New Releases – Page 10 – INDIE ROCK CAFE

Best New Releases – Cut Copy, Akron/Family, J. Mascis, Trail of Dead, Young Galaxy, District Attorneys, Class Actress

Posted on 02/09/201101/09/2020 by Max Hammer

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

Best New Releases – David Lowery, Tommy Guerrero, The Go Team!, Ivan & Alyosha, Bridges & Powerlines, Enjoy Your Pumas

Posted on 02/03/201112/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Not a blockbuster week like last week was for indie album releases, but there are still some compelling new records you might want to know about. Former Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowery dropped his solo debut, The Palace Guards. Is it just us or are Lowery’s vocals struggling on this track? Anyways, still good song from a gifted singer songwriter. Although we haven’t heard the entire LP from beginning to end, it’s definitely a vinyl or silicon catch that Cracker and CVB fans will want to add to their record collection.

Another release we are digging is former professional skateboarder turned musician Tommy Guerrero‘s fifth album this week. Plus, there’s a new excited song, “Buy Nothing Day” from The Go Team!, and Seattle indie pop band Ivan & Alyosha dropped their second EP this week. We also want to draw your attention to a band that we’ve been hearing out lately called Bridges & Powerlines. Featured below is the single from the band’s debut album, Eve, out this week. We’ll be interested to see people’s reaction to this new band, and whether or not they will be tagged a ‘band to watch’ in 2011.

“The Palace Guards” – David Lowery from The Palace Guards

“Mirabell” – Bridges & Powerlines from Eve

“Que S’est-il Passe” – Tommy Guerrero from Lifeboats And Follies

“Weight of the Circles” – Enjoy Your Pumas from Commonality (self-released)

“Love Belongs to Everyone” – John Shipe from Villain (self-released)

“Victory Walker (2 AM) “ – Still Flyin’ from Neu Ideas – via You Ain’t No Picasso

“Buy Nothing Day” – The Go! Team from Buy Nothing Day 7″

“Who Have You Been Loving” – Bobby Long from A Winter Tale

“Graveyard” – Giant Sand from Ballad Of A Thin Line Man

“Sharevari” – The Dirtbombs from Party Store

“No Romance” – Mind Spiders from Mind Spiders

“Wake Up Like This” – Katie Moore from Montebello

“Glorify” – Ivan & Alyosha from Fathers Be Kind EP

“Valley Of Rain “ – Giant Sand

“Summer Friends” – Junk Culture from Summer Friends

“Barton Hollow” – The Civil Wars from Barton Hollow

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. XV: Rumspringa, The Notes, Generationals, In These Woods, Jose Gonzalez, Suns, Prince Rama

Posted on 02/01/201112/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Even though 2010 is over, it’s not long gone. So, we don’t feel bad about sneaking in a couple of new Recent Releases We Almost Missed editions containing an eclectic array of singles from 2010 albums that we wanted to share with you, but for one reason or another, did not make it into one of the regular playlist series such as Best New Releases and In Dee Mail. We hope that you find a band or two that you like but never heard before. Coming Up: Bands to Watch in 2011, volume three of Best Indie Rock Songs of 2010, plus a new edition of Fresh Tracks.

L.A. Garage Rock Band Rumspringa On Our Radar

We were really stoked when we first heard this next relatively unknown artist. Anyone who’s a fan of Jack White, The White Stripes, The Strokes, will likely enjoy the blistering guitar licks and heavy, aggressive punk rock of a band that is new-to-us, called Rumspringa. In 2008, the then-duo (they’re now a three-piece band) released a debut EP. On Oct. 5th of 2010, Rumspringa dropped their debut LP, Sway. At the time, we totally missed it but feel like we still need to share with all of you (which is the basis for the entire premise of the Almost Missed Recent Releases mixes).

“Queer Eyed Boy” – Rumspringa from Sway – Oct. 5th

The Notes Deliver Sweet Tunes on Wishing Well

The first time we heard “Sheltered” by The Notes, we could have sworn the first 30 seconds was a Best Coast song, but once it broken into the body of the song, we knew this was in fact a new talent, and upon further investigation, learned the track is from The Notes. The song is featured on their debut Wishing Well.

“Sheltered” – The Notes from Wishing Well – Nov. 16th

Generationals Share New EP Track; Prep New LP for March Drop

One of our favorite new bands of 2008 was the Generationals. The New Orleans‘ duo’s debut album, Con Law, made many end of year best of lists, including ours. In December, Generationals quietly dropped a new EP, Trust, in lieu of their upcoming sophomore LP, Actor Caster, set to be released officially on March 29, 2011 via Park The Van. For the Trust EP, Generationals added some new techniques, and stepped up use of others, including feedback loops, drum-machine beats, and abstractly dubbed-out, wobbling basslines. This is Generationals newest single, the title track from the Trust EP.

“Trust” – Generationals from Trust EP – Dec. 9th

Another Awesome Swedish Indie Pop Band Emerges

In These Woods is a new Swedish indie pop band that we will be keeping tags on. Don’t be surprised if you get hooked on the catchy track, “Always.” No doubt ITW are on our radar, and maybe soon will graduate to the Bands to Watch section.

“Always” – In These Woods from In These Woods – Dec. 13th

Suns Beginning to Grow Fan Base Beyond Hometown Chicago

Suns is a Chicago indie rock band featuring six members that play everything from guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo, synth, glockenspiel, among other instruments, to create a richly layered wall of sound, and an eclectic approach, in which songs change style and genre from one track to the next.

“Little Horn” – Suns from Close Calls in the U.S. Space Program – Aug. 31st

In August, Suns self-released a double EP, Close Calls, in the U.S. Space Program / The Howl and the Many. At one moment they’re springing out sunny sounds, like on “Little Horn”, and at another moment launching into a dark composition laced with stops and starts, such as on the track “Everything Changes.”

“Everything Changes” – Suns from The Howl and The Many EP – Aug. 31st

Jose Gonzalez Track Wins Best Song in Game for Dead Red Redemption

The prolific and widely respected singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez, who is also the man behind Junip, received the ‘Best Song in Game’ award for “Far Away” (from Red Dead Redemption) at the Spike Video Game Awards in NYC on Dec. 10th. Another song from Gonzalez, “In Every Direction”, placed 41st on The Rolling Stone Top 50 Songs of 2010.

