2012 Best New Releases – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Best New Releases, Week of July 17, Vol. II – Conveyor, Cosmo Jarvis, Matisyahu, The History of Panic, Icky Blossoms, John Maus

Posted on 07/23/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

This is volume two of the lead singles from this past week’s Best New Music Releases. The first volume of fresh MP3 singles features a double-shot from Jeff The Brotherhood’s new album, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, plus The Very Best, Shout Out Out Out Out (yes, annoying), Frank Ocean (not really indie, but good stuff), The Drowning Men, among others.

conveyorband — Conveyor's first, self-titled album is one of the summer's best debut albums

Band To Watch Conveyor Release Debut; Offer Up Two Singles

Brooklyn indie rock/psychedelic pop quartet Conveyor deliver a mixture of avant-pop and Afro-pop to electronica and acoustic folk, creating textured melodies and rhythm shifts with synthesizers and guitar strings on their self-titled debut release. The first single, “Mukraker,” is a dreamy, lazy summer afternoon ‘chillwave’ song that features moments of levity with soaring harmonies, smooth melodies, calming synths, hand claps and even a horn section to boot. One thing is clear about Conveyor – they have a flare, and a talent, for incorporating all kinds of musical styles that that make their songs enjoyable, playful and memorable. The self-titled debut is full of such songs, and there is a good potential that Conveyor will be among IRC’s Best Debuts of the year, which will be dtermnd

As Deli Magazine put it: “Animal Collective comparisons aren’t a stretch, but their Fleet Foxes-like harmonies arch into what a mad scientist’s symphony would sound like his in his own head.” Not only is the new record one of the best debuts of 2012, but the band are easily on our Bands to Watch list. If you don’t already follow IRC on Twitter and Facebook, where we regularly post music, news, playlists – some of which are not posted on the site – you should. Right now there is a very easy-to-enter contest running to win a free high quality, studio master MP3 zip of Conveyor’s debut album.

“Mukraker” – Conveyor from Conveyor

Double-shot: “Woolgatherer” – Conveyor from Conveyor

Cosmo Jarvis and Matisyahu Release Different Singles with Same Title

Perhaps the anti-thesis of a typical summer song, Cosmo Jarvis’ new single, “Sunshine.” In his song “Sunshine,” Jarvis proclaims something that is rarely heard: “I’m so sick of the sunshine, maybe because it burns my skin.” As a resident of Tampa, perhaps that make some sense, but the area has had its share of clouds and storms this summer.

There is also another song this week titled “Sunshine” from the long-running, international collective, Matisyahu. The song is the lead single from the band’s new LP, Spark Seeker. Of the two same-named singles out this week, this one is a perfectly appropriate song to play hanging out on the beach having a party, or barbecuing in the backyard. “Sunshine” marvelously integrates hip-hop, reggae and world music into one groove. It’s a good thing there are bands like Matisyahu – they keep music fresh and interesting.

“Sunshine” – Cosmo Jarvis from Think Bigger on 25th Frame/ The End Records

“Sunshine” – Matisyahu from Spark Seeker on Fallen Sparks Records
via ThisBonusTrack.com

Finally, review lead singles from new albums by Detroit band The History of Panic; Omaha trio Icky Blossoms; singer/songwriter John Maus; Virginia fiddlers Old Crow Medicine Show, plus Jen Schande and The Stowaways.

“The Chase” – The History of Panic from Fight! Fight! Fight! on Le Grand Magistery

“Perfect Vision” – Icky Blossoms from Perfect Vision on Saddle Creek

“Bennington” – John Maus from A Collection of Rarities and Previously Unreleased Material on Ribbon Music

“Mississippi Saturday Night” – Old Crow Medicine Show from Carry Me Back on ATO Records

“I Really Like Sonic Youth and I Really Want to Have Sex with You” – Jen Schande from 19: Songs for and Inspired by Valencia Chapter 19 (self-released)

“Changing Times” – The Stowaways from Changing Times (self-released)

In Volume One of the Best New Music Releases, Week of July 17, Jeff The Brotherhood’s new album was our pick for Album of the Week, and two singles were posted. For good measure, here is a third via SoundCloud. The track is called “Leave Me Out.”
JEFF the Brotherhood – Leave Me Out by JEFF The Brotherhood

Best New Music Releases – Jeff The Brotherhood, Shout Outs4, The Very Best, Frank Ocean, The Drowning Men, Mum, The Blank Tapes

Posted on 07/22/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The Album of the Week goes to Jeff The Brotherhood‘s Hypnotic Nights, the band’s seventh studio album. This is the band’s second album (the first was last fall’s We Are The Champions) with Warner Brothers, who they signed with in 2011 , while retaining their long-relationship with Infinity Cat Recordings. The deal with Warner has been pitched by their PR people as a way to give the band a wider distribution while JTB is assured “substantial creative control.” What exactly that means is unknown, but “substantial” is less than “total” or “full.” Some die-hard fans have accused the band of selling out by signing with a major label. Whether it’s a good move for the band over the long term remains to be seen. For example, the new album has received good reviews from a variety of popular mainstream music outlets and blogs, but not raving reviews.

The All Music Guide remarked: “if [Hypnotic Nights] isn’t able to kick off your summer, nothing will” while Rolling Stone wrote: “it’s got a good-natured sense of slacker irony.” The album was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, and it’s possible to hear Auerbach’s influence for anyone who is a Black Keys’ fan. Hypnotic Nights has a number of memorable tracks, including the unmistakable summer kicker, “Sixpack,” the first lead single release from the album. It would have been an even better track if the band had extended it a little longer to include a mid-song, all-out jam. And this is probably one element wherein the Warner influence prevailed because they’re aiming for a wider audience now, where songs tend to be produced to be more “radio-friendly.”

