new brendan benson

Brendan Benson

In between recording and touring with the Raconteurs and helping out the Stooges on their not-so-great new LP, Detroit's Brendan Benson found the time to record (and leak) a few new, unfinished demos. These may or may not end up on his upcoming full-length, which hopefully will see release sometime this year. Benson's 2002 LP Lapalco remains one of our favorite power-pop records of the last few years, so we're anxious to see what he ends up doing with these promising demos. Thanks to So Much Silence for pointing us in the direction of these rough cuts:

mp3:
Brendan Benson Feel Like Taking You Home
Brendan Benson Poised and Ready

Listen to a few more demos at Brendan Benson's myspace, or possibly here. And because we love this song, here's some classic Lapalco-era Benson:

can't you feel the knife

Edward Droste of Grizzly Bear wins the award for best blogger who also happens to be in an amazing band. Head over to Ed's blog for a video of his dog listening to the Arcade Fire, a great mp3 from a new UK band called Magic Arm, and this video of some 12-year-old kids from Atlanta covering "Knife":

hella international

Thanks to Stones Throw for posting this J Dilla track from the Hella International 3 12-inch Box Set, sold exclusively at the Stones Throw Hella International Party in Miami at the 2007 Winter Music Conference:

mp3:
J Dilla The $ (Madlib remix)

Marissa Nadler covers Xiu Xiu

Slowgoing around blog-land today, but the ever-prolific (and generous) Marissa Nadler posted this Xiu Xiu cover this afternoon on her myspace page. Taken from the upcoming Xiu Xiu Remixed & Covered album, which also features Devendra Banhart, Sunset Rubdown, and more:

mp3:
Marissa Nadler Clowne Towne (Xiu Xiu cover)

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elsewhere:



The great Spine Magazine is hosting the lost M.I.A. track from the import version of Timbaland's new LP:

mp3:
Timbaland + M.I.A. Come Around (via Spine Magazine)

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Finally, as we hinted at about a month ago, St. Vincent has officially signed with Beggars Banquet, and will release her amazing debut LP, Marry Me, in July.

dirty south dance

One of our biggest scores at SXSW was copping A-Trak's first "real" mixtape, Dirty South Dance, a collection of "18 tracks and 50+ minutes of Southern rap laid carefully over electro and dance joints," released on Fool's Gold Records (founded by Nick Catchdubs and A-Trak). Our friend the Analog Giant called it "a damn classic," and the more we listen, we tend to agree.

Featuring remixes of tracks from the Clipse, M.I.A., Timberlake, Rick Ross (including an incredible blend of "Hustlin'" and Simian Mobile Disco's "Hustler"), and more, Dirty South Dance is definitely the party record of the year thus far. Here's a snippet from one of our favorite parts of the mix:

mp3:
A-Trak Feeling for the Pack

Purchase Dirty South Dance at Turntable Lab for only 10 bucks, and while you're over there, pick up the t-shirt and the limited-edition signed print.

new believers

Have any of you guys heard this new Elk City record? Our initial reaction was "Hey, this sort of has a '60s girl-group-meets-the-Pixies feel," which in fact sounds much better on record than on paper. Turns out the Village Voice thinks that frontwoman Renee LoBue sounds "like a female Bowie engaged in a three-way with Hope Sandoval and Patti Smith," which may or may not be more accurate than our thing. Either way, "Los Cruzados" is irresistible:

mp3:
Elk City Los Cruzados
Elk City Cherries in the Snow

Elk City's New Believers comes out April 17 on Friendly Fire.

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also:

We stopped by the Vice Records blog for the first time in a while, and we noticed that they'd posted two tracks from the upcoming Chromeo record in the last couple of months. Where the hell have we been? Anyway, I saw an interview with the Chromeo dudes in which they described the new album as "Hall and Oates-y," so you can count us in (ironically speaking, of course):

Chromeo Tenderoni
Chromeo Fancy Footwork

beach house 'n' guns 'n' bombs

Beach House's self-titled debut LP was released on extremely limited vinyl (500 copies) on Heart Break Beat records on March 20, and thanks to this Pitchfork news item, it's already sold-out. We highly recommend trying to find one (maybe here or at your local record store), as I'm sure the vinyl format only enhances the warmth of one of our favorite releases of '06, and the slightly different artwork sure is pretty.

mp3:
Beach House Master of None

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elsewhere:

L.A. readers are going to want to hit up this party on Friday night, at the brand new Guatelinda on Hollywood Blvd. Only $5 at the door:



Here's a dope little mixtape by Guns 'N' Bombs, featuring themselves, MSTRKRFT, the Teenagers, Boys Noize, and more:

mp3:
Guns 'N' Bombs Mixtape #2 (31 mb)

View the full track list after the jump...


datA - aerius light
does it offend you, yeah? - we are rockstars
guns'n'bombs - crossover appeal
mstrkrft - street justice (mstrkrft 07 remix) [EXXXCLUSIVE]
felix cartal - moss vs tree
boys noize - feel good (tv = off) (shinichi osawa edit)
yelle - short dick cuiz (tepr remix)
christopher + raphael just - disco 128
surkin feat. vyle - toxicoman
the futureheads - worry about it later (al dare half done refix)
the teenagers - homecoming (guns'n'bombs 1996 xtc remix)

the taste in my mouth

Thanks to Asthmatic Kitty for hooking us up with this exclusive mp3 from Shapes and Sizes' upcoming LP, Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner. This song is in stark contrast to "Alone/Alive," the album opener that was posted by Fluxblog/Pitchfork last week, wherein Caila Thompson-Hannant's powerful and unique vocals were described as "assertive," "authoritative," and even "bouncy." But on "The Taste in My Mouth," we find her vulnerable and confused, as the song commences under false pretenses, easing itself into as somewhat disjointed banjo-inflected dirge, before swelling into a vast, surreal multi-part orchestral folk exploration. Thompson-Hannant's voice writhes and quivers amid the epic-yet-restrained arrangements, which showcase S&S' considerable growth and provide a welcome contrast when listened to in the context of the album:

mp3:
Shapes and Sizes The Taste in My Mouth

Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner will be released on Asthmatic Kitty on May 22. Here's one more song from the record:

mp3: Shapes and Sizes Alone/Alive

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elsewhere:


Bill Baird + Jared Van Fleet (photo by Garrison)

{{{{Sunset}}}}) (aka Bill Baird) rolled through Dallas last weekend, and the man brought along a veritable Traveling Wilburys-style Austin all-star team, consisting of Jared Van Fleet (Voxtrot, Sparrow House), Nathan Stein (Tacks, the Early Tapes), Mark David Ashworth, David Longoria (The Black), and a five-man guitar orchestra. In what I would call the best performance I've seen from Bill, fool's eccentric compositions assumed the sonic warmth of '60s AM radio, a sound that recalled the calmer side of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass crossed with the lilting country shuffles of Beck's Sea Change.

mp3:
{{{{Sunset}}}} It's Already Here

click the read more link to view a couple more photos from the evening...



