This is the last Best New Releases for the spring of 2012, and if you’ve been following along over the weeks, then you know there have been some spectacular new albums, EPs and singles released so far. Just in case you missed any of them – they’re all in one place, containing hundreds of free and legal MP3s, or you can just stream them for days while you do other things.
Kicking off this week’s Best New Releases is the fresh single from Jaill, “Perfect Ten,” off of the band’s latest album, Traps, which just so happens to be our Album of the Week, even though the album cover doesn’t cut it for us (check it out by clicking on the album link). Sub Pop Records signed the Milwaukee psych pop/garage rock trio in 2006 and we’re sure glad they did.
Sub Pop has an uncanny ability to pick out talented and unique artists and sign them; they’re also known for granting their artists tons of creative freedom, and it reflects in the work their line-up has produced for over two decades now. Too bad the “big” labels don’t do more of that, and lose the formulated crap, which by now almost everyone can identify in the first 20 seconds of a song (ugh).
Jaill was a band to watch for IRC the first time we spun their debut album, That’s How We Burn, upon it’s release in 2009. It was full of surf punk glory, and just one of dozens upon dozens of amazing debuts that year. The band has returned with a new single that signals a new sonic direction for the band. If you want to hear more, check out our Jaill archives, and you can also stream Traps via AOL/Spinner for the next four or five days. Also, look out for Vol. II of this week’s Best New Releases where there will be double shots from bands in this post, including Jaill.
“Perfect Ten” – Jaill from Traps on Sub Pop
Note: Vol. II of this week’s BNR’s will include another track from Jaill.
The Tallest Man on Earth, the alias of 29-year-old Swedish singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson, quickly made a name for himself within the indie folk music genre in the past five years by way of his profound nasal-prone vocals, which have earned Matsson endless comparisons to the legendary Bob Dylan, while simultaneously maintaining his own unique identity. Too bad though that the album cover, like Jaill’s new record, sucks. Look out for an expose we’re working on about modern album art, and why it matters in the digital age.
Also, check out new singles from These United States, Metric, Jonathan Boulet, Stepdad, Capitol 6, Fallon Crush, Giant Giant Sand, Stepdad and others. There are some sah-wheet singles out this week. Volume Two coming up next.
“1904” – The Tallest Man on Earth from There’s No Leaving Now on Dead Oceans
“Born Young” – These United States from These United States on United Interests
“Youth Without Youth” – Metric from Synthetica on Metric Music International
via MusicisArt.ws
“Must Land Running” – Stepdad from Wildlife Pop on Black Bell Records
“You’re An Animal” – Jonathan Boulet from We Keep The Beat, Found The Sound, See The Need, Start The Heart on Modular
“Cold Ride” – Capitol 6 from Pretty Lost on Light Organ Records
via Blahblahblahscience.com
“Class Clown Spots a UFO” – Guided By Voices from Class Clown Spots a UFO on Guided By Voices, Inc.
“Honey Honey” – Fallon Cush from April (self-released)
“Detained” – Giant Giant Sand from Tucson on Fire Records
“Livin’ Free” – The Young from Dub Egg on Matador
Have any comments or opinions on any of the singles, albums and artists in this post? Go ahead and write something into the Comments box below (no sign-up required; email is kept private) and not only will your comment be potentially seen by tens of thousands of people, we also pick some of our favorite comments to enter into a drawing for free albums and sometimes concert tickets and merchandise.