“Far Away” – Jose Gonzalez from Red Dead Redemption – #13 on Amazon only $29.99

Hare Krishna Duo Prince Rama Release Debut LP

Raised on a Hare Krishna commune in Florida, educated at art school in Boston, and now making noise and living in Brooklyn, the duo Prince Rama‘s new album, Shadow Temple, is an epic shrine of swirling synths, pulsing guitars, and thunder drums. An ethereal chorus of voices and anthemic melodies create a reverb-washed mine of sonic artifacts drawing from southeast Asian rituals, krautrock legacies, chopped and screwed homages, hallucinatory operas, and dance hall psychedelia. Recorded in Kurt Vonnegut‘s grandson’s cabin, and a 135-year-old haunted church with the help of Animal Collective members Avey Tare and Deakin, Shadow Temple leads listeners to an etherial porthole that serves as a gateway to offers itself as a sincere porthole into a mysterious realm that defies material understanding.

“Lightening Fossil” – Prince Rama from Shadow Temple – Nov. 3rd

“Clamor” – Balmorhea from Clamor/Candor 7″ – Sept. 12th

More Great Almost Missed Tracks with Teenage Fantasy, Cotton Jones and Others

Other great singles from recent releases includes those from Teenage Fantasy, Cotton Jones, XBXRX, Your Youth, Transmission Fields, Seapony, and Brass Bed. In case you missed any of the Recent Releases We Almost Missed mixes throughout 2010, they are still available for streaming and download – all fourteen in fact.

“Dancing In Slow Motion” – Teengirl Fantasy from 7 AM – Sept. 21st

“Somehow To Keep It Going” – Cotton Jones from Tall Hours in Glowstream – Aug. 24th

“I Can See” – XBXRX from O – Sept. 21st

“Diamond” – Your Youth from Aloha EP – Sept. 14th

“Did It Wrong” – Transmission Fields from Transmission Fields” – Aug 10th

“Dreaming” – Seapony from s/t debut EP – August 24th

“Pop Mission” – Brass Bed from Melt White – Sept. 21st

Best New Indie Rock 2011 – The Radio Dept, Woodsman, Cloud Nothings, Iron & Wine, Gang of Four, Deerhoof, Destroyer, Veils, Grouplove

Posted on 01/26/201112/18/2019 by Max Hammer

This week’s Best New Releases includes new singles from new LPs and EPs from bands all across the indie spectrum. We’ve been loving The Radio Dept.’s work for about three or four years, so it’s just fitting to include a great track from their new singles collection, available now. Following TRD is a terrific, minimalistic, psychedelic track from the new Woodsman LP; a riveting, epic track from Cloud Nothings’ debut LP. Ironically, there are two tracks titled “Bloom” in this playlist, each from a different artist. Also loving the John Vanderslice song, and can’t help but to think how much it sounds like a Sufjan Stevens song.

“The One” – The Radio Dept. from Passive Aggressive: The Singles 2002-2010

Also, check out new singles from releases by Com Truise, Iron and Wine, Gang of Four, Cold War Kids, Deerhoof, Wanda Jackson with Jack White, Destroyer, The Veils, and many others. The self-titled debut EP by the band Grouplove has renewed them as a band to watch in 2011, as they were in 2010 (listen to tracks below). One of the reasons we renewed Grouplove is because they are so incredibly talented, and have still not received the recognition we think the band deserves.

The Papercranes deliver a dreamy, even melancholy, sound on the fantastic new single from their latest release, and Paper Diamond throws it down with impressive electronica work on the track “From Now Till…”.

“Synapses” – Papercranes from Let’s Make Babies in the Woods

We could go on and on about all of the new releases this week, but, once you listen to this mix, you’ll see that the music speaks for itself. Played in one continuous stream, you’ll notice at some point or another that this playlist is just packed with awesome songs, including other artists like Say Hi, Monotonix, The Ex, Delicate Steve, Exray’s, I Was King, Lia Ices, Fujiya & Miyagi, Duke Garwood, Greater Pacific, The Chicharrons, Metal Mountains and more.

“Insects” – Woodsman from Rare Forms

When you want all the best new songs from new releases, come to IRC regularly, since we post about four features and playlists each week stuffed with music from some of the most popular ‘indie’ artists to lesser-known, but talented bands. But even if you miss a post that is a few days, weeks or months old, most of the MP3s do not expire like they do on most other sites. Use the Comments to tell us what you think about these songs or the artists that make them. Click on album titles to make a purchase from Amazon – which has more MP3s at lower prices than iTunes.

“Understand At All” – Cloud Nothings from Cloud Nothings

“Under The Gun” – Apex Manor from The Year of Miracle Drinking

“Give Me More” – Monotonix from Not Yet

“Slow Peels” – Com Truise from Cyanide Sisters EP

“Tree By The River” – Iron & Wine from Kiss Each Other Clean

“Louder Than Ever” – Cold War Kids from Mine Is Yours

“The Merry Barracks” – Deerhoof from Deerhoof vs. Evil

“Colours” – Grouplove from Grouplove EP

Bonus Track: “Naked Kids” – Grouplove from Grouplove EP

“The Distance” – Greater Pacific from Rainfall EP

“My Father’s Eyes” – Ben + Vesper from Honors
Bonus Track: “Knee-Hi Wall” – Ben + Vesper from Honors

“Chinatown” – Destroyer from Kaputt

“You’ll Never Pay For The Farm” – Gang Of Four from Content (MP3 Exclusive)

“Thunder On The Mountain” – Wanda Jackson (feat. Jack White) from The Party Ain’t Over

“The Piano Lesson” – John Vanderslice from White Wilderness (MP3 Exclusive)

“Bloom” – The Veils from Troubles Of The Brain EP

“Bloom” – Duchess Leo from Golden Gray

“From Now Till…” – Paper Diamond from The Levitate EP

“Devils” – Say Hi from Um, Uh Oh

“Sixteen Shades Of Black & Blue” – Fujiya & Miyagi from Ventriloquizzing

“Lemoncholic” – Stripmall Architecture from Albino Peacock EP (self-released)

“Ma Do Nar” – Los Chicharrons from Roots of Life

“Life Coach” – Phil Manley from Life Coach

“If I Had a Boat” – James Vincent McMorrow from Early In The Morning

“Structures in the Sun” – Metal Mountains from Golden Trees

“Equestrian” – U.S. Royalty from Mirrors (self-released)

“Bon Kum” – Sidi Touré from Sahei Folk

“1-2-3 Bad” – Thank You from Golden Worry

“Equestrian” – Anyone know who this is?