Bill and his guitar army (photo by Garrison)


Bill (photo by Garrison)

i told her give it up. she said she ain't a quitter.

spec boogie

So we were at a dance-party at SXSW, and the DJ (think it was A-Trak) was going over fairly well until he played "Young Folks," at which point the crowd proceeded to lose their shit and sing along at the top of their collective lungs. The DJ's response? "Fucking hipsters." On a semi-related note, we found this little gem over at the Fader blog: Spec Boogie drops his introspective and lovelorn verse(s) over Peter Bjorn and John's "Amsterdam," thereby rendering this remix approximately 100x better than the original, and making us fast fans of the Brooklyn MC:

mp3:
Peter Bjorn and John + Spec Boogie Amsterdam (loosie remix)

don't make me get old school

This brand new, unfortunately-titled Dizzee Rascal track comes courtesy of Diplo's Mad Decent blog, and it has us floored just a little bit. I mean, we already loved Dizzee, but he ups the ante on this one, dropping his unmistakable flow over a familiar and completely insane break:

mp3:
Dizzee Rascal Pussyhole

The new Dizzee Rascal LP, Maths and English, comes out June 5.

cool kids

The Cool Kids

The Cool Kids are Chuck and Mikey from Chicago, Illinois. According to their myspace page, Chuck and Mikey are "out to bring a feeling back" and to "make it cool to be a fan again." Oh, and also "to make Dope shit." We wholeheartedly support all of these endeavors. "Mikey Rocks" sounds like a late '80s EPMD joint produced by a low-budget version of the Neptunes, so we'd say they're off to a good start.

mp3:
The Cool Kids Mikey Rocks

The Cool Kids have an EP coming out soon on Fool's Gold Records, home of A-Trak and Kid Sister.

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elsewhere:

After wowing pretty much everyone that was lucky enough to see her play at SXSW, Dallas' St. Vincent will release her outstanding debut LP, Marry Me, in May on a yet-to-be-announced label. Asthmatic Kitty (not her label) has posted the first review of the record in their sidebar, and it basically echoes our sentiments exactly. Reviewer Adam Gnade calls Marry Me, "11 tracks of this beautiful, playful, smart, intense jazz-folk-pop-classical hybrid thing. It's American music in the finest sense..." That's about the most accurate summation of St. Vincent's sound that we've ever heard. Read the rest of the review here, and proceed to get excited about the record...it's something special.

cheer me up thank you

Australia's Sally Seltmann, aka New Buffalo, has a new album called Somewhere, Anywhere. The record, which features guest spots by members of the Avalanches and Architecture in Helsinki, was released yesterday in Australia, but I have no idea when/if it will be released elsewhere. We were big fans of her 2005 release on Arts & Crafts, so hopefully this one will find a home there as well. Here's the video for the first single, "Cheer Me Up Thank You," directed by Architecture in Helsinki's Isobel Knowles:



Music For Robots has the mp3 and a nice little writeup about the song.

jana hunter: there's no home

Jana Hunter

Partially written on her sailboat tour with Peter and the Wolf, Jana Hunter's beautiful and soulful new record There's No Home will be released on Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong label on April 10. This is one of our most highly-anticipated albums of 2007, and this song fully validates our excitement. One of the poppiest numbers she's has ever written, "Babies" features an infectious rolling bassline and showcases Jana's talent on her first instrument, the violin, which she's played since she was 9 years old. The highlight, however, is Ms. Hunter's uniquely androgynous and haunting vocal turn:

mp3:
Jana Hunter Babies

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related:



Jana Hunter is also in a band called Jracula, and according to her bio on the Gnomonsong website, they've completed a record that will be released soon. Here's what we said about this song back in August:

This song is sort of disjointed and droning (dirge-like, even), but it's intensely melodic at the same time, with its catchiness only revealing itself after a few listens. The creepy synth line sounds like it was lifted from an old horror flick, and Jana's haunting vocals are as sinister-sounding and mesmerizing as ever...I don't know what you'd call it, but Jracula is wading in some unclassifiable territory with this one.

mp3:
Jracula Carpopolis

see a penny, pick it up

YACHT (better known as Jona from the Blow) is set to release his awesomely titled LP, I Believe in You. Your Magic is Real, on Marriage Records. This first song, with its bassline lifted directly from the Knight Rider theme song, is the absolute jam. If you liked the Blow's Paper Televison (and who didn't?), I'm pretty sure you'll love this too:

mp3:
YACHT See a Penny, Pick it Up

I Believe in You. Your Magic is Real comes out May 8. The cd release party will take place on an actual yacht.

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bonus:

YACHT also has a remix album coming out soon on States Rights Records, entitled Our Friends in Hell. Here are a couple tracks from that release:

Architecture in Helsinki Do the Whirlwind (YACHT remix)
Mirah Make it Hot (Over Remix)

The Polyphonic Spree at Hot Freaks

Many thanks go to Stereogum for shooting and uploading this video of the Polyphonic Spree's performance of "Hanging Around the Day" at Hot Freaks at SXSW. The band's new material sounded great, and their life-affirming afternoon set was the highlight of SXSW for me and many others:



The Fragile Army will be out in June on TVT Records. Listen to part of new song "Running Away" at the band's website.

sunset and friends

poster by David.

