best of june

Here's some of our favorite stuff from the past month (in addition to Animal Collective's "#1," which we're not at liberty to post yet) in no particular order...


bodies of water

mp3: Bodies of Water Doves Circled the Sky

I'm still enthralled by Bodies of Water's Mamas and the Papas-meets-the Arcade Fire new LP, Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink. I know a good number of you are opposed to life-affirming sincerity, especially in your music, but this record is worth checking out.

mp3: Zach Condon (of Beirut) Venice

This brand new Zach Condon track from The Believer's free, Brandon Stosuy-curated, "Cue the Bugle Turbulent" compilation, has steadily grown on me all month, to the point where it's probably my favorite thing Condon has done. Hopefully this is indicative of what the new Beirut LP will sound like.


dirty projectors

mp3: Dirty Projectors no more

I was slightly bummed when I heard that Dirty Projectors new project would be a cover "re-imagining" of Black Flag's Damaged. Until I later heard that the band would be "recasting Damaged from memory, without re-listening to a single note or reading any lyrics." The first track to surface from the project, "No More," sounds like the Dirty Projectors' live show, which is the highest compliment I can give it.

mp3: Yeasayer 2080

Bands I've seen Yeasayer compared to so far: Fleetwood Mac, Roxy Music, TV on the Radio, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, etc. And the record doesn't come out until this fall. "2080" is one of my most listened-to tracks of the year, and it's been a staple on our Sirius radio show since the first time I heard it.


France Gall

mp3: France Gall Laisse Tomber les Filles

This is an old one, but I just recently became acquainted with the Serge Gainsbourg-penned classic.

mp3: The Dukes of Stratosphear Vanishing Girl

Another older one. I love this song, but really, any track from their album will do.

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There were a bunch of great videos this month too, click the read more link to check out a few of our favorites...

Ghosthustler: "Parking Lot Nights"



Bat For Lashes: "What's A Girl To Do"



Sunset: "Sandy Says 'Zombies'"

no time for nos

Spine Magazine posted this new Neptunes-produced jam from Clipse's Norfolk homie, Fam-Lay. "No Time 4 Nos" features the Clipse and Pharrell; be amazed as Malice and Pusha-T rhyme about bitches and drugs (again) and make it sound kinda fresh (again).

mp3:
no time 4 nos (via Spine Magazine)

Saturday Night

flier by Dustin Coffey

We've already mentioned this briefly, but just a reminder for the Dallas kids, since this will inevitably be the highlight of your weekend: tomorrow night at the Granada Theater, we're helping Central Booking present Faux Fox , Ghosthustler, and The Party. FREE for 21+, and only $5 for under 21. Best party Dallas will see this summer.

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GHOSTHUSTLER:



FAUX FOX:

over

Here's a weekend jam for you, courtesy of Kathy Diamond's new LP, Miss Diamond To You. I can't seem to get enough of this one; not sure if it's Maurice Fulton's incredible "future-soul" electro-house production, or Miss Diamond's pitch-perfect disco vocals, but I love this song a lot:

mp3:
Kathy Diamond Over

Actually, most of Miss Diamond To You is pretty great, you should pick it up. Check out album-opener "Between the Lines" or "All Woman."

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Bonus:

Here's another classic Fulton-produced jam from his wife, Mu:

vanishing girl

"a brilliant psychedelic pop pastiche that lovingly combines morsels of early Pink Floyd, middle Beatles, Electric Prunes, Hollies, Kinks, and dozens of other, like-hearted bands..."--The Stranger



I'm a little embarrassed to admit that up until a few weeks ago, I was completely unaware of XTC's short-lived mid-'80s bizarro psychedelic alter-egos, The Dukes of Stratosphear. The Dukes were Andy Partridge and XTC's spot-on homage to the music they grew up listening to, and they've since been referred to as "the '80s equivalent to Olivia Tremor Control and Apples in Stereo."

