Election Day in the U.S. coincides with the release of dozens and dozens of new albums, EPs and singles from bands and artists around the world. This week we recommend newbies from indie favorites like Bear Hands, 1900s, Violens, Matt & Kim, Horse Feathers, The High Dials, plus new releases from bands and artists you’ve probably never heard of, like, Lelia Broussard, Bjorn Torske, Impossible Hair, Depth & Current, Nightlands, Rubber, One Hundred Flowers, Glass Vaults, Amy Bezunartea, and The Autumn Defense.
Perhaps the most exciting release of the week here in the cafe is Ray Davies‘ new LP, See My Friends, which features covers and collaboration of classic Kinks’ songs with Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Mumford and Sons, Metallica, Spoon, Paloma Faith, Alex Chilton, Bon Jovi and many others. Ironically, though, if you’re in the U.S. you can’t get the album until next March. WTF?! Anyways, in the meantime, the only sampling from the album is a fairly rough audio (and video) clip of Mumford and Sons performing “Days/This Time Tomorrow” with Davies on the UK music show, Later with Jools Holland.
Also included in today’s mix is a single from Brian Eno, the father of electronic indie rock. Eno’s new LP, Small Craft on a Milk Sea, is out now. The album features stand0ut tracks – among many – like “2 Forms of Anger”, and “Emerald And Stone”. We are displaying a different type of track, “Bones Bomb.”
In addition, we just had to include the Eno song, “Strange Overtones,” with former Talking Heads‘ frontman, David Bryne. The song is absolutely amazing, and incredibly upbeat, full of tropical influenced percussions, high-note mini guitar riffs, Eno’s synths and Bryne’s solid gold vocals.
You may also be interested in a special compilation of one of the forerunners of acoustic indie music, the late, great, Elliott Smith. This CD features a collection of Smith’s best songs. Just had a random, but beautiful, thought: Imagine Ray Davies, Brian Eno, David Bryne and Eilliott Smith recording an album together – wow.
But first, let’s kick-off this mix of the Best New Releases of the week with fresh tracks from new albums by Bear Hands and 1900s.
“What A Drag” – Bear Hands from Burning Bush Supper Club
“Babies” – 1900s from Return of the Century
“Bone Bomb” – Brian Eno from Small Craft on a Sea of Milk
“Strange Overtone” – Brian Eno (with David Bryne) (2008)
“Satellite” – Lelia Broussard from Masquerade (self-released)
“Violent Sensation Descends” – Violens from Amoral
“Days/This Time Tomorrow”(live) – Ray Davies and Mumford and Sons*
* The official studio version of this collaboration is featured on See My Friends, due March 2011 in U.S.
Here’s the original version of “This Time Tomorrow” from The Kinks‘ 1970 LP, Lola Vs. Powerman and the Money Go Round
“Twilight” – Elliott Smith from An Introduction to Elliott Smith
“Versjon Wolfenstein” – Bjørn Torske from Kokning
“Drain You” (Nirvana) – Horse Feathers from Drain You 7”
You Can Own” – Impossible Hair from Toast a Dozen (On The Outside) (self-released)
“Don’t Go Away” – Depth & Current from Don’t Go Away/Calm To The Sea 7″
“Auto Pilot” – Weezer from Death To False Metal
“Block After Block” – Matt and Kim from Sidewalks
“Suzerain”(A Letter to the Judge) – Nightlands from Forget the Mantra
“Rubber” – Yuck from Rubber 7″
“Chinese Boxes” – The High Dials from Anthems for Doomed Youth
“All The Things We Were Supposed to Be” – Amy Bezunartea from Restaurants & Bars
“Rat Trap” – One Hundred Flowers from Mechanical Bride
“Forget Me Not” – Glass Vaults from Glass EP
Other Releases This Week:
Destroyer: “Archer on the Beach” b/w “Grief Point” 12” [Merge]
Diplo: Blow Your Head Volume 1: Diplo Presents Dubstep [Mad Decent]
Elliott Smith: Introduction to…Elliott Smith [Kill Rock Stars]
Games: That We Can Play [Hippos in Tanks]
The June: Green Fields and Rain [Rainbow Quartz]
N.E.R.D.: Nothing [Star Trak/Interscope]
Sharron Kraus: The Woody Nightshade [Strange Attractors]