Please join us Saturday evening at the Cavern for an intimate show with Sound Team's Bill Baird, aka {{{{sunset}}}}, and friends. He'll be joined by assorted members of his esteemed crew from Austin, including (but not limited to): the Black, Mark David Ashworth, Tenlons Fort, and more. We've talked about Bill, the Black, and Mark David before, but this Tenlons Fort song is exceptionally pretty and sad; I think you guys'll really like it. Here are a few mp3s, all of the "highly recommended" variety:

mp3s:
{{{{Sunset}}}} Already Here
Tenlons Fort Ghost on a Hill
Mark David Ashworth Eggs

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elsewhere:


The Pipettes at Beauty Bar (photo by Lorne Thomson)

Our boy over at Lullabyes captured some incredible recordings at SXSW this year. First up: the Rosebuds at Hot Freaks, Bonde Do Role, and the Pipettes at Beauty Bar. Here's a sample:

mp3:
The Pipettes Pull Shapes (live at SXSW)

We know for a fact that Lullabyes has a bunch more where these came from, so keep checking back.

The National: "Fake Empire"

Here's the album opener from many people's most-anticipated record of 2007, The National's Boxer. First impressions? We love it.

mp3:
The National Fake Empire

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bonus:

Here's an exclusive teaser video for "Slow Show," track six from Boxer:



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elsewhere:

This article (and its comments) over at the Austinist, regarding all of the parties that were suspiciously shut down at this year's SXSW festival, is a must read. Turns out it probably didn't matter how thorough the IHEARTCOMIX people were, that party was going to be shut down either way. Hope this isn't a sign of things to come at future unofficial SXSW events.

breaker

Richard Swift

One artist I missed at SXSW that everyone has been raving about was Richard Swift. This great little Prince cover will be featured as the B-side on the upcoming Kisses for the Misses seven-inch, due out May 22.

Richard Swift Paisley Park (Prince cover)

Here's the video for the A-side, "Kisses for the Misses":



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elsewhere:

Our boy Andy tipped us off to this fine event taking place in Point Arena, an idyllic beach town north of San Francisco City. Vetiver's one of our favorite bands that we've never had the chance to see live, so we'd obviously jump at the opportunity to make this one if we lived out there:



mp3:
Vetiver Farther On

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Finally, one album that was released this week that we've neglected to mention is Low's Drums and Guns. We haven't spent much time with the full record yet, but it's worth purchasing on vinyl just for the gorgeous photos of, uh, drums and guns that accompany the liner notes. We also have a sneaking suspicion that the record's going to be a grower, based mostly on the fact that we've been obsessed with this song lately:

mp3:
Low Breaker

Stereogum posted the "Breaker" video here.

let it percolate

One of the most pleasant surprises at this year's SXSW fest was the fun we had watching and attempting to dance to Kid Sister's set at the NASA party. The girl has charisma to burn, and the fact that she's totally adorable doesn't hurt either. Some fun facts: the Chicago MC graces the cover of the latest issue of URB Magazine, and her DJ is J2K of Flosstradamus, who also happens to be her brother. Here's a new-ish Flosstradamus re-work of Kid Sister's "Damn Girl":

mp3:
Kid Sister Girlie Rock (via our friends from Missing Toof)

Listen to more at Kid Sister's myspace, and check her out at Coachella if you get the chance

you've got disaster on your mind

An unfortunate side effect of blogging is that it has totally changed the way I listen to new music for the worst, and when coupled with my terrible ADD, I often have trouble making it past the first track of new releases. If I don't hear something that grabs me immediately, it's on to the next one, which I will readily admit is fairly pathetic. But luckily for me, the Besnard Lakes' "Disaster" is an essentially perfect album opener, recalling the majestic beauty of Brian Wilson's better compositions, only with more psychedelic flourishes. "Disaster" gives way to the just-as-amazing and epic "For Agent 13," the song that rendered me entirely enthralled by this band. In fact, the first four tracks from The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse are nearly perfect, and as a result, it's gradually turned into one of our favorite releases of the year.

mp3: The Besnard Lakes Disaster

We can't recommend enough that you purchase The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse here, preferably in archaic and totally rad vinyl format, for only $11.

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elsewhere:

It's been a while since we talked about sports around here, but we thought this was pretty funny. O.J. Mayo, widely considered to be the best high school hoops prospect in the nation, ended his high school career last weekend with this gem. In the waning seconds of the state championship game, Mayo tosses the ball off the backboard, dunks, then hurls the ball about 100 rows deep. He immediately gets a technical foul and is thrown out of the game, which elicits high fives from his teammates, and a hug from his coach. Classy. All set to the moving sounds of Explosions In The Sky:



That nonsense would have prompted a swift and literal ass-kicking from our high school coach. Oh by the way, the kid had a triple-double and his team won the state championship, despite his antics. He'll fit right in when he gets to the NBA.

Explosions In The Sky Welcome, Ghosts mp3

we gathered in spring

Eric and Tim of Midlake stopped by AOL's the Interface recently for a quick interview, and more importantly, a rare acoustic performance. Here's the stripped-down acoustic version of one of our favorite songs from The Trials of Van Occupanther that the band played for the podcast:

mp3:
Midlake We Gathered in Spring (live on the Interface)

Download the full podcast over at the Interface.

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elsewhere:

We wanted to give a huge thanks to G4's Attack of the Show for this really nice GvsB mention that aired last week. We actually watch Attack of the Show regularly (not just because Olivia is hot...we gotta stay up on Wii news) so it was an extremely cool surprise to hear the blog mentioned.