“Sixpack” – Jeff The Brotherhood from Hypnotic Nights on Infinity Cat Recordings/Warner

Soundcloud: “Mystic Portal II” – Jeff The Brotherhood from Hypnotic Knights on Infinity Cat Recordings/Warner

Note: Look for more tracks from the past week’s new releases in Vol. II, coming up in just about an hour from now.

New Singles and Albums from The Drowning Men, Shout Outs4, The Very Best, Frank Ocean and More

This mini-block playlist-within-a-playlist kicks off with the new single from The Drowning Men, “Lost In A Lullaby,” a catchy, flourishing summer-soundtrack type of song that reminds us of Arcade Fire, but which is also unique enough that it’s not some half-assed rip-off of AF’s signature sound – driving, almost frenzied rhythms, larger-than-life choruses, and the inclusion of woods and strings along with the cornerstone elements of pop rock – guitar, drums and bass. Chances are if you dig this track, you’ll want to get your hands on the band’s new album, All The Unknown.

“Lost In A Lullaby” – The Drowning Men from All The Unknown on Borstal Beat Records

Shout Out Out Out Out dropped a new album this week featuring the single, (really, four ‘Outs’? Maybe just ‘Shout Outs?’), Never The Same Way Twice,” which is a decent song. But the band name is awkward and annoying for people to speak or type it – and completely unnecessary. The name doesn’t resinate, especially when you consider there is a fairly popular indie band by the name of the Shout Out Louds. Sometimes it seems as if bands don’t understand how important it is to pick a good band name, and why it’s not a good thing to pick a name that is difficult to say or write, and to Google. Then there is the whole thing about “is it three Outs, or four or five?” It’s not hard to see why “keep it simple stupid” is a good motto to go with; if you look at many successful bands, their names are rather simple.

“Never the Same Way Twice” – Shout Out Out Out Out from Spanish Moss and Total Loss on Normals Welcome Records

Frank Ocean's new album, Channel Orange, is No. 2 on Amazon - MP3 album only $2.99 by clicking the album cover

Alright, now that that (SOOOO’s name) is Out in the open, the next single, “Pyramids,” from Frank Ocean, who is not necessarily an ‘indie’ artist, is deserving of mention because his newest album, Orange, is an impressive collection of songs, featuring more of his top-notch R&B mixed with a range of other genres. By now, most everyone has heard that Ocean recently revealed that he had a happy, loving gay relationship with another man while he was in his late teens. One thing is for sure – that takes a lot of guts on a number of levels. We think it also makes him and his music more authentic and from the heart. For a limited time, get the MP3 version of Channel Ocean for only $2.99 via this Amazon link.

“Pyramids” – Frank Ocean from Channel Orange on Island Def Jam

“Yoshua Alikuti” – The Very Best from MTMTMK on Moshi Moshi

“Take My Bones Away” – Baroness from Yellow & Green, on Relapse Records

The Dust Engineers, The Black Swans, Mum, and The Blank Tapes

The Dust Engineers unearth some find alternative country rock on “Snot Nosed Dweeb” (titled reminds us of a Sonic Youth track), the lead single from their new EP, Bail via No Horse Town Records. Plus, listen to new singles from fresh drops by experimental Icelandic band Mum and L.A. garage rockers The Blank Tapes; and to close out part one of releases for the week of July 17th (wow, summer, you are flying fast), two Soundcloud singles from Monterrey, Mexico band Kinky; and, Columbus, Ohio folk band, The Black Swans. The song is also a candidate for the next edition of the State of Music playlist series (picking up, in a way, where Sufjan left off).

“Snot Nosed Dweeb” – The Dust Engineers from Bail EP on No Horse Town

“0,000Orð” – Múm from Early Birds on Morr Music

“I’m Back” – The Blank Tapes from I’m Back 7″ on on 20-Sided Records

“Negro Dia (feat. Mala Rodriguez)” – Kinky from Sueño De La Maquina on Nacional Records

“Portsmouth, Ohio” – The Black Swans from Occasion For Song on Misra Records

Best New Music Releases, Week of July 10th – Dirty Projectors, Twin Shadow, Mission of Burma, Videoing, Deleted Scenes

Posted on 07/14/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

After a thin week for new albums during the July 4th holiday, things got back to normal last week with a hefty new batch of fresh releases from Dirty Projectors, Twin Shadow, Deleted Scenes, Digitalism, Summer Camp, Husky, Communist Daughter and more. Plus, after three decades, the post-punk/alt rock band Mission of Burma sound better than ever on their new, widely-acclaimed release, UnSound.

There are also a few impressive debut albums dropped last week, from bands to watch, Videoing and Western Affairs, as well as Holograms, Debo Band and Deep Time. Western Affairs are also a DIY band, as are The Young Evils, who’ve made a name for themselves in and around Seattle, including opening gigs for the Vaselines and Pearl Jam.

The Dirty Projectors‘ sixth studio album, Swing Lo Magellan, was a year in the making, and features the band’s most melodic and intricate album to date, packed with strange textures, rapid transitions, and soaring harmonies. The press and fans have hailed the album, some calling it DP’s best work to date. In fact, The Los Angeles Times wrote: “Dirty Projectors still get itchy at the prospect of sleek surfaces, and their uneasiness is a thrill to behold.” For anyone who liked the band’s first album, Swing Lo Magellan is a must-have, and for a limited time the MP3 version is only $3.99 via Amazon. All this week’s releases are also available, when applicable, via CD and vinyl. A complete list for this past week’s releases is included at the end of this post.

