2012 Best New Releases – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Fresh Tracks from Thom Yorke + Burial + Four Tet, Fleet Foxes, Cults, Thurston Moore, Surfer Blood, A Lull, Wild Beasts, Man/Miracle

Posted on 03/26/201112/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Our new tracks in-box has been filling up fast lately. In fact, it’s overflowing. So, here’s another big mix featuring fresh tracks from a range of artists and bands, including Thom Yorke with Burial and Four Tet, Thurston Moore, Cults, Surfer Blood, A Lull, Zachary Cale, Wild Beasts, Teenage Atari Riot, Man/Miracle, and others. And, there’s a whole bunch more to come in next few weeks. As some of you probably know, we don’t do one-song posts. The reason is that there is so much music that we want to share with you.

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke recently joined Four Tet and Burial to record two electronic house/dubstep tracks – “Ego” and “Mirror.” The tracks have been receiving a good amount of buzz in the past week, and we’re stoked to be able to bring them to you for your listening pleasure.

“Ego” – Thom Yorke + Burial + Four Tet

“Mirror” – Thom Yorke + Burial + Four Tet

You can also purchase a copy of the vinyl 12″ via Four Tet’s label, Text Records. On Feb. 9th, Yorke performed a solo DJ set at Los Angeles club Low End Theory. The video below is a slice of the evening’s events.

Thom Yorke Live DJ Set @ Low End Theory LA 3.9.11 from Theo Jemison on Vimeo.

Lots of Buzz Around Upcoming Fleet Foxes Release

Since their 2008 break out EP and debut, self-titled album, Seattle based Fleet Foxes have become one of the most influential bands in the indie folk movement. The band likes to call their wonderful style of acoustic music and precious vocal harmonies, “”baroque harmonic pop jams.” Not sure about the jam part of that, but no doubt Fleet Foxes etched their success beyond the indie scene and into the popular culture.

Since 2008, fans have been waiting patiently for new material. As a result, there has been a long wait of anticipation for their sophomore album, Helplessness Blues, set for release on May 3rd. Not surprisingly, the album has already leaked, but we’re going to wait until the vinyl edition to come out because Fleet Foxes are definitely a band to be listened to on vinyl, thanks to their melodic mastery, mid-song tempo changes and intricate chord progressions. That said, we have found two tracks from Helplessness Blues that we’d like to present as a way to let their fans know that they will not be disappointed.

“The Plains/Bitter Dancer” – Fleet Foxes from Helplessness Blues – out May 3rd

“Grown Ocean” – Fleet Foxes from Helplessness Blues – out May 3rd

You can pre-order Helplessness Blues via Amazon for either CD or vinyl. There is no MP3 pre-order that we know of available at the time this post was published. On Record Store Day (April 16th), the band will release a limited edition 12″ vinyl of the single, “Helplessness Blues” with a B-side of “Grown Ocean.” Not surprisingly, almost all of Fleet Foxes’ scheduled shows for May have been sold out.

New Singles from Thurston Moore and Cults

Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore continues to reaffirm why he is one of alternative rock’s most prolific and influential figures. Matador Records sent us a new single from Moore to spread around. Gladly. The song, “Benediction,” demonstrates, even more, Moore’s talent and ability to write and record stellar music. The song is mainly acoustic, and just really, well, superb. It is the first single from Moore’s upcoming Beck-produced, solo album, Demolished Thoughts, out May 24th. It is definitely one of our most anticipated albums of the spring.

“Benediction” – Thurston Moore from Demolished Thoughts – out May 24th

Cults, one of our break-out bands of 2010, have just dropped a new track, “You Know What I Mean.” The advanced single will appear on Cults debut album, due out in May.

