# Best New Releases – Crystal Stilts, Los Campesinos, Sigur Ros, Carter Tanton, Pterodactyl, Whalers, Matty Sorono, New Division - Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2011/11/best-albums-nov-15-crystal-stilts-los-campesinos-sigur-ros/ - Published: 2011-11-17T14:09:18-05:00 - Author: Max Hammer This week’s Best New Releases includes a bounty of new singles from bands we never heard of before, but are so glad we have. First, we start off with the most obvious lead singles from new albums by **Crystal Stilts** and **Los Campesinos**. Although Crystal Stilts released their CD and MP3 version of their new EP, _Radiant Door_, last week, this week marks the release of their vinyl EP release. Plus, we have an additional track – the title track – from the EP that we didn’t feature last week. [“Radiant Door”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/02%20-%20Radiant%20Door3.mp3)–** Crystal Stilts** from _Radiant Door EP_ “Dark Eyes” – **Crystal Stilts** from _Radiant Door EP _ Other top tracks from new albums include the incredibly enthusiastic popper, “School Glue,” from **Pterodactyl**, the equally upbeat bliss of **Carter Tanton**‘s “Horrorscope,” and the riveting **Races**‘ track, “Big Broom.” While those five tracks make a sah- weet mini-mix of this week’s best new releases all by themselves, there are other releases highlighted in today’s mix that we think you’ll enjoy as much as we have. “By Your Hand” – **Los Campesinos!** from _Hello Sadness_ ⌊cartertantonfreeclouds⌉⌊cartertantonfreeclouds⌉ [“Horrorscope”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/WV92.H0RR0RSC0PE3.mp3)–** Carter Tanton** from _Freeclouds_ “School Glue” – **Pterodactyl** from _Spills Out_ “Big Broom” – **Races** from _Big Broom EP_ #### ⌊sigurrosinni⌉⌊sigurrosinni⌉New Albums from Sigur Ros, The Do, Ex-Norweigan, Blackout Beach and Ice Choir This week **Sigur Ros**‘ new live album, _Inni_, was released. The live album is more than just a collection of great Sigur Ros songs from live shows, it’s also a movie (see trailer below). The 105-minute double live album is also a 75-minute film that captures the band’s tour from three years ago, in November 2008.  Fans can get a special deal on purchasing the album and the film via iTunes (buy now). [“Ný Batterí “](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Sigur%20Ros%20--%20Ny%20Batteri%20(Live).mp3)–** Sigur Ros** from _Inni_ The new live album and film are a follow-up to the band’s 2007 live film, _Heima_( watch the film in HD here), which was filmed in the band’s home country of **Iceland**. The film was directed over two nights at the **Alexandra Palace** director **Vincent Morisset**, best known for directing **Arcade Fire**‘s [_Miroir Noir_](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ouP662iRe0c). [](https://youtube.com/watch?v=eOcIHA042aU&feature=related)The double LP features 15 tracks, with songs taken from all five of Sigur Rós’ studio albums, plus there is also a bonus of an unreleased studio track of “Lúppulagið’.” Also, check out fresh tracks from new releases by **The Do, Ex-Norweigan, Blackout Beach**, and ** Ice Choir**. “Slippery Slope” – **The Dø** from _Both Ways Open Jaws_ [“Be Forewarned, The Night has Come “](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/04%20Be%20Forewarned,%20The%20Night%20has%20Come.mp3)–** Blackout Beach** from _Fuck Death_ “Upper Hand” – **Ex Norwegian** from _Sketch_ (self-released) “Two Rings” – **Ice Choir** from _Two Rings_ _[⌊mattysorono⌉⌊mattysorono⌉[ #### Boston’s DIY Artist Matty Sorono and Austin Band Whalers Now, let’s turn to DIY and unsigned bands we like a lot who released new albums in the past week. Of all the unsigned, DIY artists that we never heard of before with new releases out this week, perhaps our favorite is **Boston** musician **Matty Sorono**. While he did not provide us very much information at all, what we do know is that Sorono started recording his own material about three years ago. By that time, he already had more than a decade of piano playing to draw from. Related Post:  Best New Indie Rock 2011 - The Radio Dept, Woodsman, Cloud Nothings, Iron & Wine, Gang of Four, Deerhoof, Destroyer, Veils, Grouplove “All my songs start out on an acoustic piano,” Sorono told IRC. “I begin by brainstorming melodic, harmonic or rhythmic ideas around until I find something substantial. Then i start coming up with vocal ideas to fit over the top. Usually I have a rough idea