KEXP at SXSW

Ghostland Observatory on KEXP at SXSW (photo credit)

One of the highlights of last week's SXSW festival was meeting the great people from Seattle's KEXP, who had an extremely busy week to say the least. They spent most of their time holed up at the ACL Studios recording and broadcasting some truly amazing performances, including one from Austin's own Ghostland Observatory. Here's one track that the band recorded:

mp3:
Ghostland Observatory Sad Sad City (live on KEXP at SXSW)

Fujiya & Miyagi stopped by the studio too, and we have to insist you grab their whole set, because we can't stop listening to it. Here's a quick taste:

mp3:
Fujiya & Miyagi Ankle Injuries (live on KEXP at SXSW)

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Nice work all around, KEXP. Head over to the KEXP Blog, where they've made all of the archived KEXP/SXSW sessions available for download. Great news for us, since we ended up missing a lot of these bands last week. We highly recommend spending some time over there downloading sets from the Stooges, Beirut, Okkervil River, and so much more. Between these sets and the insane number of sessions that Daytrotter ended up recording at Big Orange, you should have plenty of SXSW-related listening to tide you over until next year.

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elsewhere:

Check out the main page of the New York Times website for a short documentary entitled "Hardest Working Band at SXSW." The video details the Black Lips' experience during the fest, and includes footage shot at our Hot Freaks party.

The Black Lips Not a Problem mp3

coolness is having courage to do what's right

Just a reminder that our album of the year thus far, Panda Bear's Person Pitch, comes out today on Paw Tracks. The record got a nice little mention in Sunday's New York Times, as well as an extremely positive 4-bunny review from those arbiters of legit independent culture and the arts over at Playboy Magazine (written by none other than Pitchfork's Marc Hogan). Any guesses on the Pitchfork score? I'm assuming it'll be up tomorrow morning...I'm going to go with 9.1.

Panda Bear Comfy in Nautica mp3

Menomena + Tree Wave: Live in Dallas

Thanks to everyone who came out to last night's sold-out Menomena/Tree Wave show in Dallas. The Cavern was actually over double its capacity for most of the evening...I'm so proud of you Dallas. (All photos by David)


Tree Wave's Paul Slocum rocks the Atari

Tree Wave's Paul Slocum put on one of the most innovative, visually interesting sets I've ever seen. Using old-school videogame gear to generate hypnotic images that are perfectly synched with gorgeous waves of electronic pop music, Tree Wave had the crowd transfixed for their full 30 minute set. We told some young kid that he was using an Atari 2600, and the kid had no idea what we were talking about.

Tree Wave May Banners mp3


Menomena

I assumed Portland's Menomena would be exhausted after playing numerous SXSW shows and sitting in ridiculous traffic on the way from Austin to Dallas, but about 2 minutes into set-opener "The Pelican," it became apparent that this was not the case. The entire set was loud and intense, culminating in an overpoweringly beautiful version of "Evil Bee." Seeing the band live twice in two days completely reinforced our belief that Friend and Foe is one of the best records of the year, and that Danny Seim is one of the best drummers we've ever seen.

Menomena E is Stable mp3

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Click read more link to view more photos from last night...


TREE WAVE:





MENOMENA:

SXSW 2007: Recap

Despite being extremely busy and slightly stressed out for a good part of the week, this was by far the most enjoyable SXSW we've ever experienced. Being tied to our own parties all day had its rewards, and while I'm sure I missed a ton of great bands, I was able to meet and hang out with some of the coolest people ever and witness some of the best performances I've ever seen. Here are the highlights of one of the most exhausting and fulfilling weeks we've had in a long time, in no particular order:


White Denim

White Denim at Hot Freaks
I think I speak for everyone that was packed into the Mohawk's tiny inside room when I say that this performance was nothing short of mind-blowing. The band was impossibly tight and loose at the same time, and the energy in the tight space was pretty incredible. Everyone in the room had a huge smile on their face the entire time, and I heard about 20 post-set "Who the fuck were those guys?" comments.


Tim (and Julie) of the Polyphonic Spree

The Polyphonic Spree at Hot Freaks
By the time the Polyphonic Spree took the stage for their headlining slot at Hot Freaks, Club Deville was filled to capacity and there was a line down the block. The anticipation was pretty intense, and the Spree didn't disappoint. It's no secret that I love these guys, and the band's chill-inducing new material reminds me of the first time I saw Tripping Daisy, which means everything (to me, anyway). Oh, and drummer Brian Teasley is officially insane. (read Pitchfork's review of the show)


Spank Rock + Marina of Bonde Do Role

Spank Rock/Bonde Do Role at NASA
My only complaint (which was shared with 100% of attendees, as well as the artists) is that these sets were far too short. But the performances were electric, and we didn't stop dancing the entire time.


Kelly + Ivan of the Rosebuds

The Rosebuds at Hot Freaks
See Mr. Chromewaves' review of this show, which he described perfectly as "overflowing buckets of fun." The band's new stuff sounded amazing, and the older material prompted a mass sing-along, which was one of the best things we heard all week. About midway through the Rosebuds' set, it dawned on me that these guys are the most underrated band in America.



Ola Podrida at gorilla vs. booze
We've been dying to see David Wingo and crew for a long time, and they met and exceeded our expectations. I can't wait for people to hear their outstanding self-titled debut, which comes out this spring on Plug Research.

Ola Podrida Cindy mp3



Alela Diane at Big Orange (Daytrotter Session)
Oh my. All I can really say about this one is this: wait until you hear the recording. I have no idea when the incredibly awesome Daytrotter guys are going to post mp3s of the session, but aside from Big Orange's resident rooster crowing every few minutes, the session was flawless.


St. Vincent at Hot Freaks

Other great sets we caught included St. Vincent, the Rapture, the Shivers, Menomena (more on their Dallas show later), the Dirty Projectors, Flosstradamus and A-Trak, the Pipettes at the Pitchfork party, Peter and the Wolf (twice), Sparrow House, Apostle of Hustle, Simian Mobile Disco, Architecture in Helsinki, Imperial Teen, Prototypes, Dana Falconberry, Shout Out Out Out Out, Walter Meego, Shearwater, and more that we're too tired to recall right now. The only disappointment of the fest was that the IHEARTCOMIX Blowout (which we invited about 20 friends to) got busted by the cops a little prematurely, but even that was kind of fun.

