And just like that, Commander Chris Hadfield became my hero. Happy Monday everyone!
SAMPLE THE NEW CRYSTAL FIGHTERS ALBUM
Crystal Fighters have released a sampler of their upcoming album. Listen to it here!
SONGS FOR THE END OF THE WORLD
Have you heard my Best of 2012 mixtape yet? It features music from Animal Collective, MillionYoung, Mystery Jets, Tame Impala, and more!
STREAM WAVVES' NEW ALBUM
NPR is streaming Afraid of Heights in FULL now! Click here to listen to it!
LISTEN TO 4 NEW YEAH YEAH YEAHS SONGS.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs played a few new songs from their new album Mosquito at this year's SXSW. Check them out!
TORO Y MOI ANNOUNCES NEW TOUR DATES
New North American tour dates have been announced! Check them out!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Friday, May 10, 2013
LISTEN // Hear samples of the new Crystal Fighters album Cave Rave!
A few days ago those of you on the Crystal Fighters email list received a new email. In this they had given a link to a sampler of the new album (which can be viewed above). Along with this sampler of Cave Rave there is a included, as they put it, "track by track explanation of what these tracks mean to us," which can be read below. Cave Rave is slated to be released on the 27th.
From the Crystal Fighters:
From the Crystal Fighters:
Peace + Love,
Crystal Fighters
Sebastian, Gilbert, Graham
--
Wave
The song wave is about all life on earth as one, the nature of time, and our collective place in the universe, and other realms. We believe there is far more out there than just the physical world; we are riding on that physical wave, together, but there is a deeper swell which moves all of us, and everything.
LA Calling
This is inspired both by african music legends such as King Sunny Ade and D.O. Misiani but also the spirit of Basque choir music (with their choirs of over 200 men) and of course the txalaparta (the wood blocks we play in our live show), as well as the city where we recorded Cave Rave, Los Angeles. We feel like sometimes life is like a movie, with all it’s twists and turns, heroes and villains, parties and tragedies, and where better to record our audio movie than LA? The subject matter however cryptically spans fast-moving criminal friends in London (now incarcerated - “come out of there”) to peace loving yogi-types in the Basque Hills (“Everyone gather round the world, and give thanks we’re of the world” was a toast given on our last supper in Elgoibar, Spain, where we wrote much of the album).
You & I
This song goes everywhere at once, just like you seem to have to be these modern days, from being on a beach with a ukulele to a black magic séance with a Bolivian charango (a miniature 10-stringed instrument we picked up on our travels and used on this song) to deliriously flying above it all around the world on an aeroplane, the invention that really brought the world together. But all of this insignificant when you discover the intensity and depth of true passion and real love with somebody, “you and me, no one else, nothing else but you and I”. The song draws contrast between the hecticness of life and the purity of joy of love.
Separator
“Can we separate a body from mind and the soul?” This is the main question of the song, is there a path beyond this physical plane for our spirits, and indeed is the spirit world the “change” we are heading for when we are “gone”? There is also, however, a sense of exuberance for and duty to experience the present with full force and extreme love, “foreverlove”, here and now, and forever, way past death, if possible.
No Man
This song is a reflection on memories and all the good and bad things you may have done in your life, and the decisions you took or were taken for you to find yourself where you are today. The lyrics try to capture the feeling of experiencing new revelations for the first time, and the strange combination of emotional sadness coupled with joy you can feel when you’re old world views are left behind, and that initially lonely but ultimately liberated feeling you can feel when walking a new, steeper path.
Bridge of Bones
We wrote this in Berango, Euskadi, as a kind of sequel to the song Xtatic Truth from our first album. It is completely opposite in style to that song, but tries to imagine that “all alone” man still floating alone on the water trying to connect with love in his last moments. We have never done a song like this before and are excited to see where we can go next with new styles having taken the leap with this one.
Love Natural
This is a pure love song set in a sunny place where there positive emotions and feelings of togetherness are running high. When we play live the crowd is so important to us, and their joining us in the realm of ecstatic revelry is of great significance to us, which is why we chose to write a song like this; to celebrate natural love, the struggle but ultimate joy of life, and the sensation of living entirely in the present moment, in an eternal moment of bliss.
Are We One
This song is about the moment one realizes the potential existence of a collective consciousness which unites all beings on earth, and also other dimensions. “When we go up, are we one, are we love?” asks the age old question of what happens to our spirit once it’s current physical incarnation is deceased.