My interest was initially piqued when White Denim frontman James Petralli mentioned that they were probably his single biggest influence, thus compelling me to check out their entire catalog, which consists of a grand total of 16 songs. Here are a couple of my favorite from the band's mind-blowingly great 1987 "anthology," Chips from the Chocolate Fireball, which sounds almost eerily like an authentic compilation of late-'60s garage-pop and psychedelia.

mp3:
The Dukes of Stratosphear Vanishing Girl
The Dukes of Stratosphear The Mole from the Ministry

Watch the video for "The Mole from the Ministry" here, then purchase Chips from the Chocolate Fireball here immediately.

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completely, utterly unrelated:

Weezy Jefferson presents Da Drought 4: I Am on Everything.

what's with the bird?

Here's the electronic press kit for Aesop Rock's upcoming None Shall Pass LP, due out August 28 on Def Jux. Coming at you straight from Dick Fishburgh's parents' basement, apparently, where we learn that Aesop Rock cheats on his wife every chance he gets, and his new album sounds like, "Mozart. At the circus. On acid."



mp3:
Aesop Rock None Shall Pass
The Knife vs. Aesop Rock We Share Our Mother's Jumper Cables*

(*mashup via thehoodinternet.com)

I Believe

As P4k reported the other day, Simian Mobile Disco's Attack Decay Sustain Release will see U.S. release in September. The record is packed with great singles ("It's the Beat," "Hustler," "I Got This Down") that make it one of the best dance records of the year (along with A-Trak's Dirty South Dance). The band recently finished up a video for "I Believe," which has become one of my favorite, and most played, songs on the record:

mp3:
Simian Mobile Disco I Believe

Bonus:

Here's the video for the original classic "Never Be Alone," back when the dudes were just Simian:

fur and gold

Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan

Since posting their new video last week, I've been listening to a lot of Bat for Lashes' Fur and Gold LP, and it's now apparent to me why they're one of Thom Yorke's favorite new bands (I recommend picking up the limited--1000 copies--color vinyl of the album here). Here's a stunning live version of one of the LP's spookier, Portishead-esque standout tracks, via Bat for Lashes' website:

mp3:
Bat For Lashes The Wizard (live)

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elsewhere:



Check this new video from the Polyphonic Spree's homecoming performance at the Granada Theater here in Dallas this past weekend. As you can tell from that last frame, Tim DeLaughter got up close and personal during "Light and Day." You can also check out the videos for "Soldier Girl" and "Lithium", all courtesy of the Polyphonic Spree Forum.

what in the world?

shapes have fangs

Let's get this part out of the way first: on Shapes Have Fangs' song "What in the World," the Austin (via Gun Barrel City) band sounds almost exactly like Oh, Inverted World-era Shins:

mp3:
Shapes Have Fangs "What in the World" (link expired)

Not that this is a bad thing, because who doesn't love that record? I'm sure they get the Shins comparison a lot down in their hometown, and for good reason, but a quick listen to the other songs on their myspace page reveals a band with a pretty wide range of influences, and a strong penchant for the poppier side of '60s psych and garage, a la the Kinks or the Zombies. Check out the excellent "Sir Joshua" and the surf-garage influenced "Milk Fed" here.

blitzen trapper vs. roxanne shante

It's official: the Hood Internet can do no wrong. This time they took one of the best songs from Blitzen Trapper's universally acclaimed Wild Mountain Nation LP, turned it into what The Fader describes as "Ratatat meets the Go! Team," then laced it with the vocals from Roxanne Shante's extremely ill "Big Mama." And as usual, it somehow works:

mp3:
Blitzen Trapper Sci-Fi Kid (The Hood Internet remix)

new Miami Horror remix

We've mentioned before how much we like Australia's Miami Horror, mostly because the guy is doing his best to bring back the best parts of the '80s (the Miami Vice/Beverly Hills Cop/Prince parts). And he continues his dominance over that whole decade on his brand new remix of this track from Milwaukee's Codebreaker:

mp3:
Codebreaker We Don't Need No (EXILED) Miami Horror remix

Visit Miami Horror's myspace for more, and be on the lookout for his collaboration with Curtis Vodka, the awesomely monikered TIGRTRON.

