[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.

[live] Wolf Parade @ Sasquatch! 2011

Wolf Parade make their Sasquatch! debut

For those who couldn't make it out to The Gorge in George, Washington, this Memorial Day weekend, you can still hear Wolf Parade's 2011 Sasquatch! performance over at NPR (here). The show is one of two scheduled concerts to be played this year after the band announced its indefinite hiatus back in November. Hopefully, this is just a temporary break while the band members focus on their other musical projects.

But anyway, check out the 9-song set list of their show - it's practically a Wolf Parade "Greatest Hits" collection. Hearing these live had to have been awesome.

Stream :: Wolf Parade @ Sasquatch! '11 (via NPR)

Wolf Parade @ Sasquatch! (May 28, 2011) Set List:

Language City

What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had To Go This Way)

Ghost Pressure

You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son

Fancy Claps

Palm Road

I'll Believe In Anything

Shine A Light

California Dreamer

[video] The xx - "Islands"

Official video for "Islands"

The xx have emoted their noir-persona yet again in the music video for "Islands." Multiple camera takes capture the band quietly singing my personal favorite while choreographed dancers act out the evolution of a failed relationship. A bit repetitive, but interesting once the song climaxes. Also, the xx will conclude their North American tour with a few more dates on the East Coast. The last date, at DC's 9:30 Club, will be steamed live on NPR (go here for more details).

The xx tour dates:
Apr 22 // Terminal 5 // New York, NY
Apr 23 // Sonar // Baltimore, MD
Apr 24 // 9:30 Club // Washington, DC

[new album] Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame Streaming at NPR

NPR's First Listen

Head over to NPR's First Listen to hear Dr. Dog's new album Shame, Shame (here) streaming in its entirety. After my first listen, I think it's safe to say that the band has struck gold. Hear it for yourself. The album drops officially next Tuesday, April 6, but you can pre-order it below.

Pre-order :: Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame (CD)
Pre-order :: Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame (LP)

And though this song doesn't appear on Shame, Shame, I just love this music video of "The Girl," which appears on We All Belong.

[new music] Gorillaz - Plastic Beach Streaming at NPR

Stream Plastic Beach at NPR

Head over to NPR and get your first take on Gorillaz's newest album Plastic Beach, which doesn't hit shelves until March 9. Thanks to NPR's First Listen, you can hear the album in its entirety over a week before its official release. Marking the first Gorillaz album in over 5 years, after first listen I'm happy to say it was well-worth the wait. I mean, you really can't go wrong with an introduction track narrated by Snoop Dog...

UPDATE: The music video for "Stylo" is now on YouTube (embedding is disabled). Watch it here.

Stream :: Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

[new music] Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

Local Natives New Album Tomorrow

All redundancies aside, Local Natives' debut album Gorilla Manor is nothing short of excellence. Expansive, dreamlike jams comprise the 12-song long player, complete with folky vocal harmonies, rowdy campfire backing howls, clangorous drums, and crunchy guitars which all equate to a record fit for multiple spins. Gorilla Manor drops tomorrow via Frenchkiss Records and should be available at all good (and probably some bad) record stores. To get an early sample, NPR is streaming the album in its entirety (go here), and if you act fast, you may still manage to nab a 7" copy of "Sun Hands" if you pre-order the LP from Insound now (go here). Below, you'll also find video for "Airplanes" and a few other tracks for your listening pleasure.

[news] Stream Spoon's Transference

Transference - hear it now!

We're almost a week away from the release of Spoon's seventh studio album Transference. To tide everyone over 'til Tuesday, Merge has kindly allowed NPR to stream the entire LP (here). Also, if you weren't some of the lucky few cities who got to see Spoon live in the last month, no worries: the band has just announced a whole slew of US dates to follow their quick EU tour. Dates are posted below:

Spoon - EU Dates w/ White Rabbits:
Feb 14 // King Tuts // Glasgow, Scotland tix
Feb 15 // Academy 3 // Manchester, UK tix
Feb 16 // Electric Ballroom // London, UK tix
Feb 18 // Paradiso // Amsterdam, the Netherlands tix
Feb 19 // Luxor // Cologne, Germany tix
Feb 20 // Frannz Club // Berlin, Germany tix

Spoon - US Dates w/ Deerhunter:
Mar 17 // Stubb's // Austin, TX
Mar 18 // Republic // New Orleans, LA * tix
Mar 19 // Workplay Soundstage // Birmingham, AL * tix
Mar 20 // Tabernacle // Atlanta, GA * tix
Mar 22 // 9:30 Club // Washington DC * tix
Mar 23 // 9:30 Club // Washington DC * tix
Mar 24 // The National // Richmond, VA * tix
Mar 26 // Radio City Music Hall // New York, NY * tix
Mar 27 // House of Blues // Boston, MA * tix
Mar 29 // Sound Academy // Toronto, ON * tix
Mar 30 // Royal Oak Music Theatre // Royal Oak, MI * tix
Apr 01 // Aragon Theatre // Chicago, IL & tix
Apr 02 // First Avenue // Minneapolis, MN & tix
Apr 03 // First Avenue // Minneapolis, MN & tix
Apr 05 // Ogden Theatre // Denver, CO & tix
Apr 06 // Ogden Theatre // Denver, CO & tix
Apr 07 // In The Venue // Salt Lake City, UT & tix
Apr 09 // Moore Theatre // Seattle, WA & tix
Apr 10 // Moore Theatre // Seattle, WA & tix
Apr 11 // Orpheum Theatre // Vancouver, BC & tix
Apr 13 // Fox Oakland Theatre // Oakland, CA & tix

* with Deerhunter, The Strange Boys
& with Deerhunter, Micachu & the Shapes

Spoontheband.com has hinted that a few "secret shows" will be announced later to those "most fortuitously-located (in strictly a geographic sense)." As of now, these are the only dates the site will divulge:

- Jan 19 // Spoon will be the Musical Guest on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
- Jan 23 // Britt Daniel will be playing a few songs solo at Sound Fix in Brooklyn, NY
- Jan 25 // Spoon will play at Waterloo Records in Austin, TX

Pre-order :: Spoon - Transference (released 1-19-2010)