2013 – Page 4 – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Best New Music Releases, Week of June 11th – Surfer Blood, Gold Panda, Sonny & The Sunsets, Boards of Canada, John Vanderslice

Posted on 06/17/201301/03/2022 by Max Hammer

All the buzz last week was around the much anticipated and long-awaited follow-up to Surfer Blood‘s wildly popular and successful 2010 debut, Astro Coast. The buzz was well earned as most people who had not downloaded leaked copies found out over the past few days. In fact, Pythons is already easily one of the top albums of 2013, and it is almost predictably going to be high up on many year-end Best Albums of 2013 lists. As IRC contributor Devin William Daniels pointed out in his album review of Pythons, the band achieved one thing in particular – making the guitar the centerpiece of their catchy indie pop sound. The guitar is also the centerpiece of the sound of another artist we featured this week – Rob Eldridge, the founder and frontman of Pittsburgh band, Steelesque, IRC’s latest Artist of the Week.

In addition to Surfer Blood, another top album for our listeners this past week was yet another sophomore album, this time around from British producer Gold Panda, and Scottish brother duo Boards of Canada‘s first album in eight years, the dark and dense, Tomorrow’s Harvest. Another switch in mood would be the hard rock ‘journey’ of Deafheaven‘s Sunbather, which contributor J. Hubner wrote about in his review of the album. Other than those releases, there was not much from last week’s releases. Last week was probably was one of the thinnest weeks of the year for new releases.

“Beach Demon” – Surfer Blood from Pythons on Sire Records

“We Work Nights” – Gold Panda from Half Of Where You Live on Ghostly International

“Reach For The Dead” – Boards of Canada from Tomorrow’s Harvest on Warp Records

“Dark Corners” – Sonny & The Sunsets from Antenna To The Afterworld on Polyvinyl

“Raw Wood” – John Vanderslice from Dagger Beach on Tiny Telephone

“Cape Fear” – Estrangers from Season of 1000 Colors on Phuzz Sounds

Graham Repulski, The Human Natures, and The 88

Graham Repulski is a lo-fi indie musician and the CEO of Shorter Recordings in New Jersey. However, his new album, Cop Art, recorded with his band, was released via Big School Records. In fact, Repulski and his band are a “mysterious home recording act out of New Jersey [that] channels legends of lo-fi past, like Sebadoh, Guided By Voices, and Grifters, slathering on warped guitar noise a la Polvo, never shying away from all a cheapo production flourish.” There are also other DIY albums that dropped in the past week that warrant checking out, including The Human Natures and The 88.

“Why I Don’t Believe In Anything” – Graham Repulski from Cop Art

The Human Natures is a punk/chillwave one-man band of singer and songwriter Steve Beres from Cressona, Pennsylvania who self-released his new album that is “dense and sparse, noisy and meditative. Blues patterns collide with found sound and panicked talk-singing.” He writes that the LP, The Art of Standing Up, isn’t for everyone. “It is not a pop album and it doesn’t have hooks,” but is a “soundtrack” meant for “solitary drives and sleepless nights.”

“Two Cents” – The Human Natures from The Art of Standing Up

“I Saw The Light That Day” – The 88 from Fortune Teller

Album Review: Deafheaven’s ‘Sunbather’

Posted on 06/17/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

by J. Hubner

Deafheaven‘s Sunbather is one of those anomalies that happens every so often in metal music where you’re moved to your core listening to the aural violence. Singer George Clark sounds like Deftones’ Chino Moreno having some sort of attack as songwriter/guitarist Kerry McCoy creates transcendent -albeit bludgeoning- music that sweeps you up in the drama of life and existence. Sunbather sounds like what would happen if Explosions In The Sky dabbled in black metal. It’s a record that comes around every so often, and when it does all you can do is let it wash over you.

“Dream House” is a wall of guitars, and ebb and flow of dramatic sweeps and moods. This is what happens when post-rock goes through primal scream therapy. I imagine Mogwai was brought up once or twice in the studio while recording this epic opening track. A barrage of guitars bash against each other as if waves pummeling the lone schooner in a black ocean. Clark screams orders till the storm calms as the piano and echoed guitar of “Irresistible” steps in during a moment of solace, quietly taking us into the ten minute title track. Deftones haunt the sound of this song, not only in the shredded vocal cords but McCoy’s exquisite guitar. His guitar is a sound filled with both guttural pain and heavenly scope; you feel as you listen to Deafheaven that you’re listening to a great epic tale – much like Homer’s Odyssey- put to music. This is a journey record (and not that “Don’t Stop Believin’ junk). “Please Remember” starts as noise and increases in intensity climaxing to a buzzsaw screech before dissipating into a quietly strummed guitar. Ebb and flow.

“Dream House” – Deafheaven from Sunbather

This album isn’t for the weak of heart or ear. It’s a trip filled with good and bad. It’s a journey filled with as much pain as pleasure. What makes this record a journey worth taking over and over again is songwriter/guitarist Kerry McCoy. He takes metal and hardcore music and gives it something that too often is missing in both: depth. At times there’s a downright shimmering quality to his playing that sounds like Johnny Marr filling in for Porl Thompson on Disintegration. “Vertigo” has a shoegaze swirl about it before going into an almost Euro-metal guitar lead that opens the gates for George Clark‘s banshee howl. “Window” is a swirl of dread. A voice speaks in the background as piano plays and ambient noise comes in and out of focus before “The Pecan Tree” closes the dizzying journey called Sunbather.

Listen to the entire album via Spotify.

Bands like Explosions In The Sky, Mogwai, and even My Bloody Valentine are woven into Deafheaven’s DNA. I’m sure there’s some black metal and hardcore bands that were a basis for these guys wanting to make music as well, but I haven’t the ear or listening experience to throw those names around. All I can say is Sunbather is Deafheaven taking all of those influences and creating something unique and moving all their own. It’s not an easy journey, but one you should take. One you must take.

8.7 out of 10

J. Hubner is a freelance writer and music lover who occasionally contributes his own unique style of album reviews to IRC.

Artist of the Week: Pittsburg’s Rob Eldridge, aka, Steelesque

Posted on 06/13/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Steelesque is the moniker that Pittsburgh singer/songwriter, producer, engineer and musician, Rob Eldridge, coined for himself when he set out to bring a “rough and ready indie blues sound” to Steel City last year. Eldridge recorded Steelesque’s lo-fi debut EP, Johnny On The Spot with the help of drummer Josh Egan. Eldridge played the guitar, bass and keyboards for the recording of the EP. For live performances, he is accompanied by Bob Bell on drums, Mark Shearman on bass, Eric Jameson on guitar and Scott Hazuda on keyboards.