“Gun Has No Trigger” – Dirty Projectors from Swing Lo Magellan on Domino
via TheWheelisStillinSpin.com

Twin Shadow Follows Up Debut With Another Terrific Album of ’80s Nostalgia

Twin Shadow also dropped a new album, Confess, featuring George Lewis Jr.‘s upbeat, 80’s sounding jams and touching ballads. Twin Shadow’s second LP, the follow-up to his hugely popular 2010 indie debut, Forget, is being hailed by much of the music press and blogs as another home run. Drowned in Sound called it “wholly brilliant”; Pitchfork noted: “[it] is defined by its melodic and emotional immediacy” and Slant Magazine boasted: “…an altogether superior effort, and one of the few modern indie releases that handles its 80s reverence with dexterity.” Click the album title below to get Confess for only $3.99 via Amazon.

“Five Seconds” – Twin Shadow from Confess on 4AD

Band to Watch, Austin’s Gritty Videoing, Drops Debut

The new Austin music project, Videoing, blends hi-tech industrial with lo-fi cogs, gears, and whistles, to produce a sound that is dark and driving, gritty and grinding. “Night Watch” is all of those things and one of the best singles released this month. The haunting, grimy grit of “Night Watch” lightens a bit with a pronounced uptempo beat, a melodic synth jam infusion, as well as a shifting and disorienting aspect that demonstrates the band’s impressive songwriting and recording skills.

Videoing’s debut album, Reader LP, pricks the ears of unsuspecting listeners, and the audiophile community at large. The band sent three tracks to post; two are posted below as a double-shot; the third, “Crimson Waves” will be Monday’s Song of the Day. Plus, they’re on our Band to Watch list.

“Night Watch” – Videoing from Reader LP on Slack Electric

Double-shot: “Driver’s River” – Videoing from Reader LP

Deleted Scenes: Another Band to Watch This Week On Heels of New LP

The dream pop fuzziness of Deleted Scenes’ single, “Bedbedbedbed,” conjures up a sense of floating, and a great track for a ‘chill out’ playlist. The relaxing, hazy atmosphere of the band’s sound is only part of their appeal. The album, Young People’s Church of Air, is so impressive among

“Bedbedbedbedbed” – Deleted Scenes from Young People’s Church of Air on Park The Van

Double-shot: “English As A Second Language” – Deleted Scenes from Young People’s Church of Air on Park The Van

Mission of Burma Sound Better Than Ever on New LP

The legendary post-punk, alt. rock band, Mission of Burma, jump back into the fray with their fourth album since their reunion in 2006. What makes their newest album so alluring to long-time MoB fans is that their sound hasn’t changed much at all, yet as the All Music Guide wrote: “…their musical wanderlust has resulted in one of the most exciting and eye-opening albums they’ve made to date.”

On Unsound, MoB engineer distorted, brash compositions as they did 30 years ago, splicing together wrenching, yet appealing, vocal harmonies within a cacophony of raw guitar progressions and staggered tape loops that the NME called “thrilling clatter, which shames bands half their age.” Reviews have been mostly positive from the mainstream press and the blogosphere, and sure to satisfy fans, both new and old. To that end, the band sent in two tracks – our third double-shot of the week – “Second Television” and “Dust Devil,” which are as ragged and rough as ever, or as Paste put it: “truly glorious noise.”

“Second Television” – Mission of Burma from Unsound on Fire

Holograms Drops Debut; Plus, Husky, Western Affairs

Holograms rocks with rapid succession on the single “ABC City” from their new, self-titled album debut. Another single, “History’s Door” by the band Husky was a Song of the Day earlier in the week. The track is sort of a punk dances with indie rock sound that reminds us of Kaiser Chiefs, with a frantic pace and chorus vocals singing: “Isolation” followed by a blistering guitar solo at the tail side of the track. The song has wracked up over 12,000 plays on SoundCloud in just four weeks.

“ABC City” – Holograms from Holograms on Captured Tracks

“History’s Door” – Husky from Forever So on Sub Pop

Western Affairs, currently a DIY band, dropped their album, 2000, this past week. The single, “Laura,” is an uplifting indie pop/rock track that almost feels a bit like you’re soaring in the sky on a beautiful summer day. Sure that’s a bit corny, but what the hell; we think it’s perfect for a summer 2012 indie playlist. We haven’t heard the entire album yet, but it’s on the “Listen To” list.

“Laura” – Western Affairs from 2000 (self-released)

Seattle’s The Young Evils Drop EP; Plus, Aesop Rock, Communist Daughter, Delicate Steve and Others

Next, the Seattle rock band, The Young Evils, are back with a fresh EP, Foreign Spells, that was produced by Shane Stoneback (The Cults, Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells). Producer Barrett Jones (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) worked on the band’s bouncy, pop-driven 2010 debut album Enchanted Chapel. The band started out as a way to pay homage to the Nirvana-popularized duo, Vaselines, in 2008 by songwriter and founder, Troy Nelson and lead singer Mackenzie Mercer. The Young Evils have opened for the Vaselines and Pearl Jam, which is indicative of their talent and popularity in the Pacific Northwest.

“When Sally Walked In The Rain” – The Young Evils from Foreign Spells (self-released)

“Zero Dark Thirty” – Aesop Rock from Skelethon (only $3.99 limited time via Amazon) on Rhymesayers Entertainment

“Ghosts” – Communist Daughter from The Lions & Lambs EP on Grain Belt Records

“Two Lovers” – Delicate Steve from Positive Force (CD) on Luaka Bop

“A New Drug” – Digitalism from DJ-Kicks on !K7 Records

“Hidden” – Erika Spring from Erika Spring EP on Cascine

“Life” – Summer Camp from Always EP on Apricot Recording Company/Moshi Moshi Records

“Lessons of Darkness (Apology)” – Supreme Cuts from Whispers in the Dark on Dovecote Records

“I Still Pull the Silver (From the Penny Drawer)” – Jonathan Byerley from Catherine Market on La Société Expéditionnaire

“Play Along” – Dan Le Sac from Space Between the Words on Sunday Best

“Asha Gedawo” – Debo Band from Debo Band on Sub Pop

“Clouds” – Deep Time from Deep Time on Hardly Art

New Music Releases: Week of July 10th, 2012

Click any version – MP3, CD or vinyl – for any of the releases listed below and you’ll be taken right to the Amazon purchase page where you can check out. When you purchase albums with IRC’s links in any post, we get a few cents for each completed order, which helps us pay our server and related costs to run the website.