Other Releases This Week

“Cold Weather Is Back” – The Ex from Catch My Shoe

“You Forgot” – Exray’s from Exray’s

“Butterfly” – Delicate Steve from Wondervisions

“Nightwalking” – I Was a King ‒ from Old Friends

“Grown Unknown” – Lia Ices from Grown Unknown

“Jesus Got a Gun” – Duke Garwood from dreamboatsafari

Best New Releases – The Decemberists, R.E.M., Smith Westerns, Tennis, Braids, Oh No Oh My, Dolorean, Modern Skirts, Eulogies

Posted on 01/18/201101/09/2020 by Max Hammer

It’s safe to say that among the biggest new releases this week The Decemberists‘ follow-up to the success of Hazards of Love in 2009, The King Is Dead. The band turn towards a more American folk style rather than the more-English folk that propelled the band from the fame within the indie rock world to the Billboard charts and the ‘mainstream’ rock world.

“January Hymn” – The Decemberists from The King Is Dead

However mainstream The Decemberists are, or how much they don’t deserve to be ‘indie’ anymore (since signing with Capitol Records in 2009), are legit discussions, but the point is, they have managed to keep their branded sound uniquely their own, and continue to release awesome, ballad-heavy folk pop songs that appeal to a wide audience of music lovers.

The first single release, “Down By The Water”, was played live for the first time last September when we saw the band performed it at their sold out performance in Pioneer Courthouse Square during NWMF, Portland‘s biggest annual musical festival.

“Down By The Water” – The Decemberists from The King Is Dead

R.E.M.’s Welcomed Return to Their Pop Roots

One of the world’s greatest rock bands of the past 30 years, R.E.M., have just made available the first single from their first album in since 2008’s Accelerate. The legendary band’s 15th studio album, Collapse Into Now, is set to drop in March.

The new single, “Mine Smells Like Honey” (purchase MP3 via AMZ for 99 cents) is R.E.M. in true fashion – upbeat, hooklicious pop rock with a catchy beat, soaring, jangly guitar work from Peter Buck, the ironic lyrics and unforgettable nasaly and grumbling voice of Michael Stipe, and the sweeping chorus heights, preempted by the wild “call-and-response” backup vocals of Mike Mills.

You can pre-order the master CD for Collapse Into Now for a discounted $14.99.

The Debut Album from Husband and Wife Duo, Tennis, Officially Out Now

By Emma Majerus

After creating a buzz with the single, “Marathon,” college sweethearts turned husband and wife duo, Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore, along with band mate James Barone, have just officially released their debut LP, Cape Dory. The songs on Cape Dory are not a departure from the summery sound of “Marathon,” as Tennis demonstrates a knack for the beachy pop music that so many bands have attempted to perfect over the past year or so.

“Marathon” – Tennis from Cape Dory

In fact, with their breezy vocals and jangly percussions, Tennis seems to have made themselvess fore runners of setting the tone for the indie beach sound of 2011. And that seems only fitting; afterall, the husband and wife duo spent seven months sailing on the Atlantic Ocean. The sounds and musical influences of the ocean, the wind and the sun are well within their grasp.

In large part, Cape Dory is reminiscent of an earlier, simpler time, while maintaining a refreshingly relevant sound. With all of Moore’s “Oh oh’s” and “sha-la-la’s”, there are songs that conjure up images of 1960’s girl groups, but this time around, singing on a sailboat. With rhetorical lyrics like: “Do you wanna go where it never snows and the mid-60s are the extreme lows?” from the album’s title track, Tennis doesn’t attempt to go far beyond the realm of beach music, but they do it so well that it would be difficult to fault them for it.

“Take Me Somewhere” – Tennis from Cape Dory

Chicago’s Smith Westerns Announce Debut LP for January Drop

The year 2010 was a grand year for Chicago’s rising band, Smith Westerns, whose name recognition and fan following grew by leaps and bounds, due in part to a wildly successful cross-country tour and plenty of blogger and social media love.

Today the band released its sophomore album, Dye It Blonde. Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House), produced the new LP. The short indie film, Friends Forever, features a performance of the band playing the track, “All Die Younger”.

“Weekend” – Smith Westerns from Dye It Blonde

The film was shot by popular indie artist and photographer, Ryan McGinley, who captured Smith Westerns’ performance at this year’s Pitchfork Festival. In addition, the film also features footage from San Francisco rising indie band, Girls‘, gig at Pitchfork. Interestingly enough, both bands will be featured in IRC’s Best Bands of 2010.

“Imagine Pt. 3” – Smith Westerns from Dye It Blonde

braidsband — California indie band Braids are an IRC band to watch in 2011.

New Releases from Braids, David Gergen, Oh No Oh My, Modern Skirts and others

In addition to the new and terrific debut album from Tennis, other recommended releases include Braids, Dolorean, Seafarer and Modern Skirts. After a four year recording hiatus following their indie-hit debut, the band Oh No Oh My just dropped their sophomore album, People Problems, and the lead single below, just makes it more probable that we’ll get around to listening to all of People Problems.

Also, check out other recommended releases, including two DIY from Seafarer and David Gergen, plus LPs from Dolorean, Eulogies, Modern Skirts, Only Sons, Fergus & Geronimo, and others.

In addition to this week’s highlighted releases, you can also still stream and download singles from our first Best New Releases of 2011, last week’s installment that we were admittedly a couple of days late with.