The EP caught the attention of the U.K. indie label Tuppence A Bag Records, which signed Steelesque in a matter of weeks. Not long after, the label officially dropped a remastered version of Johnny On The Spot , after which, Eldridge scrambled to form his live band, even adding a horn section to the line-up in an effort to create a sound “reminiscent of mid-70’s Rolling Stones.” His sound is a fusion of southern blues-rock, pop, post punk, folk and Brit rock, which have all been intertwined neatly to produce an original, hook-heavy, rhythmic record that has a little bit of something for everyone.

As Seth Pfannenschmidt of the Pittsburgh City Paper so keenly observed: “The diverse influences are hardly distracting…establishing the EP as an original and cohesive collection of blues-rock.” Pittsburgh Music Magazine added: “the predominant vibe of what emerges is an unapologetic rock-homage to rock itself,” followed by Liverpool Sound and Vision‘s assertion that Steelesque’s sound is “rough, dirty and sensational, and with a quality that introduces itself from the first electrifying note (of the EP’s opening track, “Hooker A”).

“Hooker A” – Steelesque from Johnny On The Spot

In a relatively short period of time, Eldridge has created a jam-filled blues rock sound that has put Steelesque on the map as a Steel City band to watch, and Eldridge as an influential artist within the city’s rock culture. In fact, Steelesque, have racked up some impressive gigs and tours as the opening act for renowned artists like the Counting Crowes, The Jayhawks, Edgar Winters, Aimee Mann, Warren Hayes, Govt Mule, Blue Rodeo, and Tea Leaf Green. Eldridge listed his top musical influences as Wilco, The Black Crowes, Radiohead, Spoon, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan.

If you’re in Pittsburg, you can see Steelesque live this Saturday afternoon at NewburyPalooza, and on June 19th at Howlers Coyote Cafe.

“Life Fast Wheel” – Steelesque from Johnny On The Spot

“Raven Don’t Mind” – Steelesque from Johnny On The Spot

Listen to more of the tracks from the EP at Steelesque’s Bandcamp page.

Steelesque Official Website

Album of the Week: Surfer Blood’s ‘Pythons’

Posted on 06/12/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

by Devin William Daniels

Surfer Blood‘s debut, Astro Coast, was one of the most promising indie rock albums of the past few years. With an excellent pop sensibility, keen musicianship and a proven ear for a great tone, they were clearly on the rise. The band was the indie music equivalent to a NBA team prospect with perfect height, athleticism and basketball IQ – if they could just pull all the elements together, they’d be a force to reckon with. With expecations high and a major label now in on the action, their second LP, Pythons, doesn’t completely realize the band’s potential, but it’s a fantastic pop record with songs that will grow on you in surprising ways.

Despite the band’s name, this isn’t surf music (not in the tradition of Dick Dale nor the surf music revival). Given the album’s emphasis of perfect pop structure, the closest surf analog is probably the Beach Boys, though you’ll hear more obvious harks to the other pop/rock kings, the Beatles (frontman J.P. Pitts‘ yelps on “Blair Witch,” seemingly channelling Paul McCartney). The Orlando-based group does bring a California sound, but with its elements of slippery guitar licks and contained sonic freakouts, it’s less beach front property, and more San Fernando Valley suburbia, recalling the feel of the early, fantastic Weezer albums. I’m sure some will label it a sophomore slump, but I think, more than anything, it only further confirms that this is a growing band on the rise — and it’s worth remembering (see the last indie darlings to truly make it big, the National) that it usually takes more than two albums to reach the summit.

As much as this is a pop record, it’s also a guitar record. The guitar occupies a strange place in the current musical consciousness. On the one hand it’s almost lame — the symbol of a certain outdated but still omnipresent brand of “cool.” It’s the “cool” of a lost generation of rock fans, chased after in the dim light of bonfire parties by frat bros with acoustics and a few covers (or worse, hackneyed originals). The covers are usually from the 90s alt rock boom, and the instrument itself seems to have devolved into a relic and cautionary tale of that genre’s precipitous fall to irrelevance and machismo.

On the other hand, it’s the symbol of the musical counter culture. Mainstream music and rock music have become increasingly distinct formats, while pop music has largely abandoned the role of the guitar almost completely, except for the occasional cheese-stuffed solo that ignites mostly cringes from lovers of the iconic instrument. In this environment, it’s easy to forget that the guitar was once as mainstream as it any one element could be; it was the unrivaled vehicle for popular music expression. In recent years, the guitar has been seriously under-utilized in a role that it thrived in and dominated for decades.

Surfer Blood’s Pythons is an infectious reminder, and a clear example, of just how suited the electric guitar is for the job. Undoubtably, there’s a long and honored tradition of guitar pop in the indie music world; in fact, for many years, it is where guitar pop survived – and there’s plenty of great music to support that reality. Overall, Surfer Blood offer up some of the best guitar and some of the best pop of 2013.

Get Pythons on CD or as a MP3 deluxe download from Amazon

The album’s highlight track, “Weird Shapes,” starts with a thrilling guitar riff that would have dominated all five minutes of plenty of bands’ songs, but after only 17 seconds, we’re treated to a multi-faceted verse that never stops developing. A great vocal line pairs with synth and guitar with terrific effect. Pop music is often thought to be mostly about repetition, but “Weird Shapes” demonstrates that great pop is really about growth and surprise. Instead of dwelling on any of the excellent parts or melodies, the song keeps throwing in something new through the chorus. “Weird Shapes” even manages a third part without killing the momentum, which the band does by building and expanding on what’s come before instead of diverging for the sake of diverging. The verse/chorus form is oft-rejected or expanded for more uncommon forms, but it’s often that I hear what should be a perfect pop song dragged down by an inferior bridge or third section that seems to have been written just because. Pythons not only manages a solid verse/chorus pairing on almost every track, when the band expands on that structure, it’s almost always for the best.

This approach wouldn’t work if the new sounds weren’t as good as the old sounds; but they are, and soon we’ve forgotten about the song-that-could-have-been, had the first 17 seconds looped for three minutes. It’s a testament to great melodies and simple harmonies – the bricks of appealing pop music. With the philosophy that the point of music is to provide as many of those elements as possible in ten songs, Pitts and the gang keep the songs moving and deliver them jam-packed.