“You Know What I Mean” – Cults

Surfer Blood’s Excellent ‘Lost’ Track

We’re a bit surprised that this unreleased track from Surfer Blood, “I’m Not Ready,” hasn’t appeared on more music sites or blogs. In fact, we talked to a few folks who love the band who were not aware of the track. The track is not on the band’s spectacular 2010 debut album, Astro Coast. “I’m Not Ready” is an upbeat, catchy song that definitely has post-punk and pop elements. While the song is not exactly a fresh track – they performed it at shows all during 2010 – it will be new enough to most people to seem like a fresh track. Also, “Weapons of War” is the excellent advance single from the upcoming A Lull LP of the same name. Plus, check out these fresh tracks from Skull Tape and Little Scream.

“I’m Not Ready” – Surfer Blood

“Weapons of War” – A Lull from Weapons for War single (with remixes) – out April 19th

“Cannons” – Little Scream from The Golden Record – our April 12th

“Trans Anthro” – Skull Tape from The Invisible Hand and The Descent of Main – out April 12th

Brooklyn’s Zachary Cale Preps New LP and Introducing Les Blanks

Zachary Cale is a Brooklyn singer/songwriter and musician (who isn’t in Brooklyn?) who has made a name for himself in recent years thanks to his remarkable blues folk sound; “Hello Oblivion” is the first single from his upcoming new album due out in May.

“Hello Oblivion” – Zachary Cale from Welcome to Noise – May 15th

“Straw Man” is a new track of some good ole garage rock from an artist we never heard of before, Les Blanks. We’re going to resist jokes about his name, but let you know when we get around to hearing more of Blanks’ music. The track, “Straw Man,” is from the album In Country, set to drop on May 3rd.

“Straw Man” – Les Blanks from In Country – out May 3rd

Wild Beasts, Teenage Atari Riot and Man/Miracle

Following on the success of their critically acclaimed and Mercury Prize nominated second album Two Dancers, the band Wild Beasts are preparing to unveil the next chapter in their career with the release of their new album, Smother on May 10th. The band have released the first single from the album, “Albatross,” a track washed with sonic layers and textures of abstract sounds combined to form something typically bold and unique.

“Albatross” – Wild Beasts from Smother – out May 10th

Teenage Atari Riot sent over this new single, “Blood In My Eyes” as a teaser for the band’s forthcoming album, Is This Hyperreal?, set to be released this summer. The track is a riveting electronic punk rock diatribe, paying homage to the feminine retributive subtexts espoused by cult films like Kill Bill and heavily censored French art-house film Baise-Moi.

“Blood In My Eyes” – Teenage Atari Riot from Is This Hyperreal?

Oakland indie rockers Man/Miracle have a fresh new track – a busy, pop masterpiece, “Don’t Waste It.” It’s a great follow-up to their 2010 blog hit, “Hot Sprawl,” off their debut The Shape of Things.

“Don’t Waste It” – Man/Miracle

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. IX: The Depreciation Guild, Jeremy Messersmith, The Delta Mirror, Fol Chen, Double Dagger

Posted on 07/01/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Drowning in music. There are a few ways to imagine what that could mean, but in our case, it’s purely about the amount of amazing music that has been sent to us over the past couple of months, but which has been put in a holding pattern because so many freaking stellar records have been coming out week after week for some time now.

By April of this year (which is a blur now), we realized it was getting harder and harder to share all of the sweet music coming at us. One way we have been trying to address that issue is by publishing longer playlists and mixtapes, and more frequently. One example is this series, the successful Recent Releases We Almost Missed – specifically focused on highlighting widely acclaimed LPs from relatively well-known indie artists which would have otherwise been included – by release date – in IRC’s weekly Best New Releases series (you can listen to online, and download, all 24 of these mixtapes).

We really hope you will dig the songs in this post because they include awesome fresh tracks from artists and bands like The Depreciation Guild, The Delta Mirror, Jeremy Messersmith, Fol Chen, Double Dagger, The Octagon, The Hundred in Hands, and Common Loon.