“Plath Heart” – Braids from Native Speaker

“The Streets I’m Walking” – David Gergen from The Nearer It Was…The Farther It Became

“Walking Into Me” – Oh No Oh My from People Problems

“You Hide” – Eulogies from Tear the Fences Down

“The Unfazed” – Dolorean from The Unfazed

“Magic” – Only Son from Searchlight

“Noise Floor” – Seafarer from Hiding Places (self-released)

“Bumper Car” – Modern Skirts from Gramahawk

“Powerful Lovin'” – Fergus & Geronimo from Unlearn

“Superstition” – Disappears from Guider

Other New Releases – Hip-Hop, Country, World Music, Trip Jazz

Tracks that are rarely heard, but not forgotten

“Arrivederci” – Sane Smith from Robots Will Kill

“Dark Road – Daniel Martin Moore from In the Cool of the Day

“Wolf Pantolones” – Beep from City of the Future

“Tio Sam” – Aurelio from Laru Beya

Posts and Playlists In the Pipeline on IRC

We didn’t do any other real reviews this week other than what’s on this page. The reason why is because we’re so busy still compiling and rolling out ‘best of 2010’ playlists. In fact, on Wednesday, we’ll publish the first installment of our top songs for 2010, which will be different from the Top 50 No.1 Indie Songs of 2010 that you guys all voted for throughout the year on the Top Ten Songs page.

Since 2009’s Best Songs series was such a big hit, we had to put one together for 2010, right at the same time that the first best new songs of 2011 are coming out.

Also, don’t miss our Winter/Spring 2011 Anticipated Releases Guide, hopefully to hit the site next weekend. In the meantime, enjoy. When you run out of great songs, just remember that all you have to do is click around the site a little to find hundreds of more songs to stream and listen to online and/or download to your MP3 player.

Best New Releases from Cage The Elephant, British Sea Power, Cake, Tapes N Tapes, Tape Deck Mountain, Minks, Broken Records

Posted on 01/13/201110/01/2018 by Max Hammer

This is the first Best New Releases of 2011. Most of these records were officially dropped on 1.11.11. There are some really exciting, interesting releases this week, good ones to use those left over iTunes or Amazon gift cards on.

The newest album from Cage The Elephant is already on our best albums of 2011 list, and doubt it will come off by the end of the year. If you’ve not yet one of the wicked, it’s time to turn on to CTE. Also, British Sea Power‘s new LP is something else; listen to the lead single here. Plus, Cake drops their first album in seven years today, Showroom of Compassion, and new releases from Tapes N Tapes, Tape Deck Mountain, Broken Records, Birds of Avalon, and many others. Short on the words this week, but there’s a bunch of posts lining up on the runaway, waiting for their turn to bring you sah-wheat music.

“Around My Head” – Cage the Elephant from Thank You Happy Birthday

“Living Is So Easy” – British Sea Power from Valhalla Dancehall

“Sick of You” – Cake from Showroom of Compassion

“It Goes Down” – Tape Deck Mountain from Secret Serf

“Cemetery Rain” – Minks from debut LP, By The Hedge

“Freakout” – Tapes N Tapes from Outside

“A Darkness Rises Up” – Broken Records from Let Me Come Home

“Invasion” – Birds of Avalon from Birds of Avalon

“A World From Our Sponsor” – Heligoats from Live Free and Let Loose

“Zulu Bounce” – Georgia Anne Muldrow from VWETO

“Discipline Your Hands” – Dearling Physique from DeadEye Dyealer

“Don’t Know About You” – Bardo Pond from Bardo Pond

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. XIV: Sunset, Cloudland Canyon, Brothers Young, Woven Bones, Lost in the Trees

Posted on 12/11/201007/22/2021 by Max Hammer

It’s a nearly impossible task: to sort, listen to (rinse. repeat), pass or fail tracks, write up reviews, and publish all of the music that is piled up in our email boxes, via the submission forms, and CDs and vinyls. The end of the year is fast approaching, but we’ve still got 2010 music that there just hasn’t been time to thoroughly listen to and share with all of you. And that’s a bummer. But, you know what, F that, we’ll just do our best, and at this point, that means putting up singles we like from bands and artists you might not have ever heard of; and hopefully, you’ll find some keeper tracks in this playlist.

[zbplayer]

So, that also means that we don’t have time to individually review all of the featured songs or the artists that produced them. In fact, there’s so much overflow that we are likely to have 2010 backlog that we don’t get a chance to share with you until the early weeks of 2011. Most of those will come from music submissions box.

The point is, really, that if the music is damn good stuff, and it was released in 2010, and we don’t get to tell you about it until the early weeks of 2011, what difference does it make – a case where better late than never does apply. Some of you might remember that for the first couple of months of 2010, we were still putting up great songs from 2009, and people just ate it up. So, it’s likely that the same thing will happen in 2011.

Therefore, in the direction of that goal is this, the fourteenth volume of the Recent Releases We Almost Missed series. Yeah, corny title, we guess, but it was the best terminology we could come up with to get to the crux of the idea. That said, the RRWAM mixes have been among the most popular posts of 2010. All total, the previous thirteen volumes published this year were viewed, streamed, and downloaded, over a quarter of a million times!

Furthermore, we still have a bunch of overflow singles from LPs, EPs and 7 and 12-inch 2010 releases that will appear in volume 15 of RRWAM, set to be published in the next couple of weeks (there are still all the year-end lists to do too).

Sunset – Loveshines But The Moon Is Shining Too

It’s hard to believe for a minute that the band Sunset recently released their fifth album release. For a band that hasn’t been together that long, Sunset have managed to pump out a handful of note-worthy albums. In October, the band dropped Loveshines But The Moon Is Shining Too. Now that we’ve had a chance to listen to it, we can tell you that it might be one of the best overlooked LPs of the second half of 2010.

The lead single here, “Sunshine Hair”, would have been perfect for our Summer Mixtapes series, but the LP came out too late, so this song will have to wait until the 2011 summer songs collection. “Sunshine Hair” evokes the summertime imagery both in song title and sound. It’s dreamy synth notes, and soft, calming vocals, create a sense of levity and serenity, almost like a magnificent, puffy white cloud floating across an azure summer sky.

“Sunshine Hair” – Sunset from Loveshines But The Moon Is Shining Too – Oct. 24th

Cloudland Canyon – Fin Eaves

Shifting gears, the blazing, lo-fi psychedelic shoegaze track “Mothlight (Part 2)” is a sweet surprise we almost missed. In September, the New York City by-way-of Memphis band, Cloudland Canyon, released their fourth album, Fin Eaves to fairly good reviews all around. We have not listened to the LP from beginning to end (and then again), with enough confidence to merit an opinion overall, but what we did hear is largely representative of the lead single, “Mothlight (Part 2)”.

