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!

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NEWS // Generationals announce the release date of their newest thing.

Good news for all you Generationals fans out there. They've recently announced the release date for their newest LP. Heza will be out April 2nd on polyvinyl records.

Download a free song off the upcoming album from their twitter here: http://www.twitmusic.com/generationals/songs/spinoza

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WATCH // The Pains of Being Pure at Heart "Until the Sun Explodes"

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NEWS // Listen to Wavves' new album Afraid of Heights now on NPR.

Notice anything different about the website? Yeah, me neither, looks pretty much the same. There definitely wasn't a complete overhaul of ALL the things over the weekend. I am really happy with the way it's turning out right now. I still have some things to do to make it perfect but it's pretty stellar for now.

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...

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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.  

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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

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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.

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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

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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?

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ALBUM REVIEW // Songs for Imaginative People by Darwin Deez

Songs for Imaginative People, the second full-length album from New York based musician Darwin Deez, is like a bottle of wine; it gets better and better with time or in this case play-throughs. It is an album that to some might be a little rough at first but instantly begins to grow on you if given the chance.

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

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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".

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NEWS // Matt & Kim release the music video for It's Alright

Not sure if soft-core or music video...

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LISTEN // Enjoy this stellar new track from Temple Songs

I hope your weekend is as groovy and fun-filled as this newly released track from psychedelic rockband Temple Songs. Whatever you're doing this weekend have fun and stay safe!
Caribbean Moon by Temple Songs

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NEWS // Check out this year's Bonnaroo lineup.

I still love you Postal Service.  :)

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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!

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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! 

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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.

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EP REVIEW // Hypnagogia by LAKE R▲DIO

Caden is at it again. This last Friday the chicago based witch-house artist released a new EP which keeps up the relatively new tradition of giving releases technical names that start with H. Hypnagogia is his newest release and is a currently free (who knows for how long) 6-track EP on his Bandcamp page.

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?

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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. 

Millionyoung - Variable by Old Flame Records

Millionyoung - Lovin by Old Flame Records

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NEWS // Strange Talk release their debut album Cast Away.

I know, I know, I along with a lot of people were upset that Tegan And Sara released an electropop album but that doesn't mean I don't like electropop. In fact, one of my favorite electropop artists, Strange Talk, has just released their debut album a couple of days ago. Cast Away is the Australian band's newest release and first full-length album. This 11 track album is currently available on iTunes and other online music retailers as-well as in stores. A full review will be coming soon but for now listen to the first two tracks off of Cast Away below. Happy Monday readers!

Cast Away by Strange Talk

Falling In Love by Strange Talk

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