# Best New Releases – Atlas Sound, Said The Whale, Crystal Stilts, Built Like Alaska, Summer Camp, Kurt Vile, Bear & Moose, ARMS

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/
- Published: 2011-11-09T14:58:21-05:00
- Author: Max Hammer

Bradford Cox's musical project Atlas Sound's new LP, Parallax, officially dropped
on Nov. 8th

 Deerhunter’s prolific musical genius, **Bradford Cox**, has been one of our favorite‘
indie’ musicians for years. In addition to his work on his mothership, that is **
Deerhunter**, Cox has lots of other music projects and collaborations, including
the most popular of them all – his solo work under the moniker **Atlas Sound**, 
a project that has turned out dozens of spectacular singles, EPs and LPs.

This week, Atlas Sound officially released _Parallax, _an album we are keen to hear
right away. What we have heard so far sounds like another fine release from Cox.
It is much more stripped down Cox, with a handful of meandering, somber tracks dominated
by guitar, vocals and synths. The official lead single from the LP, “Terra Incognita”
is a mellow – some might say melancholy – acoustic guitar and vocals dominated composition,
and much the same with the more drifty “Te Amo.”

“Terra Incognita” – **Atlas Sound** from _Parallax_

**Double-shot: **“Te Amo” –  **Atlas Sound** from _Parallax_ (via [Rawkblog.net](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/review-atlas-sound-parallax)_)_

**One for the Road: **“Flagstaff” –  **Atlas Sound** from _Parallax_ (via _Minneapolis
Fuc*ing Rocks_)

[[

#### Juno’s New Group of the Year Said The Whale

2011 has been a good year for **Vancouver** indie folk pop band **Said The Whale**.
In March, the band won the honorary **Juno Award** for **New Group of the Year**,
and four months later Canada’s _CBC_ premiered a tour documentary about the band’s
rise to ‘indie’ fame . Today the band officially released their four-track _New 
Brighton_ EP, the first offering from the band since their widely-acclaimed 2009
album, _Islands Disappear_. Here is the title track via the blog **Consequence of
Sound**. Also, listen to a couple of tracks from the March 2012 LP, _Little Mountain_.

“New Brighton” – **Said The Whale **from _New Brighton EP_** **
 

 ⌊builtlikealaska⌉

#### **Built Like Alaska: Band to Watch in 2012**

In kind of keeping with the northern wilderness theme for a bit here, the **Oakdale**,
California band **Built Like Alaska**‘s new single, “Antique Love,” from their new,
and third, album, _In Troubled Times_, is a perfectly simple folk pop track that
really exemplifies not just the musical talent of the band, but also the vocals 
of lead singer Neil Jackson. We have yet to hear the entire album, but what is clear
to us is that 2012 could be the best year yet for Built Like Alaska, just based 
on the double-shot of “Antique Love” and “John Henry.” BLA are an IRC Band to Watch
in 2012.

Related Post:  Best New Releases - David Newton & Thee Mighty Angels, The Smashing
Pumpkins, Gorillaz, My Empire of Sound, Sans Serif

“Antique Love” – **Built Like Alaska** from _In Troubled Times_

“John Henry” – **Built Like Alaska** from _In Troubled Times_

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/crystal4.jpg)

#### Crystal Stilts Drop new EP; Kurt Vile Releases Deluxe of ‘Smoke Ring’ and Summer Camp’s Latest Album

We’ve been fans of **Crystal Stilts** from the first couple of singles we heard 
a few years ago, and so we’re always happy when the band releases new material, 
even if it is only a EP – we’ll take it. Here’s the lead track, “Dark Eyes” from
Crystal Stilts _Radiant Door_ EP, out now on Sacred Bones. Plus, a new deluxe edition
of **Kurt Vile**‘s recent _Smoke Ring For My Halo_ is out this week with the lead
single, “The Creature,” plus the latest song from **Summer Camp**‘s new LP, _Welcome
to Condale. _

“Dark Eyes” – **Crystal Stilts **from _Radiant Door_ EP

“The Creature” – **Kurt Vile **from _Smoke Ring For My Halo _(deluxe edition)

“Better Off Without You” – **Summer Camp **from _Welcome to Condale _

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/bear-moose-500x442.jpg "
bear-moose")

#### New Singles from Bear & Moose, A Band of Bees, Shy Mirrors, 13Ghosts, ARMS and Dad Rocks!

Well, here we go with another band name that connotes images of the life in the 
northwestern U.S. and Canada – **Bear & Moose**; plus, the title of their new single,“
Wear the Wolf,” is just more wild imagery.  Plus, a new single, “I Really Need You,”
from **A Band of Bees** new album reminds us so much of **Van Morrison**‘s _Astral
Weeks_ period – songs that are a cross between R&B, folk and rock, and yet manage
to sound so organic and free-spirited at the same time.  Also, new singles from **
Shy Mirrors, 13Ghosts, ARMS** and **Dad Rocks!**

“Wear the Wolf” – **Bear & Moose** from _Bear & Moose_

**Double-shot: **“I’m Back” – **Bear & Moose** from _Bear & Moose_

“I Really Need Love” – **A Band of Bees **from _Every Step’s A Yes _

“Breakout” – **Shy Mirrors** from _Sailed Blanks_

**Double-shot**: “Track Changes”** – Shy Mirrors** from _Sailed Blanks_


“Dr. Bill” – **13Ghosts **from _Garland of Bottle Flies _

“Fleeced” – **ARMS **from _Summer Skills _(self-released)

Related Post:  Best New Releases - The Strokes, Boat, Belong, Soundtrack of Our 
Lives, Dangerous Ponies, Acid House Kings, Parenthetical Girls