of at least some part of the melody before I step back from the keyboard and really work out some lyrics. I like lyrics that are fun to say and pleasing to listen to. When it comes time to produce the song, I strive to create a unified track with musical direction by layering sounds that add depth to the sound.” No doubt when you listen to the two singles released on Saturday, November 12, that Sorono’s music is influenced by his mentors **The Beatles, The Beach Boys** and ** Animal Collective**. If you’re still loving the hazy, lo-fi, “chillwave” sound, than Sorono may be one of the latest artists to earn a place on that list, perhaps even more. We shall see. “Sunside Trails” – **Matty Sorono** from single release “Skydream” – **Matty Sorono** from single release Sorono is also a member of the Boston band **Fork**, which will release their debut EP, _Fenway Winds_, on December 8th. Here’s an advanced track: “I See You” – **Fork** from _Fenway Winds_ _[[ Before we get back to the other previously unknown In Dee Mail releases, we first want to present Austin’s under-rated indie band **Whalers**, who dropped their second EP, _Paddle Easy_. Among the best songs on the album are “Cheat On Each Other,” an infectious ode to surf rock from the landlocked Texans, and “Pixel Your Picture,” a perfectly poplicious track that should be an ‘indie hit’ song, and reminds us of The Walkmen. While it was difficult to pick which songs to present from the newest EP – because there are so many great tracks – we’re also including the melodic, dreamy duet, “Lighthouse,” featuring Whaler’s lead singer, Kyle Rother, together with **White Dress** vocalist **Arum Rae Valkonen**. Of all the artists in this In Dee Mail feature, the Whalers are the best known. In fact, even though they’ve only been together for two years, they have a loyal and growing fan base in Austin, and increasingly, around the nation, with profile spots on Daytrotter and Rollo Grady “Artist to Watch.” The band’s debut EP, _How The Ship Goes Down_, was mixed by **My Morning Jacket**’s sound engineer,** Kevin Ratterman**, and mastered at **Jim Eno**’s (Spoon) Austin studio, **Public Hi-Fi**. Related Post:  Best New Releases, Part Two: Butcher The Bar, Centro-Matic, Bobby, Wonderful, Rubblebucket, Grown-Ups, Diva, Priory, Grieves “Pixel Your Picture” – **Whalers** from _Paddle Easy_ **Double-shot:** “Cheat On Each Other” – **Whalers** from _Paddle Easy_ **Bonus Track**: “Lighthouse” – **Whalers** from _Paddle Easy_ Another artist that dropped a new release on 11-11-11 is the unsigned electro-pop/ new wave band, **The New Division**, from **Riverside**, California. Their new album, _The Rookie_, demonstrates the band’s admiration for groups like **New Order** and** Depeche Mode**, and more recently, **Cut Copy**. The New Division have received some note-worthy press, but they still have yet to get the recognition we think they deserve. See what you think of these two synth-laden tracks from _The Rookie_,“ Starfield” and “Festival.” [“Starfield”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/TheNewDivison-Starfield3.mp3)–** The New Division **from _The Rookie_ [“Festival”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/TheNewDivision-Festival.mp3)–** The New Division **from _The Rookie_ _⌊narrowsparrowsynth⌉⌊narrowsparrowsynth⌉ #### Narrow Sparrow, Caveman, Churches, Korallreven and Others We have even more impressive lead tracks from other artists with new albums and EPs out this week, including **Caveman, Annie Williams, Churches, Korallreven**, as well as lesser tracks by **Rah Rah** and **Poor Boy’s Soul**. The track “Shenandoah,” is a very tranquil, but not new age, instrumental that simply paints a picture of a serene and beautiful place within the natural world. A perfect close to this week’s top releases. But first up, is the catchy, acoustic-electro pop track “Joe Meek’s Dream” from **Narrow Sparrow**‘s DIY album, _Synthworks_. “Joe Meek’s Dream” – **Narrow Sparrow** from _Synthworks_ (self-released) “Thankful” – **Caveman** from _CoCo Beware_ “Roll on Hills” – **Annie Williams** from _This Mountain EP_ (self-released) [“Save Me”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/churches%20-%20Save%20Me.mp3)–** Churches** from “Save Me” single (self-released) [“Sa Sa Samoa (ft Julianna Barwick)”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Korallreven%20-%20Sa%20Sa%20Samoa.mp3)–** Korallreven** from _An Album By Korallreven_ “Parkade” – **Rah