kanye west's "stronger" video

I'm pretty sure Kanye West is one of the most overrated dudes ever, but this video is worth watching for the sheer absurdity of Daft Punk doing some weird robot shit to Kanye in what is likely one of the highest budget hip-hop videos ever. Also, the song isn't bad (again, thanks mostly to Daft Punk), and Kanye's glasses are sort of gangster:



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elsewhere:

I heard this monstrosity is the cover art for Animal Collective's upcoming Strawberry Jam. Anyone?

daniell in the sea

Seems like everyone is posting that jankles Interpol video today, but we've been sort of transfixed on this clip from Sigur Ros side-project Riceboy Sleeps. More an ambient instrumental composition than an actual song, I believe "Daniell in the Sea" was intended as a companion/score to the Riceboy Sleeps picture book. The video features familiar Sigur Ros-style imagery, and the song is perfect for soundtracking your late-afternoon nap (I mean that in the best way):

tonight in Austin

Tree Wave plays their final residency show tonight at the Mohawk. We've talked at length about why we love Tree Wave, and if you haven't seen them yet, you're really missing out. Tonight's show promises to be the weirdest residency show yet; the opener, {{{{{{Sunset}}}}}, will consist of Bill Baird (also of Sound Team), Sam Sanford, and Jordan Johns. Bill tells us he will be arranging a "daisy chain of amps around the room creating alternate spatial listening experience and natural delay." According to Bill, it's going to be "spacey, sludgy, and strange."

Here's the new video for Sunset's "Sandy Says 'Zombies'," which is featured on the 2nd installment of Bill's DVD series, "Candlelit Television Eyes." Shot in Super 8, and performed in, directed, and edited by Bill Baird:



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Tonight's Hot Freaks/Gorilla vs. Bear residency show was made possible by And/Or Gallery, KEXP, Austinist, and the Onion. Show starts around 9:30, and it's only $2.

pump up the volume

The Cool Kids have upped yet another brand new preview track from their upcoming LP, The Bake Sale, which is shaping up to be one of the more refreshing hip-hop releases of the year. They take us back to the summer of '89 on "Pump Up the Volume," an ode to cassette tapes, gold chains, and big-ass boomboxes, that samples the Eric B. and Rakim classic "I Know You Got Soul." Stream it at their space. The Bake Sale is due out any day now, barring further distribution issues, and you'll be able to catch the Cool Kids in July at the Pitchfork Music Festival.

related:

Atlanta's Klever rolls through Dallas tonight to spin at Suite with our friend Sober. Check the flier, and grab Klever's uptempo club remix of the Cool Kids' "Gold and a Pager":

mp3:
The Cool Kids Klever's Grill and a Pager

Black Lips/YACHT 7" Contest

Fader + Southern Comfort have hooked us up with a copy of the Black Lips/YACHT split 7-inch that Pitchfork says you'll probably never hear. They're right, as it's extremely limited (500 copies) and was only given to "top DJs, artists and influencers." Oh, and us. But we have to give ours away. Leave your email in the comments, along with the answer to this question:

Who will be the Number 3 pick in this Thursday's NBA Draft?

If more than one person guesses the right dude, I'll pick one of the correct guessers at random. The only stipulation is the winner has to let me know how the Black Lips' "Wild Man" cover is, I'm dying to hear it.