These Nights
This is a thoughtful song about the kind of purgatorial nature of life and indeed nightlife. It’s not hard for us to recollect times of extreme isolation and weariness when at a non-stop party and this song is supposed to add some kind of melancholic optimism to that scenario, culminating in liquid acoustic jungle.
Everywhere
This last song on the record is all about letting your fears about life subside and to experience life and love with the verve and naivete of a child. For much of this album we tried to imagine ourselves living outside of time to seek the essence of nature and artistic creativity without the boundaries of culture as much as possible and to write songs that could have been written at any time.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
NEWS // Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros to release new album this July
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros will release their self-titled third album on July 23rd in the U.S. and Canada and worldwide July 29th.
“These songs mean everything to me – It’s the rawest, most liberated, most rambunctious stuff we’ve done.” -Alex
Track Listing:
Better Days
Let’s Get High
Two
Please!
Life Is Hard
If I Were Free
In The Lion
Country Calling
They Were Wrong
In The Summer
Remember To Remember
This Life
Monday, May 6, 2013
NEWS // Toro y Moi announces upcoming tour
Today Toro y Moi announced new North America tour dates to go a long with his European dates. So all you non-europeans out there (like me) get excited to see Chaz come to your town and turn up the funk! Full list of upcoming tour dates below.
05-27 George, WA - Sasquatch! Music Festival
05-30 Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
05-31 Vilnius, Lithuania - Loftas Festival
06-02 Dublin, Ireland - Forbidden Fruit Festival
06-03 Paris, France - Cabaret Sauvage
06-04 London, England - KOKO
06-05 Brighton, England - Concorde 2
06-06 Bristol, England - Thekla
06-07 Birmingham, England - Academy 2
06-08 Glasgow, Scotland - The Arches
06-09 Manchester, England - Parklife Weekender
07-11-13 Mariaville, NY - Camp Bisco
07-12-14 Louisville, KY - Forecastle Festival
07-15 Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
07-16 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
07-17 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
07-21 Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
07-23 Honolulu, HI - The Republik
08-03 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09-07-08 St. Louis, MO - LouFest
10-08 Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom
10-15 Nashville, TN - Exit In
10-16 Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre
10-17 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
10-18 Columbia, SC - Columbia Museum of Art
10-19 Charleston, SC - Music Farm
10-25 Boston, MA - House of Blues
10-26 Montreal, Quebec - SAT
10-27 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
11-01 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
11-02 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
11-04 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
11-07 Aspen, CO - Belly Up
11-10 Vancouver, British Columbia - Vogue Theatre
NEWS // Noah and the Whale release a new album called "Heart of Nowhere"
Thursday, March 28, 2013
WATCH // Wavves release music video for Afraid of Heights and it's....um...yeah.
Happy Thursday readers! Here's something to start your day off great, it's male cross-dressers!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
NEWS // Active Child releases new single.
Posts have been pretty infrequent these days and I'm sorry about that dudes and dudettes. It's that bi-annual time of the year again when I am completely swamped with work and tests. I'll still do my best to keep you all update on news around the indie music world though. Reviews will be a rare sight however, at least until May when school lets out.
Anyway, Active Child released a new song yesterday on his SoundCloud entitled Evening Ceremony. I personally love Active Child but he's one of those bands that I have to be in the mood for to really enjoy. At first listen this track felt a little slow, but I'm actually really enjoying it now. It picks up a lot the further you get into it. I especially like all the layering. Check it out below!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
NEWS // Generationals announce the release date of their newest thing.
Download a free song off the upcoming album from their twitter here: http://www.twitmusic.com/generationals/songs/spinoza
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
NEWS // Listen to Wavves' new album Afraid of Heights now on NPR.
Do you know what's also stellar? You can listen right now to Wavves' new album Afraid of Heights in full below thanks to NPR! I'm about a third through it as I type this and so far it's sound pretty damn awesome. A full review will come soon but for now listen to the entire album for free below.
As a sort of post-script: I have that exact same varsity jacket.....just saying...
Thursday, March 14, 2013
NEWS // Hear four new Yeah Yeah Yeahs songs from SXSW.