Aesop Rock – Skelethon | CD Vinyl MP3 Deluxe MP3
Allies for Everyone – Scavenger [EP] | MP3
A Band of Buriers – Filth | MP3
Beak – Beak II | CD Vinyl MP3
Bravestation – Giants & Dreamers | MP3
Zac Brown Band – Uncaged | CD MP3
Chatham County Line – Sight & Sound [Live] | CD Vinyl MP3
Clare and the Reasons – KR-51 | Clare and the Reasons – KR-51 CD Vinyl MP3
Communist Daughter – Lions & Lambs [EP] | CD MP3
Dead Rat Orchestra – The Guga Hunters of Ness | CD Vinyl MP3
Debo Band – Debo Band | CD Vinyl MP3
Deep Time – Deep Time | CD Vinyl MP3
Deleted Scenes – Young People’s Church of the Air | CD Vinyl
Delicate Steve – Positive Force | CD Vinyl MP3
Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan | CD Vinyl Deluxe Vinyl MP3
Duran Duran – A Diamond in the Mind [Live] | CD DVD Blu-ray MP3
Dusted – Total Dust | CD Vinyl MP3
The Early November – In Currents | CD Vinyl MP3
Family of the Year – Loma Vista | CD MP3
Glass Cloud – Royal Thousand | CD MP3
Glocca Morra – Just Married | MP3
Holograms – Holograms | CD MP3
Husky – Forever So | CD Vinyl MP3
I Call Fives – I Call Fives | CD MP3
Impossible Arms – Ripped in No Time | CD Vinyl MP3
Kadavar – Kadavar | CD MP3
Dan Le Sac – Space Between the Words | MP3
Eleni Mandell – I Can See the Future | CD Vinyl MP3
Marina and the Diamonds – Electra Heart | CD MP3 Deluxe MP3
Mission of Burma – Unsound | CD Vinyl MP3
Origami Ghosts – It Doesn’t Exist | MP3
Ozarks – Ozarks [EP] | MP3
The Restorations – A/B [EP] | MP3
Saint Motel – Voyeur | MP3
Erika Spring – Erika Spring [EP] | Vinyl MP3
Suit of Lights – Shine On Forever | MP3
Bibi Tanga and The Selenites – 40 Degrees of Sunshine | CD
Serj Tankian – Harakiri | CD MP3 Deluxe MP3
Theclosing – Theclosing | CD MP3
Twin Shadow – Confess | CD Vinyl MP3
The Ugly Club – You Belong to the Minutes | MP3
Van She – Idea of Happiness | MP3
Videoing – Reader | MP3
Hank Williams Jr. – Old School New Rules | CD Vinyl MP3

Best New Music Releases, Week of July 3 – Sunglasses, Easter Island, Gold Motel, Johnny Hickman, Teenage Bottlerocket

Posted on 07/08/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

This past week was the thinnest week of new releases since the first week of January. The holidays usually are light on new releases because labels know people’s attention is elsewhere. Still, we have some releases definitely worth checking out, including singles from Easter Island, Gold Motel, and Johnny Hickman. But the singles that get our attention the most are two tracks from the duo Sunglasses’ first EP in two years, Swim/Namesake EP. Unfortunately, we can’t find a link on Amazon to purchase the EP, so you might want to check out the link that goes to the Lefse Records label website.

“Swim” – Sunglasses from Namesake/Swim EP on Lefse Records

Double-shot: “Namesake” – Sunglasses from Namesake/Swim EP on Lefse Records

“Frightened” – Easter Island from Frightened (self-released)

“Always One Step Ahead” – Gold Motel from Gold Motel on Good As Gold/Thirty Tigers

“Measure of a Man” – Johnny Hickman from Tilting on Campstove Records

teenagebottlerocketdonewithlove — Photo by Dawn Wilder for Rolling Stone

Teenage Bottlerocket Release Fifth Album, Plus New Single, “Done With Love”

The riotous Wyoming punk rock band Teenage Bottlerocket released their fifth studio album, Freak Out!, this week containing the infectious single, “Done With Love!” The lyrics are all about a guy who just doesn’t have the time or will to deal with the requirements and dramas of being in love – something probably most of us have encountered at one time or another. A few lines from the lyrics include the following pronouncement: “I got shit to do/No time for hanging out and no time for you/I’ve got no time to waste/I’d rather be some other place.”

From Rolling Stone magainze, June 26, 2012:

According to vocalist and guitarist Kody Templeman, the lyrics were inspired by his own experience ending a relationship.

“I wrote it after my ex-wife and I were divorced,” Templeman tells Rolling Stone. “It’s about finding strength in keeping people at arm’s length and not letting anyone close enough to hurt you again. I had the idea of going completely overboard with this idea, to the point of writing off love completely for the rest of my life, when I penned the tune.”

Let’s start a club for people that don’t want to deal with “love,” and members can end their membership at any time, but before doing so, fellow members need to remind you of why you joined in the first place. Maybe call it “Safehouse for the Broken Hearted.” E-Harmony: harmonize this. Now that’s a punk rock song right there.

“Done With Love!” – Teenage Bottlerocket from Freak Out!

Best New Music Releases, Week of 6/26, Vol. II – The Flaming Lips, A Place to Bury Strangers, Light Asylum, Edmund II, Exray’s

Posted on 06/29/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

On Thursday, we posted Volume One of this week’s Best New Music Releases, featuring new singles from fresh album drops by The Henry Clay People, Ty Segall Band, Beachwood Sparks, Seventeen Evergreen, Milk Maid and Everest. Volume Two includes new tracks from fresh albums by Jeans Wilder, A Place to Bury Strangers, Light Asylum, Parallels, Edmund II and others.