Rah** from _Breaking Hearts _ “Burn Down” – **Poor Boy’s Soul** from _Poor Boy’s Soul _ [“Shenandoah”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Goldmund-10_Shenandoah.mp3)–** Goldmund** from _All Will Prosper_ ![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/31vIyq1mVPL._SL500_AA280_.jpg) #### In Dee Mail Releases This Week: Big Lake, Sissy Menai, Gene Wildest and Noel Carlon One of the longest running playlist series on IRC, In Dee Mail, highlights only artists and bands that send us their new releases directly. Thankfully, it has also been one of the most popular playlist series, probably because the songs we choose for the In Dee Mail mixes are from DIY and unsigned artists. Lately, we’ve been calling out new releases that In Dee Mail by creating a separate section in the weekly Best New Releases. It’s a great feeling to know that over the years, we’ve helped to launch relatively unknown artists into the spotlight, with some even telling us that IRC was their first big break. But the credit there really goes to our readers/listeners, because it is all of you who ultimately drive what music makes it onto the site, and more importantly, what music becomes the most popular. This is evident by the weekly Top Ten Songs mixtapes (based on number of listens/downloads a song gets), and more recently, the Best Songs of 2011 mixtape series. Related Post:  Best New Releases - Atlas Sound, Said The Whale, Crystal Stilts, Built Like Alaska, Summer Camp, Kurt Vile, Bear & Moose, ARMS **Big Lake** is an indie/shoegaze band from **Jersey City**, New Jersey, led by ** New York City** musician **Lysa Opfer**. The band’s debut EP, _Do You Love Me? Yes/ No?_, officially dropped this week via **Evil Island Fortress Records**. Opfer sent us a couple of tracks from the EP to share with IRC. Just some of the many bands that Big Lake are influenced by include Broken Social Scene, Local Natives, Album Leaf, Maps, Arcade Fire, Battles, Beach House, My Bloody Valentine, The Ramones, Joy Division and The Walkmen. “Homecoming Game” – **Big Lake** from _Do You Love Me? Yes/No_ “The Longest Day” – **Big Lake** from _Do You Love Me? Yes/No_ ![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Flegesign.jpg) **Sissy Menai** is a three-piece DIY **Chicago**-based indie rock/shoegaze band who, like many of the In Dee Mail artists, have never opened for another band (yet), but we think show some promise thanks to their engaging and explosively driven songs, like “Soon Speeding Gear,” and the more pop-oriented title track from their new debut LP, _Record Machine_. Their 2009 EP, _Young Girl_, received some positive press from Chicago bloggers and sites like _Timeout Chicago_, as well as outside of Chicago, including a thumbs up in the popular blog, _The Onion_. “Soon Speeding Gear” – **Sissy Menai** from _Record Machine_ “Record Machine” – **Sissy Menai** from _Record Machine_ **Gene Wildest** is an unsigned **Philadelphia** band headed by songwriter and musician** Brian Corbett**, who were recently profiled in _The Signal_ and _Philadelphia Weekly_, among other write ups. In fact, the band has previously opened for Titus Andronicus, Guerilla Funk, Human Sounds, and Axis. Gene Wildest recorded all the tracks from the new album, self-titled debut LP in Corbett’s apartment. The first track we received is the Ben Folds-sounding piano-dominant track, “George Carillo,” followed by the quirky track, “Weird Guy at a Bar in Bethlehem, PA.” The band’s biggest influences include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Parliament Funkadelic, Electric Six, Pearl Jam, and The Smiths. “George Carillo” – **Gene Wildest** from _Gene Wildest_ “Weird Guy at a Bar in Bethlehem, PA” – **Gene Wildest** from _Gene Wildest_ After a year and a half in the making, **Los Angeles** singer/songwriter **Noel Carlon** completed and released his debut album, _Lonely Stranger_. Carlon’s songs weave tales of despair, broken dreams, longing, love, and loneliness. It is a heartfelt debut told through the words of a working man in a city where hopes and dreams rarely come to fruition. “Insecure” – **Noel Carlon** from _Lonely Stranger_ “Dreams are Cruel” – **Noel Carlon** from _Lonely Stranger_ Noel Carlon is the former lead singer of Delarosa and Noel Carlon and the Dead Poets. New band mates include fellow friends Joel Herr (guitars, backup vox), Joseph Yabao( Drums), Nikko Menichini (guitars), and Rosco Bustillo (Keys, Backup Vox).