit consisting of Britt Daniel, Dan Boeckner, and Sam Brown.

The second track, "Flaggin A Ride", is sooo catchy. I still need to spin this album a few more times to truly form an opinion, but so far I'd say it's the excellent caliber of music that you'd expect from these very talented musicians.

Click here to visit NPR.

[video] Divine Fits - First Live Concert!

Divine Fits in concert!

Last night, Divine Fits surprised Austin with a secret show, performing under the pseudonym The Hot Skulls at the Continental Club. To the lucky few who either knew about the ruse, or just so happened to be looking for new jams, they were in for a treat. Above you can watch the Britt Daniel-sung "Flaggin A Ride", and if you follow this link (via Stereogum), you can watch two other songs: "My Love Is Real" and the Tom Petty cover "You Got Lucky". Sounds pretty great, can't wait to hear the whole album!

Pre-Order :: Divine Fits :: A Thing Called Divine Fits :: August 28

[new music] Lord Huron - Lonesome Dreams

Debut LP from Lord Huron!

Lord Huron just released the teaser for the band's debut album, entitled Lonesome Dreams. According to the video below, the album is set to drop on October 9. Check out the snippet of the beautifully crafted "Time To Run", which scores the LP trailer. The band has also announced a handful of tour dates that start in late August, which are posted below.

Lord Huron tour dates:
Aug 24 :: The Geffen Contemporary :: Los Angeles, CA
Sep 21 :: Mojo's :: Columbia, MO
Sep 25 :: Magic Stick Lounge :: Detroit, MI
Sep 27 :: Midpoint Music Festival :: Cincinnati, OH
Sep 28 :: Pygmalion Music Festival :: Champaign, IL
Sep 29 :: The High Watt :: Nashville, TN
Sep 30 :: The Bottletree :: Birmingham, AL
Oct 02 :: Dan's Silverleaf :: Denton, TX
Oct 03 :: Stubb's BBQ (Indoor) :: Austin, TX
Oct 05 :: Drunken Unicorn :: Atlanta, GA
Oct 06 :: Local 506 :: Chapel Hill, NC
Oct 07 :: Black Cat Backstage :: Washington, DC
Oct 08 :: KungFu Necktie :: Philadelphia, PA
Oct 09 :: Mercury Lounge :: New York, NY
Oct 11 :: Great Scott :: Allston, MA
Oct 12 :: Glasslands Gallery :: Brooklyn, NY
Oct 13 :: Mohawk Place :: Buffalo, NY
Oct 15 :: Schubas :: Chicago, IL
Oct 16 :: 7th St. Entry :: Minneapolis, MN
Oct 18 :: Larimer Lounge :: Denver, CO
Oct 19 :: Kilby Court :: Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 20 :: Neurolux :: Boise, ID
Oct 21 :: Barboza :: Seattle, WA
Oct 22 :: Doug Fir Lounge :: Portland, OR
Oct 24 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA
Nov 01 :: Casbah :: San Diego, CA

[cover art] Divine Fits - Divine Fits

Possibly new cover art?

It's definitely iconic.

[first listen] Divine Fits - "My Love Is Real"

Pre-order a copy today!

Divine Fits have just released the first single off their upcoming album, which features the vocals of Dan Boeckner over some synthesized beats and a static-laden drum machine. To be honest, it's definitely not the product I would have expected from the collaboration of Spoon's Britt Daniel and Wolf Parade/Handsome Furs Boeckner. At least from this song, you can really hear the Furs influence.

You can pre-order a 7" of "My Love Is Real" b/w "I Was Born In A Laundromat" (here), and you can stream the single below. Physical copies won't ship out until July 26, but purchasers of the pre-order will instantly receive a digital download of the songs. 

[news] Divine Fits - Britt Daniel + Dan Boeckner!!!

HOLY CRAP!

Could the stars have aligned any better? Is some divine power at work in an attempt to lift my spirits? Just when I was thinking how sad it was that Handsome Furs had dissolved (and it still is really sad), I couldn't possibly have believed that Dan Boeckner's new band (mentioned in this Times Colonist article) would involve joining forces with Britt Daniel (of Spoon) and Sam Brown (of New Bomb Turks). They apparently have a debut album in the works and are set to release it this year! The album was produced by Nick Launay (Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) and will drop via Merge.