“Crucify You” – The Depreciation Guild from Spirit Youth – April 20th

“My Chariot” – The Depreciation Guild from Spirit Youth

The Depreciation Guild on MySpace

“He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You” – The Delta Mirror from Machines That Listen – May 4th

The Delta Mirror on MySpace

“Violet!” – Jeremy Messersmith from The Reluctant Graveyard – May 4th

Jeremy Messersmith offiicial website

“In Ruins” – Fol Chen from free and legal In Ruins remix EP – April 20th

Fol Chen official website

“Pillow Talk” – Double Dagger from Masks EP – March 23rd

Double Dagger on MySpace

“Clew Haywood” – The Octagon from Warm Love and Cool Dreams Forever- June 8th

The Octagon official website

“Ghosts” – The Hundred in Hands from This Desert EP – May 14th

“Mexico” – Common Loon from The Long Dream of Birds – April 6th

Artists and Bands Profiled in Other Recent Releases 2010 Mixtapes

Vol. I: Boy Eats Drum Machine, Phantogram, ArpLine, BlueBrain, Wakey! Wakey!

Vol. II: Screaming Females, Prizzy Prizzy Please, Fictionist, Fresh and Onlys, Adam Green, Roadside Graves

Vol. III: Archeology, Rocky Votolato, The White White Lights, Schooner, Thruses, Ghostly

Vol. IV: Holly Golightly, Motion Turns It On, Ruby Suns, Josiah Wolf, Happy Birthday

Vol. V: The Library Is On Fire, Son Lux, The Ambience Affair, Japanther, Yawn, Kikipau

Vol. VI: Owen Pallett, ARMS, Gareth Dickson, Monster Movie, Silver Seas

Vol. VII: Sam Billen, The Press, Markaras Pen, Boy Without God, Peasant

Vol. VIII: Vita Ruins, Lou Barlow, Communist Daughter, Cary Ann Hearst, Apollo Ghosts, Holy Ghost

The Format’s Sam Means and Nate Nuess Release New Music Since The Duo’s Official Break Up

Posted on 09/24/200912/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Originally published: Sept. 24th, 2009

One of the biggest disappointments in the rock world during the past year and a half was the official break-up of the awesome Arizona indie duo The Format. During the seven years they were together, The Format released two amazing albums, and a number of EPs, winning overwhelming praise from the music press, bloggers and fans.

Sam Means, one half of the now defunct music duo, recently scored the soundtrack to the indie comedy film The Sinking of Santa Isabel. The album for the soundtrack includes six songs and some 20 instrumental pieces. Means apparently came to make the soundtrack after the original score was scrapped by the film makers. Even though the budget was apparently non-existent by the time the opportunity came around for Means, he told Spin that wasn’t a problem: “It was a challenge I happily accepted. Who needs a budget when you have a laptop, a cheap microphone, and some extremely helpful friends?”

The song from the soundtrack featured here – and made possible by Spin – is called “Yeah Yeah.” Clocking in at just a few seconds under two minutes, the song starts out mellow and sweet and then picks up halfway with enhanced percussion rhythms, piano keys, a fiddle and a lush flow of choruses until it begins to fade out, with Means singing “yeah, yeah.”

“Yeah Yeah” – Sam Means from The Sinking of Santa Isabel (2009)

The other half of The Format, Nate Ruess, is currently involved with his new band called Fun, which includes Andrew Dost, formerly of Anathallo, as well as former Jellyfish and Steel Train members. Fun released their debut, Aim & Ignite, last month.

“Be Calm” – Fun from Aim & Ignite (2009)

Ears to the memories:

“Oceans” – The Format from Dog Problems (2006)

“Time Bomb” – The Format from Dog Problems (2006)

“Closer” – The Format, unreleased (2007)

“The Compromise” official YouTube video.

Michigan Becomes A Popular Indie Rock Festival Destination

Posted on 07/06/200812/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Indie rockers Widespread Panic are one of dozens of bands at Rothbury

This year marks the beginning of more major music festivals than any year in recent memory – All Points West in New Jersey, Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco and the Rothbury Music Festival in the woods of Michigan, to name a few.