But first, one of the absolute treats of this year’s Record Store Day was the limited edition vinyl Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends which featured collaborations between the Lips and Ke$ha, Bon Iver, Nick Cave, Yoko Ono, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Erykah Badu, Tame Impala, Prefuse 73, and Neon Indian. The songs that were a result of these collaborations were released in a number of odd formats throughout 2011. The Lips took their favorites and put them into an amazing double album masterpiece that debuted on Record Store Day 2012 via limited edition handmade vinyl albums. Now the album is available via MP3 and CD.

“You, Man, Human” – The Flaming Lips from The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends (MP3 or CD)
via GramoTunes.com

Double-shot: “Children of the Moon” (featuring Tame Impala) – The Flaming Lips from The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends (MP3 or CD)

“Spanish Tile” – Jeans Wilder from Totally

“You Are the One” – A Place to Bury Strangers from Worship

“Dark Allies” – Light Asylum from Snacky Tunes Volume 2

“Riptide” – Edmund II from Floating Monk (self-released)

Not Our Bag, But Not Bad Either

“Blame” – Air Traffic Controller from Nordo

“Born To” – Jesca Hoop from The House That Jack Built

“Confess Child” – Jezzy and the Belles from Compasses and Maps

“I’m Beginning to See the Light” – Joe Jackson from The Duke

Double-Shots from Beachwood Sparks, Exray’s, Jon Lindsay

“Forget the Song” – Beachwood Sparks from Tarnished Gold

“Ancient Thing” – Exray’s from Trust a Robot

“After Dark” – Jon Lindsay from Summer Wilderness Program

Best New Music Releases, Week of 6/26, Vol. I – The Henry Clay People, Ty Segall Band, Beachwood Sparks, Milk Maid, Everest

Posted on 06/28/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Last week, some of the top new indie rock singles from fresh album and EP drops came from bands like Orca Team, Glen Hansard’s (Swell Season) debut, Hard Drugs, White Arrows, Zulu Winter, Fiona Apple and many others. Plus, the Top 10 Songs playlists for the month of May were tallied and finalized.

This week’s new music releases features some two dozen tracks in two volumes from some familiar, but mostly new-to-us, artists’ albums. Choose from numerous sunny and wild pop, folk and rock tracks to create your own customized summer playlists, and bookmark, Tweet, Like and share this playlist with other music lovers. Or, simply sit back and fire up the built-in Yahoo player to automatically, and without interruptions, stream the entire playlist from start to finish.

Volume One of the Best New Music Releases for the week of June 26 features a good number of notable rock songs with blazing guitar solos and raucous drumming, adding credibility to a trend in 2012 – that is, that rock is making a big comeback in 2012. This playlist kicks off with a terrifically new single from The Henry Clay People, “Hide,” complete with blistering guitar solos, feverous drumming, and even some Star Wars-like sound effects, followed by a catchy new rocker from the new-to-us San Francisco duo Seventeen Evergreen.

After an 11 year hiatus, Beachwood Sparks has released a new album, The Tarnished Gold, which we have two singles – one in this post, and the other to be included in Volume Two, later this week. Following Beachwood Sparks, there indie rock singles from the Ty Segall Band, Milk Maid and Everest.

“Hide” – The Henry Clay People from 25 for the Rest of Our Lives on TBD records

“Burn the Fruit” – Seventeen Evergreen from Steady On, Scientist!

“Sparks Fly Again” – Beachwood Sparks from The Tarnished Gold

“I Bought My Eyes” – Ty Segall Band from Slaughterhouse

“Do Right” – Milk Maid from Mostly No on FatCat Records

“Rapture” – Everest from Ownerless on ATO/Vapor Records

New Singles from Jon Lindsay, Exray’s, DIIV, New Beard, Arc in Round

Singer/songwriter Jon Lindsay offers up two new melodic pop tracks from his new album Summer Wilderness Program, one for each volume of this week’s Best New Music Releases, which is also the same case for the band Exray’s. As you can see, there are a good number of artists this week with double singles to offer up to music lovers, so make sure to check back for Volume Two, which is slated to be published on Saturday, June 30. The last trio of tracks are from new-to-us bands that we’ll certainly keep tabs on in the months to follow – DIIV deliver one of the few surf-rock tracks of the week with the bright, beachy track, “How Long Have You Known?” And to close out Volume One, check out new MP3 singles from debut albums by New Beard and Arc in Round.

“Vapor” – Jon Lindsay from Summer Wilderness Program

“You Can Trust a Robot” – Exray’s from Trust a Robot

“How Long Have You Known?” – DIIV from Oshin on Captured Tracks

“Here Goes Nothing” – Infantree from Hero’s Dose on Vapor Records

“Hallowed” – Arc in Round from Arc in Round

“Doom” – New Beard from New Beard City

Best New Releases, Week of June 19th – Orca Team, Glen Hansard, Hard Drugs, Zulu Winter, White Arrows, Fiona Apple

Posted on 06/24/201201/29/2022 by Max Hammer

The top two featured artists this week – Orca Team and Zulu Winter – are new to us, and probably most listeners. But they both have a sound that is fresh and exciting, and definitely worthy of being radar bands, if not bands to watch list – it’ll take more spins of their new albums to determine that, and to see what the response will be from listeners in the Top Ten Songs listing for this week (usually take three weeks on average to come out). Orca Team is a Seattle post-punk band that are fairly popular in the Emerald City, and at least for us, a new band from the Pacific Northwest that we’ll be keeping an ear out and eye on. Zulu Winter is a five-piece indie rock band from London who released their debut album, Language, after only one year together.

