Among this week’s best new releases is the new Cut Copy album, Zonoscope. Right around Thanksgiving time of last year, Cut Copy released the first single from the new LP, “Take Me Over.”
The song was a huge hit with IRC readers and visitors, taking the No. 1 spot on the Top Ten Songs page for that week, and continuing to be one of the most popular songs on IRC for weeks afterwards.
So, it’s probably no surprise that Zonoscope is the featured pick of the week. And it’s no surprise that the album is also No. 1 on Amazon as we write this. Listen for yourself with a full album stream via Spinner or grab your MP3 album download with the album title link below.
“Take Me Over” – Cut Copy from Zonoscope – (#1 on Amazon – get it for only $5.99 – limited time offer)
Bonus Track: “Take Me Over” (Loving Hand Remix by Tim_Goldsworthy) – Cut Copy
We’re really excited by Akron/Family‘s new LP, the oddly titled, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT. So far, we’ve heard enough of Shinju to suggest that it might be already a 2011 best album. The lead track, “Silly Beans” is a wildly upbeat and romping pop song injected with waves of synth-oozing keys and punctured by blistering ’70s prog rock guitar jams. Play and repeat.
“Silly Beans” – Akron/Family from S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT (with Digital booklet)
So, we’re a little late to, and not fully on, the James Blake happy train of bloggers, media and fans who have been praising the British dubstep producer and musician’s debut, self-titled LP. His music is OK, but not comparable to the hype. That said, we know of so many other artists that are equally, or more, talented and yet get very little notice. One is ironically a near namesake. We’re talking about the music of Blake Mills. His 2010 album was picked as the best album of the year on the blog, Everybody Taste.
James Blake by JamesBlake
For us, Cut Copy, Akron/Family, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) are the big releases for the week of February 8th, followed by impressive singles, EPs and LPs from indie bands who are not as popular as those two big acts, but who are definitely worth listening to, including Lull Water, Young Galaxy, Over The Rhine, OK Campfire, Creeping Weeds, The District Attorneys, La Resistance.
“Weight of The Sun” – …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead from Tao Of The Dead
“One More Time” – Lull Water from Silhouette
“Peripheral Visionaries” – Young Galaxy from Shapeshifting
J Mascis – Not Enough
“Outsiders” – Creeping Weeds from See Through (self-released)
“Understanding” – La Resistance from Philosophy
“Splitsville” – The District Attorneys from Orders From… (self-released via MOKB
“Strange Like We Are” – OK Campfire from Strange Like We Are
“The King Knows How” – Over the Rhine from The Long Surrender
“Careful What You Say” – Class Actress from Journal of Ardency EP
“Point Break II” – U.S.F. from Jamaica Plain
“They Wake” – Virgin of the Birds from Fugitive Works EP
“Blue” – Salva from Complex Housing
“Drifter” – Religious to Damn from Glass
Other Singles from New Releases
“When You Knew Me When”– Emily Arin from Patch of Land (self-released)
“Headlands” – The Union Trade from Why We Need Night EP
“Ignition Slated for Eight” –The Asteroid No. 4 from Hail To The Clear Figurines
“Run Me Over” – The Babies from The Babies
“Tryin’ to Have a Good Time”– The O’s from Between The Two
“Motion Pictures” – Jon McKiel from Confidence Lodge