The Rothbury Festival kicked-off on Thursday and is wrapping up today in the woods of western Michigan. Highlights from the festival include performances from the Dave Matthews Band, 311, Widespread Panic, John Mayer, Modest Mouse, Of Montreal, Thievery Corporation, Sam Beam, Primus, STS9, Govt Mule and many others.

311 performing The Cure’s “Love Song” at Rothbury

Chicagoians and folks in and around Michigan are festival-spoiled. In addition to Rothbury Festival, there is the Pitchfork Music Festival less than two weeks away and Lollapalooza the weekend of August 1-3.

The lineup for the Pitchfork Festival is impressive, featuring artists and groups like Animal Collective, Public Enemy, Sebadoh, Mission of Burma, The Hold Steady, M. Ward, Spoon, The Ruby Suns, Fleet Foxes, Elf Power, Spiritualized, Les Savy Fav, Apples in Stereo, Cut Copy, The Dodos and dozens more.

On Friday, the theme of the show is centered around performing highly acclaimed, entire albums performed by some of alternative and indie music’s most cherished bands.

First up, Public Enemy will play It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back followed by Sebadoh performing Bubble and Scrape, and last but not at all the least, Mission of Burma will treat the festival crowds to the entire anthology from Vs.

The scheduled line-up for Saturday, July 16:

Animal Collective
Jarvis Cocker
The Hold Steady
!!!
Vampire Weekend
Dizzee Rascal
Fleet Foxes
Caribou
Elf Power – “Paralyzed” (MP3)
Jay Reatard
Titus Andronicus
No Age
Atlas Sound – “My Car” (MP3)
Extra Golden
The Ruby Suns
Icy Demons
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Occidental Brothers Dance Band International
Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar

This is an awesome line-up for only $30. While I have to admit I don’t know all of the performers, $30 to see Animal Collective, The Hold Steady, !!!, No Age, Atlas Sound, Elf Power, The Ruby Suns and Caribou is a hell of a bargain.

Sunday, July 20 lineup is as follows:

Spoon
Dinosaur Jr.
Spiritualized
M. Ward
Ghostface and Raekwon
Les Savy Fav
The Apples in Stereo
Boris
Dirty Projectors
Times New Viking
Cut Copy
Bon Iver
The Dodos
King Khan & His Shrines
El Guincho
Fuck Buttons
HEALTH
High Places
Mahjongg

Sunday is another amazing line-up, including Spoon, Dinosaur Jr., Spiritualized, M. Ward, The Apples in Stereo, Cut Copy, The Dodos and many others.

Interestingly enough, despite a sagging economy, high fuel prices and saturation of big, outdoor music festivals spanning two to five days in duration, the fact is that ticket sales for both the veteran fests like Coachella and Bonnaroo, and the ‘newbies’, have been overall successful so far for 2008.

Music Video Highlights from Live 105 BFD Fest 2008 in Mt. View

Posted on 06/08/200812/18/2019 by Max Hammer

This year’s Live 105 BFD Festival was a completely different gig than last year’s fest. For one, tickets sold out fairly fast (being that they were only $10.53 base price; one-third the cost of last year’s tickets), whereas in 2007, they were still available on the day of the event, and not only that, but they were giving out free tickets.

Another change to this year’s BFD was the fact that the venue was slightly moved around with the stages being set up in the parking lot area. There is still no official explanation for this, but it may have limited the number of tickets sold over last year.

On top of all of that, the 2007 BFD had a better line-up than this year’s show, as many fans and reviewers have pointed out (including the San Jose Mercury News): Interpol, Social Distortion, AFI, Bloc Party, The National, Kings of Leon, CSS, Queens of the Stone Age and many others.