Happy Thursday readers! If you're there, are you enjoying SXSW? One of these years when I have the time man...one of these years. Anyway, yesterday New York indie rock group Yeah Yeah Yeahs performed a few new songs at SXSW from their upcoming album Mosquito (due out April 16). These songs performed include the title track, "Under the Earth", "Subway", and the new single "Sacrilege" along with other older songs. Watch their performance below but be warned, the audio in this video isn't amazing.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
NEWS // Animal Collective reschedules shows due to sickness.
Due to recent sickness Animal Collective will be rescheduling a few upcoming shows, they announced yesterday. Their full post about this can be read below as well as the rescheduled dates.
From the band's Facebook:
"Due to a band illness, Animal Collective regretfully has rescheduled five dates of their North American tour. The dates have been rescheduled for mid-July. All tickets will be honored for rescheduled dates or can be refunded at place of purchase. All other dates will continue as planned."
3/9: Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall rescheduled for 7/9
3/11: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues rescheduled for 7/16
3/12: Covington, KY @ The Madison Theater rescheduled for 7/18
3/13: Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works rescheduled for 7/19
3/15: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Hall rescheduled for 7/15
Friday, March 8, 2013
NEWS // Small Black releases new single.
I gotta say... I'm not that impressed. It just sounds really lack-luster and unexciting which is not like Small Black. I've been a big fan of theirs since their self titled EP a few years back but, I'm just not thrilled at all by this single and really hope the album wont sound like this.
Now this is partly due to me just not wanting Small Black to stop making chillwave, but not entirely. Even if you ignore what they normally sound like and just listen to this with "fresh ears" it still isn't able to deliver like it should. Although the music might be well done, the vocals sound lifeless and apathetic. I'm not completely giving up hope on this album but we'll see. Maybe they'll surprise me and it'll be fantastic...despite this song.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
LISTEN // Smith Westerns - Varsity
The wait is nearly over Smith Westerns fans. The indie rock band released a new song off their upcoming album Soft Will recently. The new track, which is named Varsity, is a upbeat and almost electronic tune and will be part of the new album, set to be out on June 11 to Mom + Pop. Check the single out below and tell me what you think, I really dig it and am excited to hear the rest of the album.
Varsity - Smith Westerns
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
LISTEN // Wavves - Demon to Lean On
Forgot to show you guys this when it originally came out. This is a new song from beach punk band Wavves and will be on their upcoming LP Afraid of Heights out March 26. For the most part I liked their last album King of the Beach but I wished at times that it wasn't so rough around the edges. This new track from them sounds really refined and put-together and I am excited to hear what Afraid of Heights will sound like! What about you?
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
ALBUM REVIEW // Songs for Imaginative People by Darwin Deez
Definitely one of the most playful and, as the album suggests, imaginative albums I have heard in recent years. Every single song is creative in it's lyrics and for the most part this a very well done album. Some parts I wished were different but there was nothing that I really hated. It has a rocky start with songs like Moonlit and No Love but the rest of this album is great fun, especially the second half.
You are thrown right into the action with the opening track (800) HUMAN. It's almost as if Darwin is trying to sell you on his new album, something I have never experienced from the actual artist. Usually it's a reviewer (like me) or your friends that try to persuade you into either buying or not buying an album. Now granted the song isn't actually about you buying his new album but it still feels like it's been designed this way. (800) HUMAN is what I was referring to earlier with the wine thing. At first listen I wasn't too pleased at all with side A (songs 1-5). After a couple listens though, this song along with the next one You Can't Be My Girl and the fifth track, Good to Lose started to really grow on me. But the album really shines on the second half especially with songs like Alice, Redshift, and my favorite track Chelsea's Hotel. These tracks really show how Darwin Deez is progressing as a band since their last release. I just wish the first half sounded more like these. Listen to the album below and tell me what you think!
(800) HUMAN - Darwin Deez
Redshift - Darwin Deez
Chelsea's Hotel
Thursday, February 28, 2013
SINGLE REVIEW // The Bilinda Butchers release a new single called The Lovers' Suicide!
Are you guys excited or what? Long-time favorite The Bilinda Butchers have released a new single off their upcoming album The Lovers' Suicide! by the same name and as I've said in the past, it sports a new sound for the San-Fran duo.