“Mothlight (Part 2)” – Cloudland Canyon from Fin Eaves

Brothers Young – Good People

This next song peaked our interest right from the very first seconds, and as it progressed, just got better. “A Roman Sun” is the lead track from Portland’s Brothers Young‘s latest release. The song is a number of things at once – a folk ballad mixed with pop and bluegrass elements, and a catchy chorus that, all combined, give it campfire song credibility. Perhaps we should feel a bit stupid not to have heard of the Brothers Young before, but we’re glad now that we have.

“The Roman Sun” – Brothers Young from Good People – Aug. 31st

Whalers – How The Ship Goes Down

Switching gears again. Whalers are yet another talented Austin indie rock band. That basically means they are damn good, and in just about any other medium-sized city than Austin, Whalers would be in the running for “Best Local Band of 2010”. Even though we missed the original drop date (Nov. 30th) for the band’s debut EP, How The Ship Goes Down, their songs have enjoyed more than a couple of spins in the cafe.

All of the tracks were recorded, produced, and performed by Whalers in a house off of Riverside Drive. The record was mixed by Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Wax Fang) at The Funeral Home Studio in Louisville, Kentucky, and mastered at Jim Eno’s Public Hi-Fi studio in Austin.

“Magic Tricks” – Whalers from How The Ship Goes Down (debut EP) – Nov. 30th

“Sunsets Suck” – Whalers from How The Ship Goes Down

“That Rabbit” – Whalers from How The Ship Goes Down

Also, we are digging this Woven Bones 7 inch, released way back in August, plus tracks from the ‘orchestra folk’ band from Chapel Hill, N.C., Lost in the Trees‘ latest album, All Alone in an Empty House; and, a different kind of “tree band”, The Poison Tree.

“I’ve Gotta Get” – Woven Bones from I’ve Gotta Get 7″ – Aug. 10th

“Walk Around The Lake” – Lost in the Trees from All Alone in an Empty House – Aug. 10th

“Fireplace” – Lost in the Trees from All Alone in an Empty House – Aug. 10th

“My Only Friend” – The Poison Tree

This set also includes lead tracks from recent releases we almost missed by The Lucksmiths, The Super Vacations, Violens, White Noise Sound and Brass Bed. Each of these bands are at the very least on our radar. As it always is, it’ll be interesting to review the weblogs later to see which bands IRC readers and visitors ended up listening to, and downloading, the most.

If there is a big response to any of the bands in this set, we’ll definitely follow-up in a subsequent post with a proper profile of said bands, plus more tracks. As some of you may know from the Top Ten Songs weekly feature, and the reader polls, we are committed to giving IRC peeps an important role in helping to determine what bands we cover. We like to think of it just the way Ray Davies of The Kinks put it in the title song to their classic 1981 album, Give The People What They Want.

“Get To Bed Birds” – The Lucksmiths from Get To Bed Birds – Sept. 14th

“Cowboy Bob” – The Moaners from Nocturnal – Sept. 21st

“Sunset” – White Noise Sound from White Noise Sound – Sept. 21st

“Acid Reign” – Violens from Amoral – Sept. 14th

“Be Glad” – The Super Vacations from Thicker Milk – Sept. 14th

“God Saves The Theives” – Brass Bed from Melt White – Sept. 21st

“Doin It Again” – The Roots from How I Got Over – June 22nd

“All These Things” – Darren Hanlon from I Will Love You At All – Sept 21st

Best New Releases – Perfume Genius, Sufjan Stevens, Acid House Kings, Air Waves, Anika, Daft Punk, Deadmau5, Freebase, Eluvium

Posted on 12/08/201001/09/2020 by flytrap

This week marks the re-release of the debut LP, Learning, from Seattle solo artist, Mike Hadreas, who releases music as Perfume Genius. His music is deep, painful and personal, a reflection of a troubled youth that was not in his control. And this is evident in his wrenching expressions that permeate throughout his recordings. These are mostly all home recordings, which adds that element of rawness that is essential to an artist such as Hadreas. Furthermore, he has a remarkable appreciation of classic rock icons like Neil Young, as evidenced by this live performance of Young’s “Helpless.”

Hadreas has often been compared to artist such as Cat Power, Sufjan Stevens and Elliott Smith. Hadreas’ magnificent piano playing, stark lyrics, and soft, almost whispery vocals are a powerful combination, and definitely put him in company with some of the best like artists of recent years.

“Mr. Peterson” – Perfume Genius from Learning

“Learning” – Perfume Genius from Learning

We strongly recommend getting his reissued LP (contains three bonus tracks) at Matador Records. Hadreas is definitely one of our Best New Artists of 2010, and an Artist to Watch in 2011. Also, there are a bunch of videos on his record label page, and in case you try looking, his official MySpace page is under the moniker of kewlmajik.

“Dreem” – Perfume Genius from Learning

Since we were talking in reference about Sufjan Stevens, he has some ‘news’ today by the fact that his recently released EP, All Delighted People, is now available in the physical world. If you don’t have it already, and want it in digital form, here’s the download page from Amazon. Seems a lot of people forgot about this EP with the also recent release of Stevens’ remarkable release of the LP Age of Adz.

“All Delighted People” (Classic Rock Version)- Sufjan Stevens from All Delighted People (vinyl)

(there is also a rare and limited edition Japanese import of All Delighted People for sale)

A friend who had never heard of Acid House Kings before understandably assumed that they would have a sound that would be, well, like, “acid house” music. But the band’s sound is anything but; they’re about as cheery indie pop as you can get. In this digital single, the band asked a question that we’ve all probably come across at one time or another in our lives – “Are We Lovers Or Are We Friends?”.

And it should be no surprise that the band are on our favorite Swedish labels, Labrador Records (The Radio Dept, Club 8). The track is deliciously infectious, and the lead track for this week’s Best New Releases.