Even when we aren’t treated to as many elements and variations, it’s addition by subtraction. “I Was Wrong” starts with the kind of vague arpeggio that could start a million indie rock songs, and most of the time would build in volume and intensity if not much else. Surfer Blood, however, always seem to be moving foward and quickly offer a great chorus and verse. Verse/chorus/verse/chorus is pretty much all the song does, but it manages all the release and transitory power of a bridge through a short but pristine guitar line without dragging the song down under too much weight. There’s a little Modest Mouse-style shouting in the mix that doesn’t quite work, but it’s forgivable. Pop music has largely been taken over by the electronic and the vocal, but moments like this are reminders that the electric guitar is the perfect instrument for a pop hook.

Of course, it’s also the perfect instrument for reckless abandon and passion, and it’s a little frustrating that Pitts doesn’t let it rip more often. We’re treated to a bit on “Squeezing Blood”, but the guitar never completely explodes, sticking to its allotted bars before the song returns to its pre-planned verse/chorus itinerary. Astro Coast, as well as JP Pitts’ live performances (I saw him open for the Pixies, and he broke some strings in the best possible way), prove he’s got the chops. There’s a lot of self-styled indie rock guitar gods out there, but Pitts is one of the few who really separates himself from the pack. I’m sure he could lay out on these songs as well as anyone, so I have to think this was a statement of intent that Surfer Blood wanted to make a great pop record without being read as another giant-guitar-wielding noise pop band. I think they succeed, but I imagine listeners will be somewhat disappointed. Now that he’s proven his point, hopefully Pitts brings more heroics on future releases than he has on any of the studio material to date — something that could really take Surfer Blood to the next level — rather than retreat further into pop-based modesty.

Ultimately this is an album of promise, much like the debut, though the promise now takes on a different character. While some might see this as a regression (Astro Coastd is the superior, if not as finely constructed, record), I see it as proof that Surfer Blood have a few different tricks up their sleeves. If they can put them all together on the next record, this is a band that will transcend the overcrowded musical spaces they currently reside and become one of the truly memorable acts of the day.

Rating: 9 of 10

Devin William Daniels is a freelance writer and musician from Allentown, Pennsylvania. He teaches English in South Korea and records music as the Negative Sound

Best New Music Releases 2013, Week of June 4th – Portugal The Man, Big Deal, Future Bible Heroes, Camera Obscura, QOTSA

Posted on 06/09/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

There are quite a few fantastic albums out this week from long-time indie and alternative artists as well as new bands on the radar for 2013. The songs from this week’s carefully-selected collection of EPs and LPs make for an impressive, diverse and lively playlist that is a little over an hour long; in fact, many of the hundreds and hundreds of playlists in the IRC archives still have active song links, unlike many other websites and blogs. Therefore, IRC is not just a record of the newest indie music, but it also serves as one giant soundtrack of the best popular, and DIY, indie music since 2008. And just like this week’s Best New Music Releases playlist, all of the playlists stream automatically and uninterrupted from the first song to the last simply by clicking the play button at the top of the list one time – there’s no need to have to keep manually clicking each song to hear them all, which frees you up to do other things like browse the web, read, play games while listening to the top singles for the first week of June.

Also, because of a growing number of requests, we are including quick links to purchase, via Amazon, both the CD and MP3 versions of each album selected from this week’s batch of new releases. In case you have missed any recent posts and playlists, check out the latest DIY Artist of the Week, Nick Jaina, an amazing singer/songwriter and musician from Portland who has opened for bands like The Decemberists, as well as Volume IV of the popular Bands That Rock series and another Volume IV installment for the 7 Overseas Bands You’ve Gotta Hear series, which is sort of similar to the 5 DIY Bands to Watch series. Some of you have asked about the Top 10 Songs page, which we have not updated yet for April and May – apologies, it’s in the works. We’re looking for a way in the future to show the Top 10 Songs in real-time, which will be a really cool addition to Indie Rock Cafe.

Big Deal, Portugal The Man, Camera Obscura, and Dead Stars

Among the top releases of the week are the new-to-us band, Big Deal and their album, June Gloom, featuring the summer-feeling pop single, “Dream Machines,” followed by Portugal The Man‘s second EP, and title track, Evil Friends. Also, check out Camera Obscura‘s new album, Desire Lines (see IRC’s Devin William Daniels’ CO review), and the new-to-us indie rock band, Dead Stars‘ impressive new EP, High Gain.

“Dream Machines” – Big Deal from June Gloom [CD or MP3 version] on Mute

“Evil Friends” – Portugal The Man from Evil Friends EP [CD or MP3 version] on Atlantic

“Fifth in Line to the Throne” – Camera Obscura from Desire Lines [CD or MP3 version] on 4AD

“Waste Away” – Dead Stars from High Gain EP [CD or MP3 version] on Uninhabitable Mansions

First Future Bible Heroes Album in Nine Years; Plus, QOTSA and Rogue Wave

Merge recording artist, and long-time indie favorites in the cafe, Future Bible Heros‘ latest LP, Partygoing is yet another impressive production. Formed in 1996 by indie rock pioneer, Stephin Merritt (best known as the songwriter/singer for the band Magnetic Fields, less so for Gothic Archies and the 6ths), Future Bible Heroes have only released three albums in 16 years. Merritt’s long-time collaborators, Claudia Gonson and Chris Ewen, joined forces for the first time since 2002’s brilliant Eternal Youth, FBHs’ best of their three LPs, with 1997’s debut, Memories of Love, following at a very close second. In fact, the indie trio just released a special remastered collection of all three albums, which is available as an MP3 download or CD collection via Amazon. The remastered collection also contains FBHs’ three EPs, and is a must-have addition to the music collection of serious lo-fi indie pop lovers, and especially so for fans of Merritt’s enormous contributions to indie music during the past 15 years. Another fantastic band formed the same year as FBHs, but who pack a much harder punch, is the alternative rock legends, Queens of the Stone Age. QOTSA delivers their latest album with the drop this week of Like Clockwork. Following QOTSA is the latest effort from another long-time indie band that we have followed closely for a decade now, Rogue Wave.

“Partygoing” – Future Bible Heroes from Partygoing [CD or MP3 version] on Merge Records

“If I Had Tail” – Queens of the Stone Age from Like Clockwork [CD or MP3 version] on Matador Records

“College” – Rogue Wave from Nightingale Floors [CD or MP3 version] on Vagrant

Upbeat Melodies from Rogue Wave, Splashh, GRMLN, Little Children, Houndmouth and Jon Hopkins

Following Rogue Wave‘s lively new single, “College,” are a series of new-to-us bands that keep the upbeat vibe going with fresh album singles like “All I Wanna Do” from Splashh, the hook-heavy pop of GRMLN‘s excellent lead track, “Do You Know How It Feels?” and the foot-tapping atmospheric melodies of the band Little Children’s song, “Falling.” The playlist is closed out by the catchy track “On The Road” from the band Houndmouth, and the extended electro/trance dance recording, “Open Eye Signal,” from Jon Hopkins.

