# Best New Releases, Week of Feb. 5th – Frightened Rabbit, Eels, Jim James, Guards, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2013/02/best-new-releases-week-of-feb-5th-frightened-rabbit-eels-jim-james/
- Published: 2013-02-06T17:31:55-05:00
- Author: Max Hammer

[[For indie music lovers, it’s a big, big week for top new releases from a variety of popular artists and bands, including the Eels, Frightened Rabbit, Jim James, Guards, My Bloody Valentine, Grouper, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Matt Pond, The Spinto Band, and others. The year in music for 2013 is starting to look really promising, as the past few weeks have shown, including the Best New Releases for the weeks of [January 29th](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/01/best-new-releases-week-of-jan-29th-local-natives-golden-bloom-tegan-and-sara-the-ruby-suns-lost-animal-mice-parade/), [January
 22nd](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/01/best-new-releases-week-of-jan-22nd-ty-segall-toro-y-moi-the-joy-formidable-nightlands-the-growlers-ra-ra-riot-fidlar-drgn-king/) and [January
 15th](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/01/best-new-releases-week-of-jan-14th-yo-la-tengo-virals-free-energy-christopher-owens-pickwick-sharon-van-etten/), as well
as [Top New DIY Releases](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/02/best-diy-releases-week-of-jan-28th-is-paris-burning-heyrocco-matt-churchill-the-hyper-actives-no-tv-tonight/), [5 DIY
Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/01/5-diy-bands-to-watch-in-2013-vol-i-hemmingbirds-jumpiter-cloud-lantern-the-jesus-rehab-and-appalachians/), DIY and[
Indie Artists Releases](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/01/new-releases-from-diy-and-indie-label-artists-the-hot-dark-norwegian-arms-brave-baby-john-haesemeyer-and-eric-howl/) and [Recent
DIY Releases](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/01/top-diy-releases-from-were-not-heroes-scarlet-youth-service-animal-go-exploring-neo-star-nova-z-luck-senses/) playlists.

The awesomeness begins with the newest album release by **Frightened Rabbit**, titled
_Pedestrian Verse_. The **Scottish** band, led by **Scott Hutchinson**‘s dark lyrics
and touching vocals, presents a personal and emotional masterpiece on their fourth
release, drawing on the anthemic folk pop mix they’ve branded so well and accompanied
by deep, touching sonics of reverb-heavy guitar work and frenetic rhythms, as displayed
on the lead single (and the accompanying video) titled, “The Woodpile.” Another 
folk-pop-heavy album out this week, _We The Common_, from **Thao and the Get Down
Stay **, demonstrates the artist’s increasingly political messaging while integrating
more crisp acoustic instrumentation, followed by the **Eels** – easily one of the
best bands of the past two decades – release of their tenth album, _Wonderful, Glorious_,
along with the lead single, “New Alphabet.”

[“The Woodpile”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/01%20-%20The%20Woodpile.mp3)–**
Frightened Rabbit** from _Pedestrian Verse_

 “Holy Roller” – **Thao and the Get Down Stay Down** from _We The Common_ via TheDadada

Related Post:  Way Back Now: Suede's First Album in Over A Decade, 'Bloodsports'

[“New Alphabet”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/newalphabet-eels.mp3)–**
Eels** from _Wonderful, Glorious_

![guardsinwetrust](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/guardsinwetrust.
jpg "guardsinwetrust")

#### Top Singles from Jim James, Guards, Matt Pond, My Bloody Valentine and Others

**My Morning Jacket** frontman **Jim James** (or Yim Yames), and member of supergroup**
Of Monsters and Men**, dropped his third solo album this week, featuring the spectacular
song, “A New Life,” easily one of the best new songs of 2013. Perhaps the most sunny,
upbeat and catchy single from a new release this week is “Silver Lining” from the
indie band **Guards**. They released their newest album, _In Guards We Trust_, this
week. New-to-us band **Airstrip** rock out on the impressive surprise single, “Pleasure
Center.” Plus, the latest from Ron Sexsmith, Darkstar, and Night Beds.

[“A New Life”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/anewlife-jim-james.mp3)–**
Jim James** from _Regions of Light and Sound of God_ on ATO Records

[“Silver Lining”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/silver-lining-guards.mp3)–**
Guards** from _In Guards We Trust_ on Black Bell Records

[“Pleasure Center”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/01%20Pleasure%20Center.mp3)–**
Airstrip** from _Willing on Holidays_ on Quince Records

![RonSexsmithForeverEndeavour](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/
02/RonSexsmithForeverEndeavour.jpg "RonSexsmithForeverEndeavour")

[“Sneak Out the Back Door”](https://youtube.com/watch?v=NRy2PAoBLAk) – **Ron Sexsmith**
from _Forever Endeavour_

[“Amplified Ease”](https://youtube.com/watch?v=P7lNoUxfQZA) – **Darkstar** from 
_News From Nowhere_ on Warp Records

[“Wanted You in August”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/07%20Wanted_You%20In%20August.mp3)–**
Night Beds** from _Country Sleep_ on Dead Oceans

#### Jenny O Barters; Matt Pond Loves and The Spinto Band Shakes

Artist **Jenny O**., of _Where The Wild Things Are_ fame, has a new album featuring
title track, “Automechanic.” The song has a spaghetti western undercurrent yet is
dominated by O.’s emotive vocals and lyrics that include; “I’ll trade you a tune
for some gasoline.” With the way gas prices are going in the past couple of weeks(
will be $7/gal. in two years), you can imagine how hard it is on bands that have
little cash but need to tour to make money since it’s not coming from album sales,
but we digress; the song itself is OK, but nothing you’ll remember a month from 
now.

Related Post:  Top Singles & Albums for October 2013, Vol. I - Yuck, Teen Daze, 
Polvo, Fuzz, Dr. Dog, DARKSIDE, The Fratellis, HAIM

Still, we felt compelled to include it for the Jenny O fans. First off, we did not
know until this release that **Matt Pond** signed to BMG. Now, that’s interesting,
and surely some of his early, hard-core fans may not be too happy with that arrangement;
thankfully, it doesn’t seem to have had a negative effect on his music – an example
eing his new single “Love To Get Used,”

[“Automechanic” ](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/01%20Automechanic.mp3)–**
Jenny O.** from _Automechanic_ on Holy Trinity Records/Thirty Tigers

“Love To Get Used” – **Matt Pond** from _The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand_
on BMG

[“Shake It Off”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/shakeitoff-spinto-band.mp3)–**
The Spinto Band** from _Cool Cocoon_ on Spintonic Recordings

[“One Thing”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/02%20%C3%9Eerney%20(One%20Thing).mp3)–**
Pascal Pinon** from _Twosomeness_ on Morr Music

**Grouper**‘s new single, “Vital,” is a dream pop track that is great if you’re 
in a melancholy mood, or just day-dreaming, but if you need stimulation, there are
much more suited tracks earlier in this playlist of the week’s top new releases.
In fact, one of the antidote’s for the sleepy feeling “Vital” conveys is the **Guards**‘“
Silver Lining.” In keeping with the chilled, mellow feel, the lead single, “Old 
Dreams,” from veteran singer/songwriter **Hayden** streams soft piano keys and acoustic
guitar to set the mood.

[“Vital”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/02%20Vital.mp3) – **Grouper**
from _The Man Who Died in His Boat_ on Kranky

[“Old Dreams”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Hayden%20-%20Old%20Dreams.mp3)–**
Hayden** from _Us Alone_ on Arts & Crafts