Now this isn't the first time Daniel and Boeckner have shared the stage, however. Back in 2010, Boeckner joined Spoon at Radio City for a rendition of "Modern World" and "I Saw the Light". Daniel has also covered "Modern World" at numerous Spoon shows. While these were extremely exciting events, I can't imagine combining these two creative minds for an entire album. Can't wait to hear their sound!

Check out Divine Fits' website and twitter for future updates.

[new music] Kishi Bashi - 151a

On Repeat 

This album has been out for a while, but I'm just getting around to listening to it. K Ishibashi (aka Kishi Bashi), whose violin skills have helped bring of Monteal's and Regina Spektor's music come alive on stage, has finally released his solo debut 151a and it's pretty awesome. The 9-song LP is an interesting mix of orchestral arrangements and synthesized pop songs. The results are very pleasant, and definitely worth checking out. Steam the album below, and purchase here.

[new music] Vacationer - Gone LP

Debut Album from Vacationer!

I’ve been slow to get this out there, but you MUST check out Vacationer’s newest LP Gone. Not to be confused with the "Gone" Single, or the Gone EP, the band’s debut album follows the same formula of island-themed dreamscaping. Listening to Gone feels like a magical ride to some place tropical and surreal. Book your trip Buy the album here, stream the album here (via Spotify), or check out one of the new tracks below. In case you haven’t heard the song that inspired it all, watch the video for "Gone" below as well.

[new music] St. Lucia - St. Lucia EP

New EP from St. Lucia

If you don't happen to live somewhere that's experiencing unseasonably warm March weather, just spin St. Lucia's new self-titled EP and you'll be feeling that radiant summer vibe, too. St. Lucia is Jean-Philip Grobler, a New York City-by-way-of-South Africa musician whose influences strongly pull from early Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, and Peter Gabriel (to name a few) into this 6-song EP. The results are incredibly enjoyable, and are definitely a must-listen. You can pick up a copy here, or stream the tracks below.

[video] The Shins - "Simple Song"

Awesome video, awesome song

The Shins just released the music video for "Simple Song", their first single from the upcoming Port Morrow. The new LP drops on March 20, and based off this song and "September", I'm very excited about this release. Hear that one below:

[new music] Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Backyard

Patrick Watson's 3rd LP!

Patrick Watson has just announced the April 17 release date for the band's highly anticipated third LP, entitled Adventures In Your Own Backyard. Following up 2009's critically acclaimed Wooden Arms, the new record was described by Watson as an effort to "make the kind of music we would want to listen to at home" (hence the name). According to Secret City Records, the album was almost entirely recorded in Watson's apartment in Montreal.

So what then can we expect from Adventures? Take one listen to the first single "Into Giants" (listen below) and you'll hear a stripped-down arrangement with less orchestration than its predecessors. From the press release, the LP is "still ripe with the touchstones one has come to expect from Patrick Watson and his collaborators, but permeated with a greater sense of patience, and confidence. Adventures in Your Own Backyard is an attempt by Watson and the band to simplify their sights - to make music a bit more close to home, in every sense of the phrase." Sounds good to me! Tour dates posted below.

Tracklisting:
01 :: Lighthouse
02 :: Blackwind
03 :: Step Out For A While
04 :: The Quiet Crowd
05 :: Into Giants
06 :: Morning Sheets
07 :: Words In The Fire
08 :: The Things You Do
09 :: Strange Crooked Road
10 :: Noisy Sunday
11 :: Adventures In Your Own Backyard
12 :: Swimming Pools

Patrick Watson Tour Dates:
03/14-17 :: Austin, TX @ SXSW
05/03 :: Philadelphia PA @ Union Transfer*
05/04 :: New York NY @ Beacon Theatre*
05/06 :: Boston MA @ House of Blues*
05/08 :: Washington DC @ The 930 Club*
05/09 :: Baltimore MD @ RamsHead Live*

*w/ Andrew Bird

[new music] Moonface - Heartbreaking Bravery

New jams from Krug & Co.