But again, for only $10 a pop, it’s no wonder this year’s BFD sold out, but it would have been a much better festival if they had anywhere near the same amazing line-ups as years past; and people would have paid the $30 or more for more headlining acts – that is pretty apparent from what so many are saying.

Based on the number of new festivals this year, it is not a stretch to conclude that BFD organizers had a hard time filling the line-up with ‘top name’ bands and artists for this year’s event, and thus, the lower price for tickets.

Additionally, they make more money from advertising and vendors than the tickets anyways. Therefore, as one very disappointed past-BFD fan wrote, it’s not like the festival-goer is really getting a break, especially if the line-up is such a drag compared to previous BFDs.

So far, there is not a very good selection of YouTube videos to show – which is amazing considering the Bay Area is a major tech and music center of the world. Perhaps, more videos of BFD 2008 will surface later on, but for now, here’s the IRC picks:

Alkaline Trio – “Help Me”

Alkaline Trio was one of the best bands in the lineup for BFD 08, so here’s another clip – “Radio”

Here’s another view of Alkaline Trio playing “Radio”

MSTRKRFT performing with lightshow at 2008 BFD:

Austin City Limits Festival 2008 Line-Up Revealed

Posted on 04/15/200812/18/2019 by Max Hammer

The line-up for the 2008 Austin City Limits Festival has just been released.

Headliners for the famous, three-day musical festival in Austin, Texas include Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Beck, Foo Fighters, Gnarls Barkley, N.E.R.D., The Mars Volta, David Byrne, Gnarls Barkley, The Raconteurs, Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, Band of Horses, Iron & Wine, Hot Chip, Okkervil River, Jamie Lidell, Jenny Lewis, CSS and Spiritualized.

Other musicians and bands set to play in the ACL Festival 2008 line-up include:

Jamie Lidell, Man Man, Jenny Lewis, Stars, M. Ward, Drive-By Truckers, Neko Case, John Fogerty, Roky Erickson, Del the Funky Homosapien, Silversun Pickups, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Swell Season, José González, Yeasayer, Octopus Project, Against Me!, Erykah Badu, MGMT, Manu Chao, Tegan and Sara, The Kills, Mates of State, Antibalas, Gogol Bordello, What Made Milwaukee Famous, and White Denim.

What do you think of the line-up? Who else would you like to see play Austin City Limits in 2008?

Stream a mashup of this year’s ACL performers from Cassettes Won’t Listen

Stay tuned for profiles, videos, MP3s, schedules and more from this year’s Austin City Limits Festival.

Six-Pack MP3 Stack: New Songs from Band of Horses, Ruby Suns, Helio Sequence, Steve Malkmus

Posted on 03/20/200812/18/2019 by Max Hammer

This week’s indie music playlist features recent releases from musicians and groups that are creating buzz among the music bloggers.

The single “No One’s Gonna Love You” by Band of Horses appeared on their latest album released almost six months ago. Yet, it wasn’t until yesterday (March 19, 2008) that the single was ‘officially’ released.

The psychedelic and Middle Eastern influences of The Ruby Suns is apparent on their latest single and The Helio Sequence returns with a new single after a four year new material drought (but the wait was worth it for HS fans).

Each of this week’s songs and the artists who created them were selected not just because they are recent notable releases, but their unique talent and important contributions to the silly thing we like to call ‘indie’ rock, aka independent music, helps keep the spirit, freedom and creativity of music alive in an age when overly polished and marketed music dominates the mainstream media.

Check out these free and legal MP3s from Band of Horses, The Ruby Suns, The Gutter Twins, The Helio Sequence, What Made Milwaukee Famous and Steve Malkmus and the Jicks.

MP3: The Ruby Suns – Tane Mahuta

MP3: The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead

MP3: Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You

MP3: The Gutter Twins – Idle Hands

MP3: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks –Baltimore

MP3: What Made Milwaukee Famous – Resistance St.

Stay tuned for a complete band profiles of each of this week’s playlist winners or subscribe to the feed to get them as they are published.

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