“All I Wanna Do” – Splashh from Comfort [CD or MP3 version] on Kanine Records

“Do You Know How It Feels?” – GRMLN from Empire [CD or MP3 version] on Carpark Records

“Falling” – Little Children from Falling EP [CD or MP3 version] on Declared Goods Records

“On The Road” – Houndmouth from From the Hills Below the City [CD or MP3 version] on Rough Trade

“Open Eye Signal” – Jon Hopkins from Immunity [CD or MP3 version] on Domino

Album Review: Camera Obscura’s ‘Desire Lines’

Posted on 06/07/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

by Devin William Daniels

Camera Obscura‘s new album, Desire Lines, is a dreamy and pristine offering, a reverse time capsule of pop music from a past that never existed. The high and heartbroken denizens of Rick Deckard‘s Los Angeles would probably find it nostalgic; in 2013, it’s just a blur. The record is covered in the musical equivalent of the new car smell. It’s undeniably new – the leather’s unworn, the windshield will never be more clear – yet also evokes the spirit of the ‘classic.’

Camera Obscura possesses a pop sensibility that clashes with the modern idea of pop. The songs are clean and appealing, lacking in the cynical devotion to familiarity that dominates the radio waves. Camera Obscura’s pop sound is not exactly old school, though. The melancholic, oneiric overtones and the trip-hop guitar lines do not neatly fit into past traditions and would unlikely top the pop charts. However, one could imagine a record like Desire Lines in regular rotation if the musical dominoes had fallen a little differently. It’s like the retro-can of Dr. Pepper made with real sugar and without Iron Man 3 promo labels – nostalgia in the form of a modern commodity – and that strange sense of temporality is the dominant experience of the album.

An attentive listener of the album may call it “boring,” and perhaps “great background music” – which are not the most flattering of epithets; and yet, so effective is its hypnotic atmosphere that whatever mundane activity occupies the listeners’ “foreground” becomes undeniably colored by the “background.”

Of course, some would argue that the point of a record is to supply great songs, and Desire Lines does not necessarily succeed in that regard. Individual tracks rarely come out and grab you, which separates it from the hook-and-hit focus of much of indie pop, for both good and bad. When there are songs that do stand out, it’s usually due to an incongruous break of the mood rather than a moment of pop transcendence. “Do It Again” – around the album’s midpoint – is the most guilty of this offense; but, it didn’t take long for the following song, the wonderfully arranged, “Cri du Ceour,” to bring me back under the spell.

In the final analysis, Desire Lines is high on atmosphere and low on substance. Upon inspection, the individual elements of the record are lacking in much positive content. Hooks are largely missing, and when they are, they’re quite weak. Tracyanne Campbell’s vocals are technically strong but end up sounding like buttered toast; you can get these vocals anywhere, and there’s little reason to make a special trip.

Campbell sacrifices individuality and affect for dreaminess, without capturing the unique haunting vocalizations of an artist like Victoria Legrand. Campbell’s voice is paired with well-arranged instruments that are at worst, precise, and at best, brilliant. But she never really makes the songs her own amongst all the technical wizardry of the production. We’re left with a well-executed, consistent dream pop album that never really breaks out into a run, but it’s a fairly enjoyable sleepwalk.

“Fifth In Line to the Throne” – Camera Obscrua from Desire Lines

Get CD or MP3 album download from Amazon in just a couple of clicks

Rating: 6.5 of 10

Devin William Daniels is a freelance writer and musician from Allentown, Pennsylvania. He teaches English in South Korea and records music as the Negative Sound

7 Overseas Bands You’ve Gotta Hear, Vol. IV – My Empire of Sound, Deaf Phonetics, The Wakeup Suzzys, E-MUTE, Opioids, Ka Tet

Posted on 06/05/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The fourth volume of 7 Overseas Bands You’ve Gotta Hear features profiles and songs from seven overseas bands that have captured our attention in recent months after submitting their latest album releases for review. Surely you will find at least one band, and hopefully more, from this special edition of bands you’ve gotta hear (but probably haven’t), whether it’s the electro-pop punk of Deaf Phonetics from Oslo or the Scandinavian duo My Empire of Sound or the edgy, yet lush melodies of London band E-MUTE. Maybe it will be the Israeli post punk band Opioids or The Wakeup Suzzys, perhaps the rock and roll punk cowboy music of Brazil’s TFDT from Brazil, or the Irish rock trio Ka Tet.

[zbplayer]

Deaf Phonetics – Oslo, Norway

Led by Fredrik Ihler, Nordic Records band Deaf Phonetics, formed in 2010, writes and performs electronica-injected pop with a punk attitude and surreal lyrics. The Olso, Norway-based band recently released their first debut DIY album, Amperkine, and have toured around Norway and Sweden “armed with a crazed punk drummer with a lap top, loud electric guitars and a girl singer who wants to be your best friend.” The band’s lead single, “Like A Clown,” has received national radio airtime in Norway and the band also performed live on Oslo television. They include among their top musical influences Team Me, Sex Pistols, The Beatles, At The Drive-In, Green Day, and Matt and Kim.

“Like A Clown” – Deaf Phonetics from Amperkine

“Halloween” – Deaf Phonetics from Amperkine

Deaf Phonetics on Facebook

My Empire of Sound – Sweden and Denmark

The Scandinavian electro-pop duo My Empire Of Sound recently released the single, “Autobahn Lullaby,” a dreamy, somewhat melancholic, song that tugs at the heart strings. The track is off the band’s long-awaited self-titled debut album, which has been well-received, especially in the UK and Europe (although the band is making inroads to the United States as well), following its official release in February. My Empire Of Sound consists of Swede John Alexander Ericson (Alberta Cross, The Northern Territories, Stjarna) and Sidsel Marie Søholm from Denmark. They include among their major musical influences Fever Ray, Leonard Cohen, Portishead, Pj Harvey, Depeche Mode, Lykke li, and Kraftwerk.