Fiona Apple released her first album in seven years this week. Plus, listen to notable singles from new releases by Orca Team, Glen Hansard, White Arrow, Hard Drugs, Zulu Winter, Sam Densmore, Fiona Apple, Blues Control, Can, Efren, and others.

“Ocean Ghost” – Orca Team from Restraint on HHBTM

“We Should Be Swimming “ – Zulu Winter from Language on Arts & Crafts

“Need You by My Side” – The Sun Parade from Yossis on Spirithouse Music

“Get Gone” – White Arrows from Fireworks of The Sea EP on Votiv Music

“Lo Hi” – Peaking Lights from Lucifer on Weird World / Mexican Summer

“Love Don’t Leave Me Waiting” – Glen Hansard from Rhythm and Repose on Anti-

“The Hardest Part” – Hard Drugs from Party Foreverer on The Storyboard Label

“She’s Going to Want You” – Sam Densmore from Ku-Thar’-Tik on Buddy Cat Music

“Secret Knowledge of Back Roads” – Silver Jews from Early Times on Drag City

The title of Fiona Apple‘s new album has to be one of the longest titles of the 2010’s – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do. It’s poetic and definitely not commercial friendly, if you will. We’d love to know how she came up with that title, and exactly what it means. Nevertheless, Apple’s new single, “Every Single Night,” is getting the attention one would expect from any new single by the talented artist, and already the long, mouthful of an album title, is being shortened to just The Idler Wheel.

“Every Single Night” – Fiona Apple from The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do on Epic Records

“Iron Pigs” – Blues Control from Valley Tangents on Drag City

Classic Rock Band Can Release Box Set, ‘The Lost Tapes

The band, Can, posthumously released a new album this week, The Lost Tapes, from their legendary krautrock sessions. The album is a compilation of songs that were left, of all places, in a cupboard in Can’s recording studio, all but forgotten until they were rediscovered, remastered and released. In all, the three CD box set includes dozens of unreleased tracks and demos recorded from 1968 until 1977. The song, “Millionenspiel,” has been released as the promotional single from the box set. A fan on YouTube wrote: “Can was so far ahead of its time that these songs will probably sound fresher than most music we have today.” If you’re a fan of classic, psychedelic rock, you can now listen to a piece of lost rock history rediscovered.

“Millionenspiel” – Can from The Lost Tapes on Mute
Track vis Swanfungus.com

“The Woods & The Wild” – Efren from Write & New Song on Slo Pro Records

“The Bear Eats Me” – Amanda Jo Williams from The Bear Eats Me on Requiemme Records

“Dream Baby Dream” (Suicides Cover) – Neneh Cherry & The Thing from The Cherry Thing on Smalltown Supersound
Bonus: “Dream Baby Dream” – Four Tet Remix

“Guitar Plume” – Portable Sunsets from Mercy on Magical Properties

“Unreal” – Craig Wedren from BABY on Nerveland Recordings

Best New Releases, Week of June 12th – Jaill, The Tallest Man on Earth, These United States, Metric, Stepdad, Guided By Voices

Posted on 06/14/201201/09/2020 by Max Hammer

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.

Best New Releases, Week of June 5th, Vol. II – Ian McGlynn, Knesset, M. Billy, Mynabirds, Alejandro Escovedo, The Temper Trap

Posted on 06/11/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

In Wednesday’s posting of Volume One of the Best New Releases for the week of June 5-11, top choices went to The Hives, Japandroids, Crocodiles, Pomegranates, Teen Daze, Pujol, Michael The Blind and others.

Volume II kicks off with a new single from Ian McGlynn that will probably end up on some summer playlists. His new album is titled, Now We’re Golden. Phoenix-based band Knesset follow with sprawling melodies and intricate structures on “Steady Hands,” followed by an artist we only know as M. Billy, and Mynabirds pick up with the pace with a track that sounds like world music more than pop. Austin‘s legendary Alejandro Escovedo’s and The Temper Trap‘s new singles are delivered via SoundCloud.

“Gold Morning Mend” – Ian McGlynn from Now We’re Golden on Bailey Park Records

“Steady Hands” – Knesset from Coming of Age on Japan & Records

“All Lives Lived” – mbilly from Malheur (self-released)

“Body of Work” – Mynabirds from Generals on Saddle Creek

“Two x Two” – James Apollo from Little War, Little Less on Marterry Music

“Man of the World” – Alejandro Escovedo from Big Station on Fantasy/Concord

“Trembling Hands” – The Temper Trap from The Temper Trap on Glassnote/Columbia

New Singles from Mystery Jets, Masha Qrella, Kelli Scarr, Schmu

“Sister Everett” – Mystery Jets from Radlands on Rough Trade

“Crooked Dreams” – Masha Qrella from Analogies on Morr Music

“Dangling Teeth” – Kelli Scarr from Dangling Teeth on Silence Breaks Records

“House of Stares” – Schmu from Discipline/Communication on Grand Theft Zamboni Records

“Walking Aimlessly (feat. Will Oldham)” – Anna Ternheim from The Night Visitor on V2/Cooperative Music

Best New Releases, Week of June 5 – The Hives, Japandroids, Crocodiles, Pomegranates, Teen Daze, Pujol, Michael The Blind

Posted on 06/06/201201/25/2020 by Max Hammer

Swedish garage rockers The Hives released their first album in nearly five years on Tuesday, and man, it was worth the wait. Lex Hives is easily not just our top pick of all of this week’s U.S. releases, but, along with The Walkmen‘s Heaven, dropped last week, one of IRC’s Top 10 Albums of 2012, and it’s hard to see how either of them would not still be by December.

Check back in a few hours or so when we publish the Album of the Week post: Lex Hives, including more music. In the meantime, here’s The Hives’ first lead single in nearly half a decade.