Judging from this track, The Lovers' Suicide! is looking like it's going to be a pleasant surprise. Like a normal BB track that drank too much coffee, "The Lovers' Suicide" is a fast-paced drum and synth driven marvel of what two people can create. It's a change in sound from previous releases like goodbyes and regret, love, guilt, dreams but not a complete one if we can trust what we hear in the second half of their album preview video. Take a listen below and tell me what you think. If you're new to The Bilinda Butchers check one of my favorites here called "Boyfriend".
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
LISTEN // Enjoy this stellar new track from Temple Songs
Caribbean Moon by Temple Songs
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
NEWS // Crystal Fighters release artwork for upcoming album.
Yesterday Crystal Fighters released the album cover of their upcoming album Cave Rave to their Facebook page. Cave Rave will be the Electronic/House band's third full-length and will be released this May. Listen to a preview track from Cave Rave below and get excited!
Monday, February 18, 2013
ALBUM REVIEW // MillionYoung puts the chill back in chillwave with his new LP Variable.
There hasn't been an album where I have genuinely loved every track in a long long time. Then, MillionYoung released Variable on Tuesday and reminded me that this is still possible to do. With every play-through I find something new that I love about it. Variable is the Florida native's second full-length album and continues to support my theory that 2013 is the year of change...at least in bands.
Where other bands might have failed in improving their sound, MillionYoung succeeds. This new album puts the "chill" back in chillwave and all one has to do is listen to tracks like "Lovin" or "Reciprocal" to hear this. Variable isn't a drastic change from previous releases but it is a change nonetheless. Songs in here sound more "dance-able" and remind me of bands like Toro y Moi. Not that the older songs weren't, I mean you how can you not dance a little to "Cynthia" or "On-On" (the list keeps going), but these new songs ooze a certain electro-jazz feel that is new to the band.
If you haven't bought Variable yet you get it on iTunes, Amazon, and many other places. Listen to the album below and tell me what you think!
Friday, February 15, 2013
NEWS // The Postal Service release new single.
A Tattered Line of String is the newest single from The Postal Service off their upcoming 10th anniversary re-release of 2003's Give Up. Scheduled to be released this March, Give Up will include all the original songs fully remastered along with two new songs and covers by The Shins and Iron & Wine.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Strokes - All The Time.
Happy Valentines day readers! The Strokes love us so their present to us was this new single off their upcoming album Comedown Machine, due out this March.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
EP REVIEW // Hypnagogia by LAKE R▲DIO
This newest release is almost an experimentation of new ideas especially with the last track, Bleeding Thumb. It seems that a lot of artists are experimenting with different genres these days. Tegan And Sara put out an electropop album, The Bilinda Butchers will be doing the same soon (although not completely electropop), and now LAKE R▲DIO. Now, don't let that confuse you, there isn't a single electropop song in Hypnogogia if that's what you were thinking. In fact for the most part, this EP is a pretty standard LR release, so fear not old fans.
The strongest track on here has to be the heavily layered and warped track Please, but the majority of Hypnogogia is good. Along with that, other good songs are the opening track Ghost Translator, and the re-release of Community College after it's first appearance in last year's anthology, Hypoxia. Overall I would say I enjoyed listening to this EP but, there are a couple songs I could never really get into like YR LOVE, and Opal Eyes. I will admit that my dislike for YR LOVE is mostly due to my dislike of the song he's sampling in it but as for Opal Eyes, there just wasn't really anything that caught my attention. I felt the beginning dragged on for a bit too long but after that first minute and 30 seconds the song gets a lot better.
Lastly, the final track off this EP is an interesting one. Bleeding Thumb is the least electronic of all the songs and features a new sound from Caden. This song while a nice and relaxing break from the normal music released by LAKE R▲DIO feels incomplete, or if not "incomplete" then at least interrupted due to it's abrupt end at 1:41. This song could and would be a lot better with just a simple adjustment of when the song ends. All things considered Hypnogogia is yet another great release from LAKE R▲DIO. What do you think?
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
NEWS // MillionYoung releases new album Variable.
Happy Tuesday readers! And man, is it a happy Tuesday or what? Not only did we just today get a new album from long-time TBAM favorite MillionYoung, but today also marks the release of Darwin Deez's new album Songs For Imaginative People! MillionYoung's newest album, Variable, is the Florida native's second full-length album and features 10 completely new songs, two of which can be heard below. Make sure you head over to Amazon or Old Flame Records to buy this album and then check back here later for my review.
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