And just when I was greedily wishing there was more Wolf Parade-related music to hear, the WP fansite posted info on a new Moonface LP. As mentioned before, the Spencer Krug-driven musical project was to eventually incorporate the collaborative works from other bands. Well, that time is apparently here, and the third Moonface LP, entitled Heartbreaking Bravery, is set to feature the musical accompaniment of Siinai. The album drops April 17, 2012, and according to their press release: 

Siinai is the Finnish band Krug worked with on this album. Krug met Siinai when their former band, Joensu 1685, toured with Wolf Parade throughout Europe in 2009. Over the following year, friendships were born, Joensu 1685 broke up, Siinai was formed and Krug unexpectedly received a copy of their first album, Olympic Games. Siinai could safely be described as progressive kraut rock. Their songs are long and heavy, often gorgeous, repetitive, with slow subtle hypnotic changes that bring to mind a single cell splitting into two. Also of key interest to Krug at the time: they had no vocalist.

Krug asked if they wanted to make an album together, a collaboration wherein Siinai would perform the meat of the music, and Moonface would take care of the vocals (and ultimately a few licks on the keyboard). Upon agreement from Siinai, Krug arrived in Finland in August of 2011 to begin restructuring demos and write a few tunes from scratch. Big beats boomed. [Three] Colours burst. Krug’s addiction to melody and pop music met Siinai’s love for simplicity and their rare patience for music that slowly evolves, and something somewhere in the middle was created. It was a compromise that everyone enjoyed making. Heartbreaking Bravery:

Can't wait to hear the entire album! Check out the first single, "Teary Eyes And Bloody Lips", here:



Moonface
With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery
Out 04/17/12
01 :: Heartbreaking Bravery
02 :: Yesterday’s Fire
03 :: Shitty City
04 :: Quickfire, I Tried
05 :: I’m Not The Phoenix Yet
06 :: 10,000 Scorpions
07 :: Faraway Lightning
08 :: Headed For The Door
09 :: Teary Eyes And Bloody Lips
10 :: Lay Your Cheek On Down

Check out Krug with Siinai.... such a strange photo!

[new music] Vacationer - Gone EP

Need a vacation?

If you can't spare the vacation days for a tropical getaway, you should hear what my travel agent has to say. It'll only take three songs of your time, and after you've heard his sales pitch, you'll have no need for travel. At first he'll tell you all about the "Trip" you'll be taking, and then he'll explain that there's "No Rules" to worry about. After listening to all the details, you'll feel as if you've already "Gone".

Probably too cheesy, but don't let that keep you from checking out Vacationer's new Gone EP. Kenny Vasoli (formerly of The Starting Line), with members of Body Language, have a knack for writing music that transports listeners to the dreamy surf. Minimalist waves of indie pop sung over a hot summer breeze of melodies offer up relaxing vibes through this 3-song extended play. Notably, "Gone" was voted one of Three Colours' Top Songs of 2011. Pick up a copy of Vacationer's debut release, and make sure to check out the tour dates posted below. Starting tonight, the band kicks off their support of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. After drumming up some buzz, Vacationer will then be primed for the March release of their debut LP, simply titled Gone. By then, their tour will be with the likes of a different band, Naked and Famous.

Hear two-thrids of the EP, featuring "Trip" and the title track "Gone" (via RCRD LBL).