“Go Right Ahead” – The Hives from Lex Hives (only $5 for limited time via AMZ)

Vancouver Garage Rock Duo Japandroids Drop Sophomore Album, ‘Celebration Rock’

After their spectacular, deservedly well-hyped 2009 debut, Japandroids are back with a new album of original material, Celebration Rock, the band’s sophomore release (in 2010, they released Singles, a compilation of two previously released EPs). Celebration Rock is an appropriate title for the spirit of the album. The terrific lead single, “The House That Heaven Built,” features the duo’s energetic garage rock punk they’ve become so well known for. It’s not ironic at all that words and phrases like ‘adrenaline,’ ‘continuous thunder,’ ‘fire’ and ‘sway’ are contained in the song titles of the eight-track LP because Japandroids’ music is emblematic of each.

“The House That Heaven Built” – Japandroids from Celebration Rock on Polyvinyl

“Evil’s Sway” – Japandroids from Celebration Rock on Polyvinyl

In fact, the track “Continuous Thunder” is a great buzz phrase to use when describing Japandroids’ sound. The fact that two guys are creating that much noise is simply impressive. The first track on the album to get wide circulation is “Younger Us,” which was originally released as a 7″ single in 2010. The new album has a string of potential “garage rocker hits,” including “Adrenaline Nightshift” and “Evil’s Sway.”

San Diego’s Crocodiles Release New Album of Noise Pop for the Summer

The Crocodiles are an appropriate follow-up to Japandroids. Based in sunny San Diego, The Crocodiles broke out in 2009 with their debut album, Summer of Hate. The band’s new album, Endless Flowers, is a cross between noise pop, psychedelic, lo-fi and post punk revival, and features songs ripe for summer, like “Bubblegum Trash,” “Electric Death Song” and the album’s lead single, “Sunday (Psychedelic Conversation #9).” Endless Flowers is the band’s third studio album.

“Sunday (Psychedelic Conversation #9)” – Crocodiles from Endless Flowers on Frenchkiss

Double-shot: “My Surfing Lucifer” – Crocodiles from Endless Flowers on Frenchkiss
Track via SoundsBetterWithReverb.com

Fresh Tracks from New Drops by Teen Daze & Pomegranates

Teen Daze return with more of their electronic sounds on the instrumental piece, “Brooklyn Sunburn.” The track is a candidate for IRC’s summer songs playlists series. While the chillwave craze, if you will, has died done a bit from its heights in 2009 through 2012, we still dig that genre, and hope it’ll remain around as long as it keeps turning out music people want to hear.

“Brooklyn Sunburn” – Teen Daze from All Of Us on Lefse Records

The Cincinnati band Pomegranates officially dropped their fourth album, Heaven, this week, only one week after The Walkmen released their album by the same name. Plus, the Japandroids’ single, “The House That Heaven Built,” demonstrates an unusually high number of references to heaven in a short period of time. Additionally, the lead single from Pomegranates’ fresh release, “Pass Away,” is also similarly thematic.

“Pass Away” –Pomegranates from Heaven

Fresh Tracks from Pujol, Michael The Blind, Anna Ternheim, Dntel & Others

The following are new singles from fresh album drops this week by Pujol, Michael The Blind, Thieving Irons, Curumin and Dntel. Let us know what you think via the Comments section below (no sign-up required and your comments are accessible to tens of thousands of people a week.

“Providence” – Pujol from United States of Being on Saddle Creek

“Sympathies” – Michael The Blind from Are’s & Els on Alder Street Records

“Sleepwalking Into The Ocean” – Thieving Irons from Behold, This Dreamer! (self-released)

“Selvage” – Curumin from Arrocha on Six Degrees Records

“Bright Night” – Dntel from Aimlessness on Pampa

Stay tuned for Vol. II of this week’s Best New Releases, plus DIY Releases of the Week. We’re also putting together an entire DIY-only series of profile playlists – there are hundreds of notable artists and bands that have sent in music and we plan to feature – it’s just all about time. Most of the artists have never been featured on a major indie site.

Finally, look out for our Album of the Week (The Walkmen’s Heaven) and the latest installment of the DIY Artist of the Week. Last week’s pick – Thad Kopec – received more than 130 Likes on Facebook alone.

Best New Releases, Week of May 29th – The Walkmen, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Sigur Ros, Regina Skeptor

Posted on 06/03/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Now that Memorial Day weekend has passed, it’s pretty much the beginning of summertime in the world of rock – festival line-ups have been announced, bands are on, or getting ready for, cross-country and worldwide tours, labels are prepping big releases for the summer, DIY artists are vying to get heard, and millions of music lovers are making their sunshine plans for the next few months.

IRC’s 2012 Summer Songs Mixtapes will be coming in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, if you’re building a summer playlist, check out our previous summer music mixes – where we’d say 90% of the songs are still active. Other recent posts you may want to check out include Album of the Week: Young Man’s Vol. 1, and the latest DIY Artist of the Week, Thad Kopec. If you didn’t get the chance to listen to the top singles for the week of May 22nd – check out Vol. I and Vol. II.

The BNR playlist post for the week of May 29th is loaded with great singles from new albums by The Walkmen, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Sigur Ros, Regina Skeptor, King Tuff, Sun Kil Moon, Broken Water, Lemonade, White Lung, The Toxic Avenger and others. This is a great collection of singles. The Walkmen’s “Heaven” is one of the best songs of 2012, and the title track of one of the best albums of the year as well.

