Girls – INDIE ROCK CAFE

This is one of the best weeks for new album releases in a while – the list of bands with fresh drops reads like a line-up for Coachella. With at least a dozen popular artists like The Drums, The Kooks, Grouplove, Blitzer Trapper, Neon Indian, Girls, Mates of State, St. Vincent, Robbers on High Street, and Memoryhouse releasing new albums this week, it means that you have quite a number of albums to add to your collection, and/or to add to your wish list for Christmas.

For the past week, we’ve already heard some of the most anticipated LPs, like those from The Drums, The Kooks, Mates of State, Grouplove and Neon Indian. The fantastic singles from these albums make for a great mix that you can stream or download. Plus, there are other noteworthy singles below from lesser-known, new-to-us, and radar love bands.

Right out of the gate, we wanted to start off with one of the best debuts of 2011 from IRC Breakout Band of 2011, Los Angeles indie/alt rock band, Grouplove. We have so much to say about them, but we’re saving it for the upcoming Breakout Bands of 2011 feature series wherein IRC readers, like they did in 2010, will pick the top “new” bands of 2011.

The band’s lead single, “Colours,” is one of the best songs of 2011. If there is one band we think of when listening to Grouplove, it would have to be the Pixies. That’s not to say at all that Grouplove are comparable to Pixies in any way other than Grouplove have obviously been influenced by the alternative rock icons.

“Colours” – Grouplove from Never Trust a Happy Song

Next, The Drums keep it rolling, and demonstrate a musical and creative maturation, with their sophomore album, Portamento. The first single, “Money,” pretty much follows the anthemic summer pop sound that made them a buzz band in 2010. But the band also reveal a completely different sound with the track “Searching For Heaven.” If we hadn’t known it was The Drums, we’d never have guessed. What do you think about this bold step in a new direction for the band?

“Money” – The Drums from Portamento

Double-shot: “Searching For Heaven” – The Drums from Portamento

Up next is the Konk Studio recording artist, and one of our favorite U.K. indie bands, The Kooks, who don’t disappoint with their newest LP, Junk of the Heart. In addition to the widely circulated lead track, “It Is Me,” we also threw in the title track for good measure.

“Is It Me” – The Kooks from Junk of the Heart (stream album)

“Junk of the Heart (Happy)” – The Kooks from Junk of the Heart

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a double-shot of Neon Indian, and two standout tracks from their sophomore album, and of course the lead single from Blitzen Trapper‘s new LP, American Goldwing, which is available to listen to in its entirety at the stream link below.

“Polish Girl” – Neon Indian from Era Extrana (stream album)
Double-shot: “Fallout” – Neon Indian from Era Extrana

“Love the Way You Walk Away”– Blitzen Trapper from American Goldwing (stream album)

Plus, listen to new songs that include sweet tracks from Teen Daze, ANR, Pajama Club and others.

“The Harvest” – Teen Daze from A Silent Planet

“New Armor” – ANR from Stay Kids Deluxe Edition

“Quiet America” – Memoryhouse from The Years EP

“Surgeon” – St. Vincent from Strange Mercy

If you’re at work, fair warning: the wonderfully energetic track “Maracas” from Mates of State might cause you to get up in your cubical and dance. The same can be said for the following track from Robbers on High Street. It just made sense those two tracks where back to back in this mix.

Then the Shimmering Stars jump in the time machine back to 1965 British Invasion tracking on their new single, plus Girls, Pajama Club, Barn Owl, Big Harp and many others.

“Maracas” – Mates of State from Mountaintops (album stream)

“Hey Unbelievers” – Robbers On High Street from Hey There Golden Hair

“I’m Gonna Try”– Shimmering Stars from Violent Hearts

“Vomit”– Girls from Father, Son, Holy Ghost Sounds

“These Are Conditions” – Pajama Club from Pajama Club

“Two Cousins” – Slow Club from Paradise – mp3 via Musicforants

“Dimitri Mendeleev” – Astronautilis from This Is Our Science

“White Elephant” – Ladytron from Gravity the Seducer

“Turiya” – Barn Owl from Lost in the Glare

“Glowing Mouth” – Milagres from Glowing Mouth

“Thankful” – Caveman from CoCo Beware (self-released)

Full Album Streams for Week of Sept. 13

Blondie: Stream album Panic of Girls

Bush: Stream album The Sea of Memories

Chuck Ragan: Stream album Covering Ground

The Devil Wears Prada: Stream album Dead Throne

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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Tag: Girls

Best New Releases – Grouplove, The Drums, The Kooks, Blitzen Trapper, Neon Indian, Girls, Mates of State, St. Vincent, Ladytron

Full Album Streams for Week of Sept. 13

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