Other tracks this week include lead singles from new releases by one of our break-through bands of 2010, Air Waves; a new drop from the self-titled debut by Anika, with a freaky, sinister lead track; and new material from Deadmau5, Daft Punk, Banjo or Freakout, Freebase, Engineers, Diane Birch, Eluvium, and others.

“Are We Lovers Or Are We Friends?” – Acid House Kings from Are We Lovers Or Are We Friends?

“Knockout” – Air Waves from Dungeon Dots

“Yang Yang” – Anika from Anika

“Sofi Needs A Ladder” – Deadmau5 from 4 x 4 = 12

“Derezzed” – Daft Punk from Tron Legacy

“This Corrosion” – Diane Birch with The Phenomenal Handclap Band from The Velveteen Age

“The Motion Makes Me Last” – Eluvium from The Motion Makes Me Last EP

“In Praise of More” – Engineers from In Praise of More

“Not Too Late” – Freebass from It’s A Beautiful Life

“105” – Banjo or Freakout from 105 7″ single

“I Don’t Believe” – Liz Janes from Say Goodbye

“Mnemonics in Motion” – Wires Under Tension from Light Science

“Clamor” – Balmorhea from Candor/Clamor 7″

“105” – Banjo or Freakout from 105

Best New Releases from Surf City, Sleeping In The Aviary, Jenocide, Zac Crouse, Mr. Dream, Steve Wynn, Tristeza, El Santo Nada

Posted on 12/01/201007/22/2021 by Max Hammer

With a name like Surf City, it’s only natural for one to assume that the band’s songs will be upbeat and celebratory, or, as the chillwave revolution has determined, lazy, hazy psychedelic pop awash in layers of synth, echo-laden vocals and lyrics with themes like heat waves, day-dreaming, sun burns, beach parties, vacation getaways, and beautiful girls (and guys).

Surf City may not fit the ideal image conjured up by their namesake, but the guitars are blazing, the choruses are sunny, and the bass line thumps along quite nicely on the title track from the band’s debut album, Kudos, out now via Fire Records. We also think Surf City will be a band to watch in 2011.

“Kudos” – Surf City from Kudos

just added (12/2/10):
“Crazy Rulers of the World” – Surf City from Kudos

The band Sleeping In The Aviary just came on to our radar today thanks to Seattle‘s KEXP-FM. SITA pump out straight up post punk style rock with a hard romp, reverb-heavy female lead vocals, hard-hitting tambourines and slick surf-like guitar licks on the lead track “You Don’t Have To Drive”. We’re looking forward to listening to the other tracks on their debut LP, Great Vacation!, out today on the Science of Sound label.

“You Don’t Have To Drive” – Sleeping In The Aviary from Great Vacation!

Jenocide‘s lead track, “Beachball,” from the newly release EP, Knee Deep, has the swirling synths layered with heavy bass change-ups, dance-induced drum beats, romping keys and the vocals of Halifax, N.S. singer-songwriter electro-pop musician Willow Bell.

“Beachball” – Jenocide from Knee Deep EP

Summer-sounding tracks seem to be a dominant theme in this week’s music releases, even though it will officially be winter in a couple of weeks. While listening to Zac Crouse‘s new single, “Waiting on the Wind”, you can almost picture a sailboat on the ocean on a calm day just waiting for some wind to move it along.

The lyrics are ambiguous enough to suggest that the song is really just a metaphor for yearning and love. His soft, melodic vocals paired with bongo drum beats and an acoustic guitar are soon joined by an electric guitar and bass while Crouse repeats the chorus: “I need you now/I need you now/waiting on the wind.”

“Waiting on the Wind” – Zac Crouse from s/t debut

There’s a conglomerate of styles – from shoegaze and post punk to psychedelic and rock – employed by Steve Wynn & The Miracles‘ songs on their new release, Northern Aggression. The lead track “Resolve” will sound particularly familiar to fans of Iggy Pop and The Stooges (esp. compared to the punk favorite “I Wanna Be your Dog”). However, it’s ok; one, because it’s a good song overall, and two, it copy-cats the Stooges with a sense of respect. Steven Wynn is a long-time musician who is probably best known for his previous bands, Gutterball and Dream Syndicate.

“Resolve” – Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3 from Northern Aggression

One of the newest bands on our radar is the unsigned Brooklyn post-punk trio Mr. Dream. While Stereogum had the band in its sights before just about anyone else, we only learned of Mr. Dream after one of its members sent us the latest single, “Learn The Language” from their new album, Never Elaborate.

Earlier this year, Stereogum premiered the band’s first single, “Scarred for Life”, and also listed Mr. Dream on their “40 Best New Bands of 2010” post. The band have opened for big indie artists like Sleigh Bells and Harlem Shakes, and not surprisingly (once you hear the singles) consider their biggest musical influences to be Pixies, Nirvana, and Guided by Voices.

“Learn The Language” – Mr. Dream from Never Elaborate

“Scarred For Life” – Mr. Dream from Never Elaborate

This next instrumental track, “Gallinas Y Lagartos”, from the Italian band El Santo Nada, sounds like a perfect track for Kill Bill Vol. 3, if Quentin makes it (please do). The song is mysterious and enchanting with a style reminiscent of the exotic instrumentals that peppered the spaghetti western B flicks of the 1960s.

And of course it wasn’t an accident. The band members met in 2007, and immediately forged an eclectic identity of common interest in the iconic Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti western soundtracks, combined with Mexican traditional music, the instrumental and surf rock of the late 1950s and early 1960s, italian and balcanic popular music. The band is located in Abruzzo, about 50 miles east of Rome, a region where a number of Italian spaghetti westerns of yesteryear were filmed.

El Santo Nada have opened for Damo Suzuki, Gang Of Four, and Stan Ridgway, among others, and their musical influences include Ennio Morricone, Santo&Johnny, Ry Cooder, Marc Ribot, Calexico, Earth, and Wall Of Voodoo.

“Gallinas Y Lagartos” – El Santo Nada from Tuco

Other new singles you might like:

“Raise Your Gaze” – Tristeza from Paisajes

“Louder Than Dreams – Abby Gogo from Abby Gogo

“Friendly Fires” – Aidan Knight from Friendly Fires EP

Forgive Yr. Blood – Solvents from Forgive Yr. Blood

Best New Releases – Bikini, Cut Copy, Eux Autres, Girls, The Soft Moon, Orange Juice, Home Video, Music Sampler

Posted on 11/24/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

We’re not clear on why anyone (unless your Kayne) would want to drop a new album two days before Thanksgiving; most people are completely distracted by the holidays. That said, there are nonetheless some fine releases you may just want to scoop up during your Christmas shopping excursions.