We also ran into each of the following bloggers at some point during our stay in Austin (seriously), and they were all extremely nice and not even remotely nerdy, so make sure to check these fine establishments for their takes on the week:

Brooklyn Vegan, Central Village, My Old Kentucky Blog, Out the Other, You Ain't No Picasso, Cause=Time, Aquarium Drunkard, Muzzle of Bees, Chromewaves, Dd, Scenestars, Rock Insider, Music for Robots, Largehearted Boy, Underrated, I Rock I Roll, Kathryn Yu, Stereogum, Spinner, KEXP, Idolator, Pitchfork

Click the read more link for more photos and an abundance of mp3s from a few of the notable bands we can wholeheartedly recommend thanks to their SXSW performances...


The Polyphonic Spree at Hot Freaks


White Denim at Hot Freaks


Apostle of Hustle at Hot Freaks


DJ $elect at Hot Freaks


Fatlip


Brian Teasley of the Polyphonic Spree


Prototypes at Hot Freaks


White Denim at Hot Freaks


Sober at Hot Freaks

mp3s:
Alela Diane Pieces of String
Prototypes Je Ne Te Connais Pas
The Shivers Beauty
Shout Out Out Out Out Dude You Feel Electrical
The Rosebuds Get Up Get Out
Walter Meego Romantic
Bishop Allen Corazon

new voxtrot: "kid gloves"

Voxtrot

The new Voxtrot LP (due out in May) is apparently the topic of message boards all across the internet, and the first wave of knee-jerk reactions seem to be split right down the middle. We're obviously reserving judgement until we've heard the whole album, but our initial thoughts are that we really dig the first official mp3:

mp3:
Voxtrot Kid Gloves

tonight

We're sitting in traffic on the way from austin to dallas, and just wanted to remind everyone about tonight's show at the cavern. Tree Wave takes the stage right around 8. See you there.

sxsw: day two in photos

I'm too tired to write a bunch of words right now (I'll run down the highlights when this thing is over) but I wanted to share some photos from a perfect day two of SXSW. Most of these are from our Gorilla vs. Booze day party (thanks to everyone who came out) or the NASA party, which was apparently the place to be last night (Girl Talk, Gruff Rhys, Diplo, Fatlip, and more were in attendance). Click for larger images:


Bonde Do Role at NASA


Alela Diane: Daytrotter session


Spank Rock + Amanda Blank at NASA


Dirty Projectors at gorilla vs. booze


gorilla vs. booze


Spank Rock at NASA


Kid Sister and Flosstradamus at NASA


Dana Falconberry at gorilla vs. booze


what's up Fatlip?


Peter and the Wolf at gorilla vs. booze


Spank Rock and friends

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See you guys later today at Hot Freaks...

sxsw: day one

We just returned from seeing the Rapture play an insanely fun dance party at La Zona Rosa, but before we pass out from exhaustion, here's a quick SXSW Day One recap:



We kicked off the festival by spending the majority of the day at the Mohawk for the Austinist/Gothamist/GvsB-sponsored Gonna Gonna Get Get Down II, and we couldn't have asked for a better party. The venue was completely packed, and the bands were amazing. We spent more time enjoying the music and the awesome people than taking pictures, but here are a few highlights. Thanks to everyone that came out despite the soggy weather...


Sparrow House


Hello Stranger


no idea


Peter and the Wolf

We've got a busy day tomorrow, including catching a few Daytrotter sessions in the morning, and the NASA party tomorrow night. And of course, we hope to see everyone tomorrow afternoon at gorilla vs. booze.

headed to Austin

This is the post where we tie up a few loose ends before we head down to Austin for SXSW. Here are the parties we're involved with in some capacity or another; stop by and say hi if you get the chance:



A couple of notes: check the Hot Freaks website for a few changes and additions to the lineup, including St. Vincent's slot moving from 2:30 PM to 11:30 AM due to a scheduling conflict, and the addition of Birdmonster to the Saturday lineup. Also, Pitchfork posted this news item which sort of gives away our surprise Saturday headliner. It's going to be packed, so get to the Mohawk early.

mp3:
The Polyphonic Spree Sonic Bloom (Tripping Daisy cover)

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also:



One of the parties I'm most excited about is the IHEARTCOMIX Blowout, mostly because of the crazy Mad Decent Room lineup (Spank Rock, Diplo, etc.) Mad Decent is also releasing this uber-limited Mad Decent/WOWCH collab t-shirt (pictured above). Only 100 available online, and these will sell out, so pre-order yours here.

mp3:
Spank Rock Put That Pussy On Me (Diplo Tonite remix)

eccentric soul

We've declared our love for Numero Group's Eccentric Soul series numerous times in the past, so we were pretty psyched when our good friend the Aquarium Drunkard sent us the latest installment, which is devoted to Chicago's legendary Twinight label. Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation is an epic 40-track, double-CD collection that just might be the best (and is certainly the most thorough) Eccentric Soul release yet.

I can't recommend this enough, as it's absolutely loaded with obscure/rare gems that could (and probably should) have been huge hits in the late '60s. I was unfamiliar with Renaldo Domino, but he's well-represented on this compilation, with four ridiculously good songs. Here's one of our favorites:

mp3:
Renaldo Domino Nevermore (1969)

Purchase Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation here.

come to view

We first heard Seattle's Arthur & Yu nearly a year ago, and they became one of those bands that would pop up occasionally on shuffle at the perfect time, seemingly to remind us how much we really liked them in the first place. Well I was happy to hear that the duo recently signed with brand new Sub Pop spin-off Hardly Art, which, not so coincidentally, will be run by our friend Sarah. Awesome! They've also released a great new song (via myspace) from their upcoming Hardly Art release, In Camera. Recommended for fans of Nancy & Lee, which should be you.

mp3:
Arthur & Yu Come To View (Song for Neil Young)

In Camera will be out sometime this summer. Head over to the band's myspace page to hear two more tracks from the record, including the fantastic album-opener, "Absurd Heroes Manifesto." Arthur & Yu also provide vocals for one of the better tracks on the upcoming Dntel record, Dumb Luck.

you don't believe in monogamy

Head over to The Teenagers' myspace page to hear the brand new "Starlett Johansson," a not-really-veiled-at-all ode to the fact that the above-pictured actress doesn't believe in monogamy. Kinda funny, but not as good as Lindsay Lohan.

previously:

The Teenagers remix Au Revoir Simone's "Fallen Snow"

SXSW Preview: Austin's finest

Austin will be well-represented at this year's SXSW festival. In addition to bands like Spoon, Ghostland Observatory, Voxtrot, et al., the fest will offer an opportune chance for out-of-towners to catch some of Austin's lesser-known (as of now, anyway) artists that we love. Here are some highlights:


Sparrow House

On Friday, March 16, at SXSW, many of our favorite Austin artists will gather at the Tonewheel Collective Showcase at Progress Coffee. This will be an ideal time for non-Texans to see what/who the hell we're talking about all the time, all in one spot:

Noon Evan Jacobs (Tacks the Boy Disaster)
1pm Martin Crane (Brazos)
2pm Sparrow House (Jared from Voxtrot)
3pm Mark David Ashworth (INK)
4pm Sunset (Bill Baird from Sound Team)
5pm Red Hunter (Peter and the Wolf)
6pm Michael Winningham (The Glass Family)

mp3:
Sparrow House You Sang Along
Bill Baird Dear Friend (Failing Dominoes)
Martin Crane On an Evening


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We've been a fan of Austin's Zykos for a while now, and the band is finally getting some much-deserved recognition outside of their hometown. They were recently named Spin's Artist of the Day, and are currently recording their as-yet-untitled 3rd album with Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Sound Team, etc.) These new demos are among the best stuff the band has ever done...both are highly recommended:

mp3:
Zykos Autographin' Bibles
Zykos Keep it Light

Zykos will be playing numerous shows at SXSW. Check out all of the details (and download two more songs) at the band's myspace.

wet and rusting

MTV's Subterranean Blog premiered the hilarious new Lance Bangs-directed Menomena video this morning. The trampoline scene is almost like an OK Go video, if Ok Go were clever and funny and had musical talent:

Menomena Wet and Rusting mp3

Man, we love those guys so much. Don't forget to stop in Dallas on your way out of Austin after SXSW for this:

why and how come

The Shaky Hands were recently called "the best rock band in Portland," which means a whole lot more than if they lived in say, Sacramento (no offense dudes), because Portland is arguably where it's at these days (see Menomena, the Shins, Viva Voce, the Thermals, et al). Anyway, it turns out these guys are the Thermals' favorite new band, and our friends at I Guess I'm Floating and Said the Gramophone are fans as well. But the reason we're talking about the Shaky Hands here is that we can't get their insanely infectious tunes out of our head lately. I imagine if you're a fan of warm and fuzzy hook-laden rock of the Tapes 'n Tapes and/or CYHSY variety you'd really enjoy this, and if not, lighten up already:

mp3:
Shaky Hands Why and How Come (mad recommended)
Shaky Hands The Sleepless

The Shaky Hands' self-titled debut comes out April 10 on Portland's Holocene Music, home of the wonderful and terribly underrated Alela Diane.

Bonus:

Alela Diane The Rifle mp3

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elsewhere:


Deerhoof in Dallas

We didn't make it out to the Deerhoof show last night, but our friend David attended what will be one of the Gypsy Tearoom's final shows, and assures us it was "thunderdunkin'." He was able to snap some photos as well...click the "read more" link to view more shots from the show...

Deerhoof +81 mp3

New Marissa Nadler cover

The prolific Marissa Nadler has posted yet another cover on her myspace page. This time, she offers up her rendition of The Band's "Lonesome Suzie." Have we mentioned that we could listen to her voice all day?

mp3:
Marissa Nadler Lonesome Suzie (The Band cover)

Pitchfork Music Festival announces extra day, first group of acts

Pitchfork has announced (via this podcast) the first group of acts for this year's Pitchfork Music Festival, July 13-15 at Chicago's Union Park. They've also announced that there will be an extra day (Friday night) at this year's fest. Here are the first confirmed acts...pretty great lineup so far:

Cat Power
Of Montreal
Clipse
Iron and Wine
Grizzly Bear
Jamie Lidell
Girl Talk
Professor Murder

The festival was a blast last year, and we'll definitely be back this summer. Tickets go on sale Monday at 12 PM Central.

Deep Blue Sea

Dan Rossen of Grizzly Bear

As we've mentioned, Grizzly Bear was our guest on Blog Radio last night. In case you missed it, here's one of the highlights. Grizzly Bear's Dan Rossen gave us his beautiful take on "Deep Blue Sea," a traditional American folk song of mysterious origin that "seems to have been built out of a fragment of an old British ballad or sea song." (source) Take the time to listen to this through your headphones; its ethereal beauty is understated and haunting, and at the same time, surprisingly infectious:

mp3:
Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear) Deep Blue Sea

related:

We briefly mentioned Dan Rossen's other band, Department of Eagles, a while back, and this song has really grown on us over the last few months:

Department of Eagles Deadly Disclosure mp3

Listen to a few more tracks at the band's myspace.

more new stuff from Panda Bear

We've made it abundantly and annoyingly clear (sorry dudes) that we love Panda Bear's Person Pitch (we all but declared it our album of the year back in January), and "Bros" is going to contend for best song. The video? Not so much, but it sort of fits the uplifting, euphoric vibe of the record. Plus there's a cat, which is good. Directed by Excepter's Jeff Ryan and Panda Bear's friend Frank, apparently on a budget of free:



As an added bonus, here are a few unreleased new tracks that won't appear on Person Pitch, recorded live on Portuguese blog Ma Fama, as well as the live version of "Comfy in Nautica" from that session, which includes a cool little intro. "Untitled" and "Bonfire of the Vanities" are especially great:

mp3:
Panda Bear Untitled (live on Ma Fama)
Panda Bear Bonfire of the Vanities (live on Ma Fama)
Panda Bear Daily Routine (live on Ma Fama)
Panda Bear Comfy in Nautica (live on Ma Fama)

Premiere: new Ratatat remixes

Our boys Ratatat are back with possibly the best remix they've ever done, to be featured on the upcoming RATATAT Presents...Remixes Vol. II. Granted, "Party and Bullshit" is probably my favorite Biggie song ever, so I may be a bit biased, but this is the absolute jam.