“Weapons” – **Dad Rocks! **from _Mount Modern _

“Sucker Punch” – **Jonathan Coulton **from _Artificial Heart_

“Hexagons II (The Flight)” – Esben and the Witch from _Hexagons EP _

“The Same Thing” – **Cass McCombs **from _Humor Risk _

[“No Place Like Home”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Owen-No_Place_Like_Home.mp3)–**
Owen **from _Ghost Town _

“Movimento Perpetuo” – **Carlos Paredes **from _Movimento Perpetuo _

[“Stitches”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/POLINSKI_STITCHES.mp3)–**
Polinski **from _Labyrinths _

“Endless Summer” – **The Jezabels **from _Prisoner _

“The Vision (Let Me Breathe)” **– Joker with Jessie Ware & Freddie Gibbs **from 
_The Vision _

⌊A-Collection-of-Vibrations-for-Your-Skull⌉⌊A-Collection-of-Vibrations-for-Your-
Skull⌉

[“Facing the Sun”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/treefightforsunlight-facingthesun1.mp3)–**
Treefight For Sunlight **from _A Collection of Vibrations For Your Skull_

“On Call” – **Zambri **from _Glossolalia EP _

“Crazy Clown Time (download) – **David Lynch **from _Crazy Clown Time _

_
 
_

#### In Dee Mail Releases of the Week: Vanasprasta & Adam Hoffman Revival

If you listened to last week’s Best New Releases, then you know we had a lot of 
releases sent to us directly by artists and bands themselves. In fact, we covered
more new releases from DIY bands than any other major ‘indie’ site on the web, highlighting
not only the bands that get profiled on nearly every blog and music site, but many
artists that get zero, or near zero, coverage by music bloggers and especially not
mainstream sites like _SPIN, Rolling Stone, Spinner_ and others.

The first band is Vanasprasta is an unsigned Silver Lake-L.A. experimental rock 
band released the long awaited debut album, Healthy Geometry, on Nov. 1st to much
less fanfare then we think it deserves.  Just for perspective, however, Vanasprasta
are not exactly unknown. The band has been featured   blogs such as _Consequence
of Sound, L.A. Weekly_, and _Purevolume_.

They have shared the stage with artists like Free Energy, Young The Giant, Yuck,
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Linda Perry’s Deep Dark Robot. Vanasprasta have been
compared to Mars Volta, Kings of Leon, the Killers and Jeff Buckley. On _Healthy
Geometry_, Vanaprasta have culled all of their influences, ranging from Modest Mouse
to Pink Floyd, into a sound that can only be described as their own.

Related Post:  Best New Releases - Ganglians, Active Child, CSS, Stephen Malkmus&
The Jicks, Little Gold, Zee Avi, Stephin Merritt, Sun Araw

“Nine Equals Nine” – **Vanaprasta** from _Healthy Geometry _

Up next is piano-led from **Sandwich**, Massachusetts band,  **Adam Hoffman Revival**,
who released their new album, _You’ll Get There_, on Nov. 10th, featuring the lead
single, “You & I.” It’s not hard to see why they include **Ben Folds** and **The
Beatles** among their biggest influences. You can check out more songs and other
band information at [the band’s Facebook](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/adamhofmannrevival)
page.

“You & I” – **Adam Hoffman Revival** from _You’ll Get There_ – Nov. 10th

#### Album Releases for the Week of Nov. 8, 2011

[Atlas Sound](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/307454429750) – _Parallax_

[Birdy](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/BirdyMusic) – _Birdy_ (U.K.)
Brian Eno – _Panic of Looking_ [Brooke Fraser](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ brookefraser.com)–
_Flags_ (Deluxe Edition CD/DVD) Built Like Alaska – _In Troubled Times_ [Caithlin De Marrais](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/26699514677)–
_Red Coats_ [Camille Bloom](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ camillebloom.com)–
_Never Out of Time_ [Cass McCombs](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/cassmccombs.com)–
_Humor Risk_ David Lynch – _Crazy Clown Time_ [Edward Rogers](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ edwardrogersmusic.com)–
_Porcelain_ [Fay Wolf](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/faywolfmusic.com)–
_Spiders_ [Garrett Anderson](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/garrettandersonmusic.wordpress.com)–
_Within and Around_ (11/11) [High Highs](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/highhighs.com)–
_Ivy_ (11/11) [Hussey-Regan](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/hussey-regan.com)–
_Curios_ (Covers) (UK) [Jonathan Coulton](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ jonathancoulton.com)–
_Artificial Heart_ [Laura Veirs](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ lauraveirs.com)–
_Tumble Bee_/_Folk Song For Children_ [Lissie](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ lissie.com)–
_Covered Up With Flowers_ (Covers EP) Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood – _In Case
the World (Live)_ Meshell Ndegeocello – _Weather_ [Nils Lofgren](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ nilslofgren.com)–
_Old School_ [Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ noelgallagher.com)–
_S/T_ (U.S.) [Ólöf Arnalds](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/olofarnalds)–
_Ólöf Sings_ (Covers EP) [Owen](http://www.myspace.com/mybandowen) – _Ghost Town_
[Pink Floyd](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ pinkfloyd.com)–
_Wish You Were Here_ (Deluxe) [Rascal Flatts](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ rascalflatts.com)–
_Live_ Rush – _Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland_ Said The Whale – _New Brighton
_EP DC [Sigur Ros](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ sigur-ros.co.uk)–
_Inni_ (Live CD/DVD) [Summer Camp](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/wearesummercamp.com)–
_Welcome to Condale_ The Bees – _Every Step’s A Yes _(US) [Thea Gilmore](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/albums-altas-sound-said-the-whale-crystal-stilts/ theagilmore.net)–
_Don’t Stop Singing __(Lyrics: Sandy Denny) _ [Young Statues](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/youngstatues)–
_S/T_