In recent months, the Miami duo, Bikini, have been on the rise, and this week they drop a new EP, RIPJDS. Nigel Diamond and Olivier Olivier met at Canada‘s Glen-Lyon Norfolk School of music. The band have become well-known for their electro-pop dance music, and we are lucky enough to have two singles from their new release to share.

“American Mourning” – Bikini from EP RIPJDS

“ACheerleader” – Bikini from EP RIPJDS

While we are on the electro-dance vibe, check out the just released new track from the popular Austrailian band, Cut Copy. “Take Me Over” has a decidedly funky beat and an addictive, catchy melody and rhythm; more evidence that the band continue to evolve their stellar sound, to the delight of millions of fans.

“Take Me Over” – Cut Copy from Zonoscope! – out Feb. 8th, 2011

Now, back to this week’s best new singles from newly minted records. Not by design, the next three artists are all from the wonderful city of San Francisco, which has always been a music mecca, but in recent years, has spawned a very long list of popular indie bands and artists.

Among them is the indie pop duo, Eux Autres, who have been gaining ground locally and across the country. Their debut album, Broken Bow, is out this week via Bon Mots Records. And just in time for the holidays, the band also have a new Christmas album, Another Christmas At Home. The band is comprised of brother and sister pair, Nicholas and Heather Larimer.

“Go Dancing” – Eux Autres from Broken Bow

Since the release of their debut LP, Album, San Francisco’s Girls have amassed a worldwide following. That doesn’t happen without relentless touring, so it is a bit surprising that they had time to pump out a new EP, Broken Dreams Club. We have yet to listen to it from start to end, but the single release, “Heartbreaker” is a nice little melodic pop rock track with a bittersweet message.

“Heartbreaker” – Girls from Broken Dreams Club

Another San Francisco musical artist, multi-instrumentalist Luis Vasquez, aka, The Soft Moon, dropped his self-titled debut LP this week. “Tiny Spiders,” the album’s closing track, is gripping and dark, and marked by chaotic synth notes, a rapid beat and occasional distant vocals high on reverb. With the release of his debut, and series of previous 7″ singles, Vasquez’s style is hard to describe – it’s dark synth, if you will, influenced by post-punk, psychedelic rock, and Krautrock. Vanquez calls his style “world music.” But it’s not; instead, it’s more accurate, as his record label suggested, to be tagged”post-apocalyptic.”

“Tiny Spiders” – The Soft Moon from The Soft Moon

And while we’re on the subject of San Francisco bands, you might be interested in a $1 donation to a homeless cause to get a sampler from True Panther Records, featuring tracks from SF bands like Young Prisms, Girls, Ty Segall, Fresh and Onlys, and Dominant Legs, among others.

Sometimes release dates for LPs can get pretty confusing. There’s the digital release date, in the U.S. and abroad, and there’s the physical (vinyl and CD) release date.

Last week, Home Video dropped their latest album, The Automatic Process, digitally; and this week it is out physically. Here’s a track from their new album, plus a remix from Sweden’s Montauk.

“Smoke” – Home Video from The Automatic Process

“Every Love That Ever Was (Montauk’s Vacation Mix)” – Home Video

The legendary Scottish band, Orange Juice, dropped their first album yesterday since frontman Edwyn Collins‘ 2005 stroke. Many of the band’s songs from their peak in the late 1970’s to the early 1980’s were not previously available.

With the new boxset, the band’s fans stateside now have all of the classic tracks in one place.

“Felicity” – Orange Juice from Coals To Newcastle

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Best New Releases from Jonquil, Girl Talk, Crushed Stars, Fredrik, Le Switch, Kisses, Mariage Blanc, Radical Face, Home Video

Posted on 11/17/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

Our choice picks for new releases this week include a lot of bands that most people have probably never heard of before – so hopefully, you’ll find a new favorite band in today’s mix.

Jonquil are Hugo Manuel, Sam Hudson Scott and Robin McDiarmid, three men in their early twenties living in Oxford, England. The band rehearsed and recorded their first stateside EP, One Hundred Suns, in their new east Oxford studio, having recently relocated from the House of Supreme Mathematics that they shared with Foals during the writing of Total Life Forever and Jonquil’s own One Hundred Suns.

“Fighting Smiles” – Jonquil from One Hundred Suns EP

“Get Up” – Jonquil from One Hundred Suns EP

The popular one-man remix and sampling phenom, Greg Gillias, better known as Girl Talk, has released a new album, All Day, as a free download, but a little head’s up – the servers have been clogged up since Monday. So far, the reaction to the latest Girl Talk offering is mixed. The track below, “Triple Double,” features Ludacris’ “How Low” and Phoenix’s breakthrough 2009 hit, “1901.”

“Triple Double” – Girl Talk from All Day

Crushed Stars is a Portland, Oregon indie band who made a splash at South By Southwest and CMJ in year’s past, as well as were favored on a number of high-profile music sites for their widely praised sophomore album, Gossamer Days, produced by Stuart Sikes (Cat Power, Modest Mouse, White Stripes). The band’s latest release, out this week, Convalescing In Braille, was recorded with John Congleton (Antony and The Johnsons, Clinic, The Walkmen, St. Vincent).

“Black Umbrellas” – Crushed Stars from Convalescing in Braille

By Howard Liebers

Yesterday Fredrik dropped a new three track 7″ EP titled Origami via The Kora Records on Limited Edition Vinyl. Original members Fredrik Hultin and O. Lindefelt added instrumentalist and singer Anna Moberg to the mix, but they hold on to their classic ambient folk sound. Fredrik is expected to release a new full length album in March 2011.

“White on White” – Fredrik from Origami EP

The other tracks that we are digging in this week’s lot of new releases include tracks from Le Switch, Mariage Blanc, The Notes, Radical Face, The Russian Futurists, Home Video, La Sera, Pigeons, Pink Martini, The Hours, Lavinia, The Details and more.