mp3:
Notorious B.I.G. Party and Bullshit (Ratatat remix)

Ratatat starts their U.S. tour next week, and rolls through TX in early April...view all of the dates here. RATATAT Presents...Remixes Vol. II has been slightly delayed, but should be out soon, so Evan from Ratatat hooked us up with this bonus Texas remix:

Slim Thug, Bun B, and T.I. 3 Kings (Ratatat remix)

Grizzly Bear on Blog Radio

Grizzly Bear played a special live gorilla vs. bear Blog Radio session at Good Records last week, which will air tonight at 10 PM Eastern on SIRIUS Left of Center Channel 26. Here are a couple tracks from the intimate in-store; you can download the rest of the incredible session from our friends over at Lullabyes.net.

mp3:
Grizzly Bear Plans (live at Good Records)
Grizzly Bear Knife (live at Good Records)

Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear also guest-DJ'ed a portion of the show, and he made some interesting picks, so be sure to listen tonight. If you don't have SIRIUS, listen for free online at sirius.com. Here's the video of Grizzly Bear's performance of "Easier," in case you missed it the first time around:

new Dntel: "Dumb Luck"

Here's the title track and album opener from the new Dntel record we mentioned the other day. The album features guest spots from Grizzly Bear, Jenny Lewis, Conor Oberst, Lali Puna, Fog, Mia Doi Todd, and more. Dumb Luck is due out on April 24 on Sub Pop.

Dntel Dumb Luck mp3

also:



Don't miss the Sub Pop showcase at SXSW, featuring Loney, Dear, Oxford Collapse, Kinski, and more, Wednesday night at Emo's.

don't be on with her

We briefly mentioned Melbourne's Miami Horror earlier today, but after spending about an hour listening to the greatness on his myspace page we concluded that he deserves his own post. One of the most aptly monikered artists in recent history, Miami Horror makes instantly familiar synth-jams that are equally influenced by Madonna, Miami Vice, Prince, Justice, and every movie soundtrack from the 1980s. Expect to hear more from this kid in the very near future. Recommended for everyone between the ages of 16-35.

mp3:
Miami Horror Don't Be On With Her (via whothehell.net)

bonus:

Tegan and Sara Walking With a Ghost (Miami Horror remix) mp3

Head over to Big Stereo to download a great Miami Horror remix of Stardust's "Music Sounds Better."

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related:

While we're on the topic of electro from Melbourne, we still can't get enough of the new Cut Copy song we mentioned a while back. Listen to "Hearts on Fire" at the band's myspace.

sweaty wet dirty damp

Gameboy/Gamegirl is made up of 3 MCs from Australia, with beats by Melbourne's Miami Horror. According to their mypace page, they say the words "shake," "hustle," and "whaaaaat" a lot. The band lists the Pack, Bonde Do Role, Clipse, and Yo Majesty among their influences, so as far as I know, they could've literally formed yesterday. They also make the kind of electro that sounds 100 times better in a club than sitting at your cubicle through your shitty computer speakers. Think JJ Fad, Fannypack, or Avenue D, but throw a little Spank Rock and Crystal Castles in there too, and you're almost there:

mp3:
Gameboy/Gamegirl Sweaty Wet Dirty Damp

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elsewhere:


photo by Chad Wadsworth

Our friends in Austin's Car Stereo (Wars) are playing an official showcase at SXSW, Wednesday at 11 PM at Beauty Bar (along with Crystal Castles, Holy Fuck, Best Fwends, and more). Here'a a short preview of what you can expect during their set:

Car Stereo (Wars) SXSW Mixtape Preview mp3

stick to the b.e.a.t.

Despite (or maybe because of) the blatant Michael Jackson influence, including referencing "PYT" and "ABC" in the lyrics and the appearance of a bunch of young children, we can't get enough of this new Justice track (which we originally described as "a Jackson 5 song reworked by the Go! Team"). If this is the new direction the band is going in, we're on board with that. This version is much better than the annoying radio rip that's been floating around.

mp3:
Justice D.A.N.C.E. (demo) (via Discobelle)

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elsewhere:



We were completely oblivious to the fact that Dntel had a new record, entitled Dumb Luck, coming out on Sub Pop on April 24. The album features guest spots from Jenny Lewis, Lali Puna, Conor Oberst, and more, but the highlight is without a doubt "To a Fault," featuring Ed Droste from Grizzly Bear. Just amazing.

tropicalia

"The new disc (Painted Garden) flirts with homemade Tropicalia on 'Sailing With Bobby,' featuring chirping birds and the downy coo of a female singer, incorporated due to Ashley's affection for Brazilians Os Mutantes..."--SF Weekly

With Painted Garden, Greg Ashley (aka the guy from Gris Gris) has created one of the most unique records of 2007. The record is pretty out there on the whole, but this song in particular (the only track on the record that features female lead-vocals, by an anonymous "Oakland chanteuse") is really great. Sort of like a Brasilian psych-pop band fronted by a '60s girl group:

mp3:
Greg Ashley Sailing With Bobby

Painted Garden comes out tomorrow. Buy it here.

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elsewhere:

John Vanderslice and St. Vincent will be embarking on a spring tour shortly after SXSW, and the two will post weekly blog updates on Brooklyn Vegan.

video of the year...

so far:



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elsewhere:


Brothers and Sisters

Austin's Brothers and Sisters have posted a new track on their myspace page. "Wash Away" is only a demo at this point, and the band says they'll "probably end up re-recording it all together," but it's my favorite thing they've done up to this point. Just a perfect, sunny '70s-era West Coast pop gem, and those "ba ba ba ba baaa"s have been lodged firmly in my head all weekend. Brothers and Sisters are playing Little Radio's SXSW extravaganza:

Premiere: new Rosebuds mp3

Here's the first mp3 from The Rosebuds' great new LP, Night of the Furies. The new album, full of synths and dance-floor ready beats, marks a bit of a departure for Kelly and Ivan, but fans of Birds Make Good Neighbors, fear not: the band promises that the new effort is a "dark, sexy, danceable, nuanced, and sublime record." And upon first listen, we wholeheartedly agree.

mp3:
The Rosebuds Get Up Get Out

Night of the Furies is out on April 10. Pre-order it now from Merge. The Rosebuds are playing Hot Freaks at SXSW, so don't miss it.