After they spread a couple of self-released songs on the web in 2011, the male-female duo created a buzz within the indie music blogosphere in 2011 after posting their debut single, “Early Morning (A New Beginning).” The track was the most popular new track on Indie Rock Cafe with over 10,000 streams and downloads, and it reached No. 2 in the Scandinavian Chart Base Top 100. Musicohm.com wrote: “Like a Swedish-Danish She & Him…the pair complement one another adroitly, ascending to join this year’s best and brightest as a result.” In addition to “Early Morning,” the band also recorded “For The Lovers You Left Behind” in Ericson’s studio apartment in Berlin in one sitting.

“Autobahn Lullaby” – My Empire of Sound from My Empire of Sound – Feb. 28th

“For The Lovers You Left Behind” – My Empire of Sound from My Empire of Sound

Bonus Track: “Midnight Warriors”– My Empire of Sound from My Empire of Sound

My Empire of Sound Official Website

The Wake Up Suzzys – Tel Aviv, Israel

From Tel Aviv, Israel, the DIY rock band The Wake Up Suzzys are basically unknown to indie lovers in the U.S. The Israeli band formed in the summer of 2012, and told IRC: “We love playing fast rock and roll influenced by old American movies, Fender guitar and big money; it’s all about fun, fun, fun. ” This is evident in the single that bares their namesake and on the second track, “Lady’s Man.” The band ‘s sound is incredibly upbeat, fast, and hook-heavy, almost like new wave meets punk pop. The tracks the band sent in for review from their self-titled, debut album released last year. The band released their self-titled, debut album on May 1st, that includes the song of their namesake, “Wake Up Suzzy.”

“Wake Up Suzzy” – The Wake Up Suzzys from The Wake Up Suzzys

“Lady’s Man”– The Wake Up Suzzys from The Wake Up Suzzys

Wake Up Suzzys Official Website

E-MUTE – London, England

London has always been a city that turns out various forms of music, the home of musicians of every type, and venues of every size. A DIY musical project, E-MUTE features musicians who have worked with artists such as Moby, The Drifters, Scott James (Stereophonics), Chaka Khan, Vanessa Mae, Pip Williams. In 2012, they united to create a new fresh sound under the banner of E-MUTE, which is actually the moniker of the band’s vocalist and piano player. The other members referenced include Tolis Zavallaris on guitar and vocals; Svetlana Vassileva on bass and Darren Ashford on drums.

The band’s sound – featuring lush melodies, dark edgy rock, electronica and philosophical lyrics – has been described as Franz Ferdinand meets Muse, and joins up with the Foo Fighters and Depeche Mode. Their debut EP, Too Proud To Say Loud, was produced by John Robertson and Jesper Mattsson (Skye, Thomas Dybdahl, Lene Marlin, Grace Jones). E-MUTE’s musical influences include the aforementioned bands, plus Radiohead, and The White Stripes

“Flying” – E-Mute from Too Proud To Say Loud

“Clock Moves Forward” – E-Mute from Too Proud To Say Loud

E-MUTE Official Website

Opioids – Jerusalem, Israeli

Opioids are an Israeli indie post-punk band formed in October 2007. They started out as a guitarless-trio, but in March of 2009, they recruited a guitarist and have been performing around Israel ever since. Their debut album, Temporary Phase, was released in July 2012, drawing inspiration from 80’s music that served as the soundtrack of their developing years, and other themes, such as night-time, cats, pollution, and lace. The Opioids musical influences include Christian Death, Joy Division, Sex Gang Children, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure and The Dresden Dolls.

“Flatcat” – Opioids from Temporary Phase

“Premortem” – Opioids from Temporary Phase

The Opioids on Facebook and Bandcamp

Ka Tet – Galway, Ireland

Ka Tet are a Galway, Ireland three-piece rock band whose sound focuses as much on three-part vocal harmonies as it does on crunchy guitar riffs, gripping rhythms and chunky bass undertones. The band have toured throughout Ireland extensively during the past couple of years, including well-received performances at festivals like Knockanstockan, Indiependance, Vantastival, Gateway and Helium. The trio has also performed at dozens and dozens of venues all across the isle. They have shared the bill with bands such as Feeder, Ash, Jape, Scroobius Pip, God is an Astronaut, Ham Sandwich, R.S.A.G and Director and cite their top musical influences as Pearl Jam, Biffy Clyro, and Them Crooked Vultures.

Late last year, Ka Tet signed with the small Irish independent record label, Ruby Music. They will release their debut album in August, from which they sent in two advanced singles for posting.

“Let My Lady” – Ka Tet from Arcadia – out August 1st

“Bob n’ Charlie” – Ka Tet from Arcadia

Ka Tet’s Official Website

TFDT – Sao Paulo, Brazil

The members of Sao Paulo band TFDT started out playing back in 2005 as a way to get free drinks and beer. We really don’t know much about them other than they love Johnny Cash, The Stooges, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and MC5. The band combines these influences to create what they call “rock and roll punk cowboy,” which also is the title of their latest EP. While TFDT started as a riotous live rock band, over time their sound matured to include the country influences that resulted in an interesting mix of ‘outlaw cowboy’ country rock and punk, as their self-identified labeling suggests. They’ve opened for bands like Eddie Spaghetti, Fabulous Bandits, and Canastra.

“Stuck” – TFDT from Rock and Roll Punk Cowboy EP

“II” – TFDT from Rock and Roll Punk Cowboy EP

TFDT on Facebook

Best New Music Releases, Week of May 28th – Animal Collective, King Tuff, Alex Bleeker and the Freaks, Paperhaus, Baths, Brazos

Posted on 06/03/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

We’re a bit late with the past week’s best new releases, but of course, it has to kick-off with Shabazz Palaces remix of Animal Collective‘s “New Town Burnout” from the Baltimore group’s new remix EP, Monkey Been to Burn Town. Too bad the album cover art is pretty awful. Even though it’s a reissue, one of the week’s one top singles is King Tuff‘s fun, upbeat and quirky single, “Dancing On You,” from the remastered, excellent album, Was Dead. Sticking with the zany theme, the interestingly named Alex Bleeker and The Freaks hit it on the track, “Don’t Look Down,” from How Far Away, followed by Paperhaus‘ self released Lo Hi Lo LP’s single, “Helicopters.” The goodness keeps going with singles from new releases (and one reissue) by Baths, Brazos, Hooded Fang, Damien Jurado, Kermit Ruffins, CocoRosie and Feathers, the latter two are both DIY releases. In case you missed them, definitely check out the Artist of the Week: Nick Jaina, Overseas Band to Watch Deco Pilot, the fifth installment of Bands That Rock!, plus, Best New Releases playlist for the week of May 21st.