“Call Out” – Le Switch from The Rest of Me Is Space (self-released)

“Whatever You Say I Am” – Mariage Blanc from Mariage Blanc (self-released)

“Sheltered” – The Notes from Wishing Well

“Doorways” – Radical Face from Touch the Sky EP

“Smoke” – Home Video from The Automatic Process

“Race” – Pigeons from Liasons

“Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds” – The Russian Futurists from The Weight’s On The Wheels

“Never Come Around” – La Sera from Never Come Around 7

“Don’t Touch My Hat” – The Queers from Back to the Basement

“We Three Kings” – Pink Martini from Joy To The World

“A Damning Cofession” – Lavinia from There Is Light Between Us

“Bermuda” – Kisses from The Heart of the Nightlife

“The Original Mark” – The Details from The Original Mark

“Four Four Letter” – The Glass from At Swim Two Birds

Best New Releases: Weekend, The Radio Dept., The Concretes, Botany, Nightlands, Valleys, Neitzer Ebb, Gary Wilson, Violens

Posted on 11/10/201012/18/2019 by Max Hammer

San Francisco indie trio Weekend release their debut this week

This week’s Best New Releases is an eclectic mix of new albums and EPs from a wide variety of artists and genres. Among the best new drops this week include San Francisco’s newest rising band, Weekend, Sweden’s indie rock outfit, The Radio Dept., plus new music from Swedens’ The Concretes as well as Philly’s Nightlands. Each of those releases we have double-shots from; hopefully, they’ll help some folks to want to buy these three recommended releases.

But that’s not all: we have fresh tracks from new releases by Neitzer Ebb, Last Year’s Men, The Parting Gifts, Gary Wilson, Botany, and many others. You may want to check back with this post tomorrow as we’ll be adding some other artists and doing a free album giveaway. Enjoy.

San Francisco’s Weekend Is One of IRC’s Best New Bands of 2010

First up, is the debut LP from San Francisco‘s rising indie band, Weekend. Right off the bat, we were smitten with this band. As you may have figured out, searching online for information about a band named Weekend is a difficult task. But we think the music says all you need to know for right now.

“Coma Summer” – Weekend from Sports

Double shot: “End Times” – Weekend from Sports

Sweden’s The Radio Dept. Drop New EP; Announce Singles Collection

The Radio Dept. have been one of the most popular indie bands to come out of Sweden in the past decade. This week, the band drops a new EP, and announced the release of a singles collection, Passive Aggressive: The Singles. Only 1,000 12-inch vinyl EPs have been pressed. The EP contains five tracks.

“Follow Suit” – The Radio Dept. from Never Follow Suit EP

“The New, Improved Hypocrisy” – The Radio Dept., unreleased single

New Moonlight Band, The Parting Gifts, Drop Debut LP

Greg Cartwright (Reigning Sound, Oblivians) & Coco Hames (The Ettes) teamed up to form the musical project, The Parting Gifts, featuring appearances from members of The Black Keys and The Raconteurs.

“Keep Walkin” – The Parting Gifts

Sweden’s The Concretes Drop First Album in Three Years

After a three-year break, the popular indie pop band and residents of Stockholm, Sweden, The Concretes, drop their sixth studio album since forming in 1995. Starting out with just two members, over the years the band’s fan based has grown in multiples as the band added more members for a total now of eight musicians.

“Good Evening” – The Concretes from WYWH

“All Day” – The Concretes from WYWH

Botany’s Sound is Anything But Organic

Texas musician Spencer Stephenson, who plays drums for the band Sleep Whale, is moonlighting as the one-man band, Botany. On his debut EP, Feeling Today, Botany cleverly weaves rich instrument infusions with programmed drum beats and almost robotic musings.

“Feeling Today” – Botany from Feeling Today EP

Philadelphia’s War On Drugs Drummer Drops Solo Debut as Nightlands

One of our favorite new ‘bands’ in recent weeks is Nightlands. This week, Nightlands, which is the moniker for Philadelphia musician Dave Hartley, releases the debut LP, Forget The Mantra. Hartley is the drummer of the indie band, War On Drugs.

“Suzerain (A Letter to the Judge)” – Nightlands from Forget The Mantra

“300 Clouds” – Nightlands from Forget The Mantra

Nitzer Ebb Break 15-Year Hiatus With Industrial Complex

Industrial-electro pioneers Nitzer Ebb are returning from a 15-year hiatus with a new album – Industrial Complex – that, upon listening, reaffirms their unique signature of hardcore industrial-electro-pop mixed with a variety of different genres to create a musical melting pot of powerful rhythms, minimal sequencer bass and hook lines, and fierce, chanted vocals. After originally reforming in 2006, the band’s increasingly active profile included 2010 European tour with Depeche Mode.

“Promises” – Nitzer Ebb from Industrial Complex

Valleys Drop 3-Track EP, Stoner

Following the acclaimed debut album Sometimes Water Kills People, Valleys’ members Matilda and Marc return with a new, three-song EP Stoner. While still rooted in their haunting dreampop world, Valleys continue to experiment with the jagged textures and silent power that have always crept in the shadows of their sound.

“Ordinary Dream” – Valleys from Stoner EP

“The Cold Cold Skinny” – Valleys from Stoner EP

Blending the ambient synth sounds of Cocteau Twins and Sisters of Mercy with blistering guitar textures evoking Crass and Minor Threat, Violens‘ Amoral presents psychedelic sonic collages layered with 60’s vocal harmonies. The New York trio first broke through in 2008 and have finally released their debut LP.

“Violent Sensation Descends” – Violens from Amoral

“Acid Reign” – Violens from Amoral

More Worthy Singles from New Releases

“Paralyzed” – Last Year’s Men from Sunny Down Snuff

“Like A Wheel” – Tallest Man on Earth from Sometimes The Blues is Just A Passing Bird

“4312” – Tyvek from Nothing Fits

“If You Must Follow Me” – Jonah from The Wonder & The Thrill

“Electric Endicott” – Gary Wilson from Electric Endicott

“Manhattan Project” – Jesse Payne from Nesting

“Landscapes” – Gregory & The Hawk from Leche

“You Don’t Know Me” – Gross Relations from Fuzzy Timelines