“Heaven” – The Walkmen from Heaven on Fat Possum

“Man On Fire” – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros from Here on Vagrant Records

“Varuo” – Sigur Rós from Valtari on XL Recordings

“All The Rowboats” – Regina Spektor from What We Saw From The Cheap Seats on Warner Bros. Records

“Sunshine In Chicago” – Sun Kil Moon from Among The Leaves on Caldo Verde Si

“Keep On Movin'” – King Tuff from King Tuff

And there is more good stuff here…

“Drown” – Broken Water from Tempest on Hardly Art

“Here They Come” – The Doc Marshalls from Look Out, Compadre (self-released)

“Softkiss” – Lemonade from Diver on True Panther/Matador

“Take the Mirror” – White Lung from Sorry on Deranged Records

“The Wrecking Ball Company”– Marissa Nadler from The Sister on Box Of Cedar Records

“Never Stop” – The Toxic Avenger from ANGST on Little Owl Recordings

Soundcloud Songs

Some labels put themselves at a disadvantage by providing only Soundcloud singles from their artists’ new albums. We know for a fact this puts them at a disadvantage and their artists’ singles get less circulation. The reason is that .mp3 links are the way to go because other bloggers can drop them into a post with a built in streamer (like Yahoo Player, which IRC uses) and it’s done. And music lovers are more likely to send them to friends, add them to playlists (since such links allow for a free download which freaks out some labels), post them on social media networks and on and on. You get the point. Soundcloud is like an obstacle in that aspect of the equation.

It’s a pet peeve not only because people can’t stream Soundcloud songs with the rest of the playlist, but also because it has no benefit to labels. If any record executives are reading this – trust us. If you’ve seen numbers go down for your artists since employing Soundcloud and other non .mp3 song link, that’s the reason. We are forced to put Soundcloud (except in rare cases such as with The Walkmen above because there was nothing but SoundCloud available) at the end of our posts because they don’t play automatically as the others do.

“Goldilocks Zone” – Grass Widow from Internal Logic on HLR Records

“One Drop” – Public Image Ltd. from This is PiL on PIL Official Limited

“Shake Them Shackles” – Tassels from Pressure Mounts on Pour Le Corps Records

Best New Releases, Week of May 22nd, Vol. II – Exitmusic, Hallelujah The Hills, Witch, Shrouded Strangers, JBM

Posted on 05/28/201212/18/2019 by Max Hammer

If you missed Vol. 1, best to start there, with new singles from Young Man, Joey Ramone (posthumously), The Danks, Blue Foundation, Dope Body, Dreamers, and others. Best New Releases for the Week of May 22nd, Vol. II, kicks off this week with the title track from Exitmusic‘s new album, Passage is epic-sounding, emotive and noisy, but a song that would fit well on a summer playlist.

“Passage” – Exitmusic from Passage on Secretly Canadian

Hallelujah The Hills Come Back with New LP

Next, Hallelujah The Hills – a band to watch on IRC back in 2009 – dropped their sophomore LP, No One Knows What Happens Next. The band have switched up their sound from their earlier orchestral pop to a more indie rock sound, another indication that the craze of orchestra pop of the past few years is losing some of its luster, even though we still think the genre has a lot to offer, and gave us some of the best music of the past decade. The band have opened for artists like Silver Jews, Titus Andronicus, Broken Social Scene, and Okkervil River.

“Get Me in a Room” – Hallelujah the Hills from No One Knows What Happens Next on Discrete Pageantry Records

New To Us: Shrouded Strangers, Witch, JBM, Cory Branan

Isn’t it cool when you hear a band for the first time and you dig their sounds? That happens all the time – in fact every week, mainly via the Best new Releases series, there are new-to-us artists and bands that we just like; it’s not even necessary, and time is a limited thing, to analyze always why. If you like a song, or an artist, you just do. Seems pretty simple.

The next two new-to-us bands definitely have their place in this week’s new releases series. Not everyone will like every song of course, but the New To Us section is aimed at giving more artists visibility, and letting people decide for themselves, and in doing so, we learn more what IRC listeners like. Still, each song has to pass the initial “ear test,” if you will. One of the great things about the concept of ‘indie rock,’ at least as we’ve come to know it, and despite its varying definitions (American Idol is not indie rock), is the huge umbrella of genres that fall under it.

Someone could, and some have, go through the past three years of the archives and build a gigantic MP3 collection for free. And with the Top Ten mixes from 2010, 2011 and 2012 pages alone (there’s a few weeks delay in the lists to analyze web stats), you could just start up the built-in Yahoo player and stream for hours and hours music pick by other listeners. Many listeners like that feature, but unlike other sites were you can stream, people can also download free and legal MP3s of the songs they like right on the page. we do it ourselves all the time, as well as with many other playlists on the site, and rediscover songs we totally love but either forgot about them or just had not heard them for a long time. That said, here are more singles from new releases that dropped this past week.

“(Don’t Look At The) Pink Lightning” – Shrouded Strangers from Lost Forever on Trade Root / Izniz

“Introduction” – Witch from Introduction and In The Past on Now Again Records

“Only Now” – JBM from Stray Ashes on Western Vinyl

“Bad Man” – Cory Branan from MUTT on Bloodshot Records

“The Mayor” – Dubious Ranger from Found Recordings From The Panda Valley Mining Company

SoundCloud Tracks This Week: Modern Time Machines, Gossip and Still Flyin’

SoundCloud tracks go last because they don’t work with the Yahoo Media Player we use to make it easy for people to stream entire playlists all at once and without interruption. Hopefully, record labels will start realizing that they’re going to get a lot more free publicity by providing .mp3 links instead of SoundCloud embeds. We know for a fact that artists whose songs we post with SoundCloud boxes don’t get played or passed around as much as those who provide .mp3 links (hint, hint).

Anyways, this week’s SoundCloud embeds from new releases include fresh tracks from Modern Time Machines, Gossip and Still Flyin’.

“Lucky Lady” – Modern Time Machines from Continuity Girl
Lucky Lady by moderntimemachines

“Travelin’ Man” – Still Flyin’ from On a Bedroom Wall