“New Town Burnout” (Shabazz Palaces Remix) – Animal Collective from Monkey Been to Burn Town EP on Domino

“Dancing On You” – King Tuff from Was Dead (reissue) on BurgerRecords

“Don’t Look Down” – Alex Bleeker and the Freaks from How Far Away on Woodsist Records

“Helicopters” – Paperhaus from Lo Hi Lo (self-released)

“Ironworks” – Baths from Obsidian on Anticon

“How The Ranks Was Won” – Brazos from Saltwater on Dead Oceans

“Ode to Subterrania” – Hooded Fang from Gravez on Full Time Hobby

“Omaha” – Damien Jurado from Where Shall You Take Me (10th Anniversary Deluxe LP) on Secretly Canadian

“I Got A Treme Woman” – Kermit Ruffins from We Partyin’ Traditional Style! on Basin Street Records

“Gravediggress” – CocoRosie from Tales of a GrassWidow (self-release)

“Soft” – Feathers from If All Here Now (self-released)

Artist of the Week: Portland Singer/Songwriter Nick Jaina

Posted on 06/01/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Every once and a while we come across an exceptional artist who has been around for a some time, but who turns out to be what we commonly call “new to us.” Sometimes it’s surprising, even baffling – as in: “how is it possible that we haven’t heard of this artist before?” When an artist falls into our “new to us” category, it’s almost always a good thing. In some cases, it’s a really good thing.

But then another reality sets in: there are plenty of great indie, alternative, DIY, and under-the-radar artists and bands that have been around for a long time (or not as long) that we still haven’t heard yet. It’s impossible to follow everything, especially when you’re talking about the world of indie and alternative music. Time and time again, the evidence proves that the music industry, together with the mainstream culture and media, misses a lot of amazing music.

Such is the case with this week’s Artist of the Week. Portland musician Nick Jaina should be a more familiar name to indie music lovers than he currently is. While he has gained a lot of mileage from the fact that he has opened for bands like The Decemberists, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, Jaina is still not a “household” name among indie music lovers as much as he should be. Jaina’s array of talents run the gamut from his beautiful songwriting and impressive instrumentation to his warm vocals and prolific body of work. He possesses all of the abilities and characteristics of a truly gifted musician.

With a penchant for melodies and an intricate song craft, Jaina’s musical core springs from his primary niche – indie folk art. On May 7th, he released his newest album, Primary Perception via Fluff and Gravy Records. The LP includes the terrific standout tracks, “Don’t Come to Me” and “These Fair Hands.”

“Don’t Come To Me” – Nick Jaina from Primary Perception

“These Fair Hands” – Nick Jaina from Primary Perception

With a need to hear more of his discography, we went back through Jaina’s Bandcamp page, and ended up listening to his 2011 album, A Bird In The Opera House, three times from start to finish. While his newest album is a bit more pop and rock oriented, A Bird In The Opera House is slanted considerably towards the folk art sound, where Jaina seems most comfortable, and where he clearly shines. In fact, going back even more and listening to his older releases, we can see why he was chosen by The Decemberists as an opening act. While comparisons to The Decemberists would be misguided, Jaina’s musical compositions and his story-telling artistry are very much influenced by, and in alignment with, the Pacific Northwest folk art tradition.

In addition to being featured in Northwest publications like KEXP, The Portland Mercury and Willamette Week, Jaina has also been profiled in national pubs like Spin and Impose, and even NPR. His career is about as varied as one artist’s can be – from writing ballet music in Brooklyn to composing film soundtracks in Los Angeles to developing theatrical scores in New Orleans.

It was hard to pick only a few of songs from A Bird In The Opera House since we like them all. That’s always the true test of an album masterpiece – when you struggle to pick out the standout tracks among a stack of standout tracks. That said, we’ve included the opening track, the dreamy reflecting of “Sebastopol,” with it orchestral backdrop, followed by the melancholic beauty of “Days In My Room,” to the joyous, hook-filled sentiments of “Semoline.” You can also stream or buy the album via Bandcamp – perhaps you’ll have your own favorites among a stellar collection of songs.

“Sebastopol” – Nick Jaina from A Bird In The Opera House

“Days In My Room” – Nick Jaina from A Bird In The Opera House

“Semoline” – Nick Jaina from A Bird In The Opera House

A number of terrific singer/songwriters come to mind while listening to Jaina’s discography, including Andrew Bird, Mark Kozemel, Chris Martin, Sam Amidon, Matt Pond PA, Leonard Cohen, and Matthew Dear. Therefore, if you are an admirer of one or more of those artists, chances are Jaina will strike a chord with you, and his splendid compositions together with his touching vocals will likely stay with you.

If you download (worth every dollar) and listen to both albums – A Bird In The Opera House and his latest, Primary Perception, and spin them a number of times, you’ll probably come to the same conclusion as we have – that is, Jaina is an under-appreciated songwriter, musician and vocalist compared to the extensiveness and breadth of his talent. He’s simply a genius.

In a way, it’s good that his name is not more recognizable – in fact, it can be our little secret, since, as some of you know, we regularly post talented under-the-radar and DIY musicians and bands that get little to no coverage online. While highlighting relatively unknown artists has become our niche and identity within the indie music blogosphere (and we couldn’t be more thrilled about that), it’s really artists like Jaina that make that possible. And that’s what we’ll keep doing because there are far too many incredible artists and bands that are simply not covered adequately on the web.

Nick Jaina’s Official Website and Facebook page.

Artist of the Week – Deco Pilot

Posted on 05/29/201307/22/2021 by Max Hammer

Inspired by the late 2000’s synth-pop revival, and influenced by bands such as The Killers, The Bravery, Zoe and U2, London indie band, Deco Pilot, have been building a buzz throughout the U.K. since the February release of their debut EP, This City, a record that prompted Bandcamp editors to name the band as one of “best new upcoming bands of 2013.”

Deco Pilot formed in 2010 when a group of young and musically-inclined friends decided to join forces to write and record a number of upbeat, melodic songs that expressed a shared love for atmospheric pop, classic rock and catchy rhythms with a synth-infused glisten, all wrapped around poignant lyrics about life in the big city, soul-searching and young men’s dreams of meeting the ever-elusive “girl with the diamond heart,” a reference to their song, “Diamond Heart.”

Following a year of rehearsals in a make-shift studio/flat in London, the band had enough material to record and release This City. The debut EP features four thrilling tracks marked by stylish guitar riffs and creative hooks, inspiring synth arrangements, thumping bass lines, big, driving beats and crashing cymbals, rounded out by soaring vocals and choruses, that are evident on their crowd-pleasing eponymous single, “You Know What I’m Looking For.” The single kicked off the band’s rising status among London’s large and influential indie rock scene.