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related:

In other Hot Freaks news, Frog Eyes has been added to the stellar Saturday lineup, which already included Menomena, RJD2, the Rosebuds, Asobi Seksu, and many more, plus an extra-special surprise guest headliner.

Frog Eyes Bushels mp3

the gun

Flemish Eye is releasing Chad Vangaalen's excellent 2006 LP Skelliconnection on "extremely limited edition" vinyl on March 13. The details:

*Double 160 Gram Vinyl
*Gatefold with 40+ drawings
*11 bonus tracks, including new songs & album offcuts

Based on the quality of Vangaalen's work to date (Infiniheart is one of our favorite records of the last few years) and the greatness of the first bonus track, "The Gun," this will be well worth the purchase price:

Chad Vangaalen The Gun mp3

sxsw: gorilla vs. booze

Please come join us on Thursday, March 15, at the Peacock for gorilla vs. booze. This will be Thursday's weirdest free day party, you have our money-back guarantee. Thanks to Dana Falconberry and Red Hunter for making this happen and allowing us to be a part of it, to the Peacock for having us, and to Red for coming up with the ridiculous name. Curated mostly by Dana and Red, thus the (literally) insane lineup:


poster by Garrison/Nintendo (click for larger image)

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Thursday, March 15
The Peacock

Tenative set times:

1:00 Black Fiction (San Francisco)
1:45 Ola Podrida (Brooklyn)
2:30 Alela Diane (Portland)
3:15 Dana Falconberry (Austin)
4:00 Dirty Projectors (Brooklyn)
4:45 Peter and the Wolf (Austin)
5:30 The Dodos (San Francisco)
6:15 Ariel Pink (Los Angeles)
7:00 W-S Burn (Austin)

mp3s:

Black Fiction I Spread the Disease
Ola Podrida Jordanna
Alela Diane The Rifle
W-S Burn Something Borrowed
The Dodos Nerds
Dana Falconberry Clementine (live on SIRIUS Blog Radio)
Peter and the Wolf Lightness
Dirty Projectors Fucked for Life
Ariel Pink For Kate I Wait

skeletons and the kings of all cities

On our last excursion to Good Records, our friend C.J. convinced us to buy Skeletons and The Kings Of All Cities' Lucas by describing it as "Albert Ayler meets Prince." The Skeletons collective (who released Git in 2005) have also drawn comparisons to Can, Sonic Youth, and Boyz II Men (seriously). The LP cover is about the ugliest thing I've ever seen, and it comes pressed on a hideous gray vinyl. All that aside, we've listened to this, the disjointed, beautiful album opener, maybe 100 times over the last couple of days (give or take). It sort of meanders aimlessly along for the first 2 minutes, but all of those seemingly ridiculous comparisons begin to make sense after that.

mp3:
Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities What They Said

Lucas will be released on CD by Ghostly International in Spring '07.

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elsewhere:



Click the read more link to view the full playlist from last night's gorilla vs. bear Blog Radio show, with assorted mp3s. Next week's episode is entirely devoted to Grizzly Bear. We'll be playing the full Good Records instore, we'll have an exclusive cover from Dan of Grizzly Bear, and Ed will be guest-DJing. Should be fun.


1. "Blue" Gene Tyranny--Next Time Might Be Your Time
2. Panda Bear--Take Pills
3. Muscles--Ice Cream
4. Avey Tare + Kria Brekkan--Sis Around the Sandmill (mp3)
5. Avey Tare + Kria Brekkan--Sis Around the Sandmill (reverse)
6. Menomena--Muscle 'n Flo
7. Simian Mobile Disco--It's the Beat
8. The Blow--Hey Boy
9. Crystal Castles vs. The Little Ones--Lovers Who Uncover (mp3)
10. CSS--Alalicious (Bonde Do Role remix)
11. Spank Rock--Put that Pussy on Me (Diplo tonite remix)
12. Ghostface Killah--Jellyfish
13. J Dilla--Wild
14. Paul Duncan--Red Eagle (mp3)
15. Travel By Sea--Return to Me (Sparklehorse cover)
16. Love Is All--Nothing to be Done (Pastels cover)
17. Architecture in Helsinki--Do the Whirlwind
18. Sparrow House--Foxes (Sighing Like a Furnace)
19. Loney Dear--The City, The Airport (CSS remix)
20. Andrew Bird--Spare-ohs
21. Great Lake Swimmers--Your Rocky Spine
22. Marissa Nadler--Diamond Heart
23. Blonde Redhead--23 (mp3)
24. Black Lips--Not A Problem (mp3)
25. Dungen--Familj
26. Dirty Projectors--Two Young Sheeps

shoot the lights out

Okay this is the super-final version of this poster, promise...note the addition of the man, MC Spank Rock. Now officially the best afterparty at SXSW '07 (not just saying that because we're a sponsor). RSVP now by emailing here.

mp3:
Spank Rock Race Riot on the Dancefloor (live on KEXP)

jericho

Blitzen Trapper

I don't know much about Portland's Blitzen Trapper, but from what I can tell, they're pretty much impossible to peg down. Their myspace page lists their genre as indie/country/electro, and Pitchfork recently posted an awesome outtake from the band's Wild Mountain Nation LP sessions that was likened to Of Montreal or the New Pornographers. Here's another exclusive track from the aforementioned sessions that won't appear on the album; it's a beautiful, affecting ballad that's different from anything the band has done. If these are the outtakes that didn't make the album, this thing had better be great.

Blitzen Trapper Jericho mp3

Blitzen Trapper will self-release Wild Mountain Nation on June 12.

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elsewhere:

Rakim and Ghostface will be playing SXSW, at Stubb's on Saturday afternoon. RSVP here.

White Denim has posted two new tracks on their myspace page. "Untitled" could be mistaken for a Broken Social Scene instrumental, and "I Can Tell" is a surf/garage stomp that basically epitomizes why I love this band so much. Trust us when we tell you not to miss them at SXSW.