BUY :: Vacationer - Gone EP (via iTunes)

:: Vacationer Tour Dates ::
Feb 02 :: Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA
Feb 03 :: Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA
Feb 04 :: il Motore - Montreal, Canada
Feb 06 :: The Hoxton - Toronto, Canada
Feb 07 :: Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
Feb 08 :: 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
Feb 10 :: Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
Feb 13 :: Belly Up - San Diego, CA
Feb 14 :: Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA
Feb 15 :: Independent - San Francisco, CA
Feb 17 :: Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
Feb 18 :: Neumos - Seattle, WA
Feb 19 :: Venue - Vancouver, WA
Feb 20 :: The Red Room Lounge - Spokane, WA
Mar 19 :: The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
Mar 23 :: Stubbs - Austin, TX
Mar 24 :: House of Blues - Houston, TX
Mar 25 :: House Of Blues - New Orleans, LA
Mar 27 :: Plaza 'LIVE' - Orlando, FL
Mar 28 :: State Theater - St Petersburg, FL
Mar 30 :: Grand Central - Miami, FL
Mar 31 :: 40 Watt Club - Athens, GA
Apr 01 :: Cats Cradle - Carrboro, NC
Apr 02 :: The National - Richmond, VA
Apr 06 :: Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI
Apr 07 :: Motr Pub - Cincinnati, OH
Apr 09 :: The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN
Apr 10 :: Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN
Apr 12 :: Gargoyle Club - St Louis, MO
Apr 13 :: Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
Apr 14 :: Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI
Apr 17 :: Midland By Amc - Kansas City, MO
Apr 19 :: The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT

[video] Father John Misty - "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"

New Tunes from Josh Tillman

At the end of last year, J. Tillman took an indefinite hiatus from the amazing Fleet Foxes to pursue a new musical project. Playing under the moniker Father John Misty, Tillman has just shared his first single "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings" (mp3 below), along with the sweet music video above starring Aubrey Plaza of NBC’s Parks and Recreation. His debut LP, entitled Fear Fun, is set to release via Sub Pop on May 1. Compared to his solo work, this track has a lot more rock. Extremely catchy, and hopefully a glimpse of what's to come. Check it out. By the way, Father John Misty has a few tour dates in California.

Father John Misty Tour Dates
Feb 29 :: Oakland, CA - New Parish
Mar 03 :: Grass Valley, CA - Center for the Arts
Mar 04 :: Santa Cruz, CA - Crepe Place

[video] White Rabbits - "Heavy Metal"

New video from White Rabbits

As mentioned earlier, White Rabbits are set to release their 3rd LP Milk Famous on March 6. Additionally, you can now pre-order the album directly from their website. The band plans to kick off a North American tour with a record release party in Philly. Check out the dates below.

White Rabbits tour dates:
March 6 :: Philadelphia, PA / Union Transfer
March 7 :: Washington D.C. / Black Cat
March 8 :: Charlottesville, VA / Jefferson Theater
March 9 :: Raleigh, NC / Lincoln Theatre
March 11 :: Atlanta, GA / Variety Playhouse
March 12 :: Birmingham, AL / The Bottletree
March 13 :: New Orleans, LA / One Eyed Jacks
March 14 :: Houston, TX / Fitzgeralds
March 19 :: Denver, CO / Bluebird Theater
March 20 :: Salt Lake City, UT / Urban Lounge
March 22 :: Portland, OR / Doug Fir Lounge
March 23 :: Vancouver, BC / Biltmore Cabaret
March 24 :: Seattle, WA / Crocodile Cafe
March 26 :: San Francisco, CA / The Independent
March 28 :: Los Angeles, CA / El Rey Theatre
March 29 :: San Diego, CA / The Casbah
March 30 :: Phoenix, AZ / Crescent Ballroom
March 31 :: Tucson, AZ / Club Congress
April 3 :: Lawrence, KS / Jackpot Music Hall
April 4 :: Columbia, MO / The Blue Note
April 5 :: St. Louis, MO / Plush
April 6 :: Madison, WI / High Noon Saloon
April 7 :: Minneapolis, MN / Triple Rock Social Club
April 8 :: Chicago, IL / Metro
April 12 :: New York, NY / Webster Hall
April 13 :: Northampton, MA / Pearl Street Downtown
April 14 :: Boston, MA / Paradise Rock Club

[video] Plants and Animals cover Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe In Anything"

Worlds Collide

Late last year, Plants and Animals performed Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe In Anything" during their Live from Breakglass session at Breakglass Studios in Montreal during the Pop Montreal Festival. Check it out! 

Also of note, P&A are set to release their follow-up to La La Land later next month. The End of That will hit shelves February 28.