Deco Pilot originally formed in Liverpool at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), a school generously funded by Beatles’ legend Paul McCartney. It was at LIPA where Mexican-born brothers, Jose Lopez Portillo (vocals) and Juan Lopez Portillo (guitar), met fellow Mexican-born keyboardist Giancarlo Bonfanti. The trio hit it off famously and were soon recording their own songs. Not long after their convergence, Swedish bassist John Franklin, who was studying music in London, joined the band. Only weeks after jamming together and channeling their energies to formulate their distinct sound, the band members, all in their early twenties, officially formed Deco Pilot.

“You Know What I’m Looking For” – Deco Pilot from This City

Late in 2011, the internationally staffed band set out on a tour across Mexico, and soon after, played a number of well-received gigs in Paris. In the springtime of 2012, having refined their sound by leaps and bounds and adapted to the important lessons of live performance, Deco Pilot were being invited to play alongside bands like The Milk and The Futureheads at the Brownstock Music Festival in Essex, and at Bath’s International Music Festival‘s Party in the City, respectively.

Deco Pilot – You Know What I’m Looking For from DecoPilot

Earlier this year, the band’s growing popularity opened the doors to collaboration with director Steve Glashier (who has previously worked with Juliette Lewis and Fatboy Slim) on the making of a music video for Deco Pilot’s signature song, “You Know What I’m Looking For”.

In an interview, the band members told IRC that they’re working on new tracks for their debut LP, which they plan to release later this year, or early in 2014. In fact, the band tested out some of the new songs, which are not completed, for excited crowds that came out to see them in London earlier this month at venues like The Rattlesnake and The Ginglik.

“This City” – Deco Pilot from This City

“I believe the audience really can feel that we enjoy ourselves on stage and it helps build a nice connection,” Franklin said, continuing: “A new fan in the audience at The Rattlesnake told us: ‘You’re the best new band I have seen in ages.'” Vocalist Portillo said: “we’re arranging to visit other cities in the U.K. for summer and we’re planning in going back to Paris in October,” with Bonfonti adding: “we want to tour Europe and start building a fan base in other countries.”

For a multicultural, talented new indie band with a captivating sound, a hot new EP and single, popular music videos and an expanding base of fans inside, and outside, of the U.K., the future looks promising for Deco Pilot.

5 Bands That Rock, Vol. VII – Tsar, Dreamers, Eight Feet Deep, The Bitter Roots, and The New Self-Defense

Posted on 05/28/201310/16/2021 by Kat Nip Carver

The Bands That Rock playlist and profile series reviews rock bands, often DIY or under-the-radar, whose talents should not go unnoticed. Most of the bands in this series – as with many other of our playlist series – sent their music in for review. In fact, we receive close to, or more than, a hundred submissions a month.

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In the past, the Bands that Rock series has been popular with IRC readers, and this marks the seventh installment of this particular series, highlighting bands like Tsar, Dreamers, Eight Feet Deep, The Bitter Roots and The New Self Defense.

Tsar – Los Angeles

Los Angeles rock, punk and glam band Tsar have been a fixture of LA’s underground rock scene for 15 years. Last fall the band dropped a new EP last fall titled The Dark Stuff, featuring the two blistering tracks below. Over all the years – and 15 years is a long time for a band – Tsar’s line-up has remained intact from the beginning, featuring Jeff Whalen (vocals, guitar), Dan Kern (guitar, vocals), Jeff Solomon (bass), and Steve Coulter (drums).

From the moment they broke out on the LA scene in 1998, they were quickly signed to Aderra Records. We were not unaware of Tsar; in fact, years ago we saw them play in LA and we were rocked to the core by their blazing, guttural sound. Over time, like so many bands, we had lost track of them. So, it was a pleasant surprise to see the band pop up on our radar again with a couple of fresh tracks they had sent in to for review. The Dark Stuff EP is the band’s first release of new material in seven years.

The lead single, “Police Station,” comes blazing out of the gates from start with lively kinetic energy of blazing guitar riffs and bombastic drumming. Over the years, Tsar have shared the stage with bands like Jet, The Walkmen, Marvelous 3, Eve 6, New York Dolls, Duran Duran, and Social Distortion. Their major musical influences include T. Rex, The Pooh Sticks, MGMT, The Replacements, The Hives, David Bowie, The Stooges, and the New York Dolls.

Dreamers – Warwick, Rhode Island

Highly regarded for their firey and energetic live shows throughout New England and the New York metro area, Rhode Island DIY powerhouse rockers Dreamers have been on repeated rotation in our DIY bands playlist (that includes hundreds of unsigned bands) for a few months, and are a perfect fit for IRC’s Bands That Rock series. Lead singer and guitarist Christian Shields has quite a range to his voice, as demonstrated in the screaming rocker, “Way It Feels,” an edgy screecher and tribute to a 350 Chevy, packed with blistering, yet melodic hooks, crunchy power chords, head-banging beats, and rapid-fire bass playing. The second track the band submitted, “Live For Today,” is a hard rock ballad, and perhaps the most standout – and radio-ready – track on Dreamers’ debut LP, Turn It Up.

Dreamers has been mixing metal, pop and rock since their humble beginnings in 2010, and have become a local favorite throughout Rhode Island pretty much from the get-go; they’ve even garnered praise in blogs, newspapers and magazines throughout the New York metropolitan area. The band was started by brothers, Christian and Nathan Shields, who were both former members of Last One Standing. They’ve also shared the stage with artists like All That Remains, Burn Halo, Candlebox, Firewind, Hawthorne Heights, Hollywood Undead, Lynch Mob, Saliva and Saving Abel. Not surprisingly, Dreamers, which isn’t exactly a name that matches their hard rock sound, count among their top musical influences bands such as Kiss, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Senses Fail, Ratt, and Cinderella.

“Way it Feels” – Dreamers from Turn It Up

“Live For Today” – Dreamers from Turn It Up

Check out Dreamers’ Official Website or the band’s Facebook page.

Eight Feet Deep – Sayville, New York

Formed in 2010, Eight Feet Deep is a DIY progressive rock project of musician, songwriter and singer Billy ‘Pills’ Fridrich from Sayville, New York. Last year, he released EFD’s self-titled debut EP, even though we only learned about it recently when Fridrich sent us in a couple of singles from the EP to listen to.

In addition to songwriting and singing (with backup vocals from Mike DiMeo), Fridrich also plays all of the instruments (except for programmed drum beats), including guitars and bass. Fridrich is well-known in the Long Island music scene as a rocker with a melodic voice and keen songwriting abilities for his work as the frontman for bands like Celestial and Heavysurf. He also has another musical side project – No Excuses – performing 90’s cover songs.

Fridrich’s musical influences include Led Zeppelin, King’s X, Sevendust, Alter Bridge, and Pink Floyd. It is apparent in the songs he sent in that Fridrich also draws inspiration from classic late 80’s and early 90’s rock bands like Soundgarden, Candlebox, White Lion and Van Halen. If you’re interested in hearing other songs from the EP, you can do so on Spotify.

Eight Feet Deep’s Official Website

The Bitter Roots – Seattle, Washington

Seattle rock duo The Bitter Roots, formed in 2007, recently released a new album, Chiaroscuro that pays tribute to their musical heroes, and influences, including, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Carlos Santana, Bob Marley, Jane’s Addiction, U2, The Smiths, and The Cure, among others. The duo features Jeff Stetson and Ben Koostra. Their music has been heard on 50 radio stations from coast to coast and throughout Canada, Austrailia and The Netherlands. The duo only record live to analog tape, and make a point of stating that they do not use Auto Tune, Click Track, samples, programmed drum beats or employ other “short cuts” of modern recording. Combining elements of soul and rock, the duo focus on tight rhythms, driving beats and vocal harmonies. Stetson is the former lead singer of manSaveman, a fairly well-known Seattle band that were active in the early to mid 2000s. Stetson also played in the band Chiseler and Into the March. Koostra is a multi-instrumentalist and was the original drummer for the bands Ein Heit and Silkworm.

“For King and Country” – The Bitter Roots from Chiaroscuro

“Family Ties” – The Bitter Roots from Chiaroscuro

The Bitter Roots Official Website

The New Self Defense – New York, New York

It took us a few spins of the album, Meet Me Overboard, before we warmed up to New York post-hardcore, alternative rock band The New Self Defense. The band, originally formed in 2003, have been working for a decade on producing songs with blazing rock chords, heavy bass lines, and energetic drumming. The band formed out of the breakup of the New Jersey-based band Prevent Falls, and have opened for artists like Hey Mercedes, Shades Apart, New Beard, Vs. Antelope, and Damn This Desert Air. The NSD has written and collaborated with artists like Tim Brennan (Dropkick Murphys), Brian Carley (Penfold) and Alf Bartone (Damn This Desert Air, The Fire Still Burns and Ex Number Five).

They cite musical influences as Helmet, The Police, Quicksand, Peter Gabriel, Refused, and Glassjaw. The band’s music has been described before as “Quicksand/Helmet meets The Police on meth.” The band’s lead singer and guitarist, Jeff Carter, said: “Indie rock is the relentless and eternal battle against what MTV did to commercialize and otherwise gut the rock music scene.” So true.

“Loose Noose” – The New Self Defense from Meet Me Overboard

“The Dragon” – The New Self Defense from Meet Me Overboard

The Self Defense Official Website

Best New Music Releases, Week of May 21st – Daft Punk, The National, Dirty Beaches, Man or Astro-Man, Attic Lights

Posted on 05/25/201312/18/2019 by Max Hammer

This week, the long-awaited – eight years as a matter of fact – new album, Random Access Memories, from the most famous helmeted musical group on this planet, Daft Punk, saw its official release, and fans from around the world are celebrating its electro-dance pop mastery. In fact, at the time of this posting, Random Access Memories‘ CD version is the No. 1 album on the Amazon CDs chart, and No. 3 for the MP3 version. If you you don’t have a copy of this album, it’s a must-have for your 2013 music collection.

Following right behind, the MP3 version of The National’s new album, Trouble Will Find Me, is No. 2 right now on the Amazon MP3 Albums charts, while the CD version is No. 2 on the CD Album chart, while last week’s No. 1 CD album, Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City is holding it’s own right behind The National at No. 3.

The latest releases from Daft Punk and The National are easily the top two albums out this week, but there are also plenty of terrific singles from a dozen other new albums by Dirty Beaches, Man or Astro-Man, Radiation City, Club 8, The Baptist Generals, Jesse Ruins, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Shannon and the Clams, Majical Cloudz, Attic Lights and the remastered release of The Talking Heads‘ classic 1980’s LP, Speaking in Tongues, while the new MP3 version includes bonus tracks, making it a no brainer purchase for die-hard Talking Heads’ fans. You can read more at the end of this post about the BNMR’s playlist.

“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams from Random Access Memories (CD) from on Daft Life/Columbia

“Sea Of Love” – The National from Trouble Will Find Me (CD) on 4AD

“Love Is The Devil” – Dirty Beaches from Drifters/Love Is the Devil on Zoo

“Defcon 5” – Man or Astro-Man from Defcon 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 on Communicating Vessels/Chunklet

“Dog That Bit You” – The Baptist Generals from Jackleg Devotional to the Heart on Sub Pop

“Laura Is Fading” – Jesse Ruins from A Film on Lefse Records

“Say You Love Me” – Attic Lights from Super De Luxe on Elefant

“Childhood’s End” – Majical Cloudz from Impersonator on Matador Records

“Hollow” – Linda Draper from Edgewise (self-released)

“Zombies” – Radiation City from Animals In The Median on Tender Loving Empire

“Rouse Yourself” – JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound from Howl on Bloodshot Records

“Into A Dream” – Shannon and the Clams from Dreams in the Rat on Hardly Art

“Stop Taking My Time” – Club 8 from Above The City on Labrador Records

The Uses of the Built-in Yahoo Player

The other singles from this week’s top new releases are available for streaming with the built-in player; support your favorite artists and bands by clicking on the album link to quickly and easily make a purchase via Amazon, which offers the best deals of all online music stores. By default, all album links are for the MP3 version of the album, and often, there is a separate link to click to purchase the CD version. Like all the Best New Music Releases playlists on IRC, we like to include a diversity of tracks from the week’s top releases, and where, noted also include DIY releases; however, the majority of DIY releases are usually posted in other playlists besides the weekly BNMR playlists. The great thing about the built-in Yahoo media player is that you can just click the first track and it will automatically play through all the singles, but you still have the ability to go back, pause, go forward, or simply click the play button beside only the singles you want to listen to.

No better way to end this week’s playlist of singles then with a remastered version of The Talking Head’s classic track, “Burning Down The House.”

“Burning Down The House” – Talking Heads from Speaking In Tongues(CD) on Sire Records