Download the latest issue of The Fader magazine for free here. You're on your own for the SoCo.

mp3:
The Black Lips Not A Problem
YACHT Summer Song

Jana Hunter at Good Records

Despite having all of her gear stolen this weekend, Jana Hunter will play a free acoustic set with Ray Raposa (with borrowed guitars, we hear) at Good Records in Dallas this evening at 6:30. Stop by if you can, and get yourself a copy of There's No Home while you're there.

mp3:
Jana Hunter untitled new song (live on Ma Fama)
Jana Hunter Valkyries

dirty projectors take away show

The Blogotheque guys have outdone themselves yet again with this one:



Check out the other part of Dirty Projectors' performance here.

genesis

Finders Keepers Records is set to release their Bearded Ladies compilation, which they describe as "forlorn and freakish female songsmithery from the past four decades...a B-music certified canon of femme-folk, laden with finger picked meandering melodies, ethereal harmonies and wistful psychedelic leanings" (buy it here). One of the many highlights of the comp is Wendy & Bonnie's "Paisley Window Pane," from their charming (and mostly unheard) sole release, Genesis, which they recorded in 1969 at the ages of 17 & 13, respectively:

mp3:
wendy & bonnie paisley window pane

This next track from Genesis does not appear on the compilation, but you might recognize it as the intro to "Hello Sunshine," from Super Furry Animals' Phantom Power:

mp3:
wendy & bonnie by the sea
Super Furry Animals hello sunshine

Buy Wendy & Bonnie's Genesis here. And speaking of SFA, the album art for their upcoming Hey Venus! LP might be the ugliest thing I've ever seen.

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elsewhere:

White Denim are our guests on today's gorilla vs. bear Sirius Blog Radio show, which airs at noon and midnight EST on Left of Center channel 26. Listen online with a free trial here. Here's an unofficial video for "Let's Talk About It," the title track from the band's new EP. Directed by Birds on Fire Films' Carlos LaRotta:

the polyphonic spree plays "Sonic Bloom"

I'm still reeling a bit from the Polyphonic Spree's incredible encore last night. In addition to a rousing version of "Lithium" that had the sold-out crowd of 1200+ bouncing in unison, the hometown heroes donned their old-school white robes and played Tripping Daisy's classic "Sonic Bloom" in its entirety for the first time. Our friends at the Polyphonic Spree forum posted this video of the recording. Not the best sound quality, but you'll get the idea:

jana hunter and castanets gear stolen

ray raposa of castanets

Castanets and Jana Hunter were the latest victims of what seems to be an increasing epidemic of indie rock bands getting their shit jacked. This occurred last night in Tucson, and while Ray Raposa slept in the van. Via myspace:

JANA HUNTER AND CASTANETS GEAR STOLEN

So, the story is, last night we played in tucson at solar culture. afterward, we loaded our stuff up, went downtown, had a drink, and went to a house to crash on the floor. en route, we damaged a door, making it such that the door won't close and such that eventually, before we return the vehicle to the rental company, we'll have to pay on the order of 2 grand to replace the door.

seeing as how we had an unsecured vehicle, ray (castanets) slept in the van. sometime during the night, some brave fuck(s) very quietly opened the back door and took what they could carry. we assume their were more than one of them given all the shit they managed to walk away with.

If you have any info, or if you're the asshole who stole the gear, contact Ray via the Castanets' myspace page.

the party

Tonight in Dallas:


roxy cottontail

Head out to the Loft this evening to catch a DJ set from Louisville's VHS or Beta (who have a new album out this summer) and a live set from the lovely Ms. Roxy Cottontail, who allegedly got her nails did specifically for this show. The highlight, however, is all three of the Party DJs (Nature, Sober, $elect) in one place at the same time. Free for 18+. This will be a blast, you've got my money-back guarantee. Check the flyer here.

Mildly related:

Check out Central Booking's En La Calle: Summer Heat, Vol. 1 mp3 picks (Next's "Too Close"? hell yes).

panda bear: "untitled" live at bowery ballroom

if i never touch you

Sparrow House

Our friends over at Daytrotter recently released Sparrow House's (aka Jared Van Fleet of Voxtrot) SXSW Daytrotter Session. The session, which was recorded on a perfect rainy day at Big Orange, includes an unreleased song, as well as a new one from his highly-anticipated (by me) Television Snow EP, which should drop any day now. But the highlight for us is Jared's cover of Cap'n Jack's "If I Never Touch You." The original version appeared on Cap'n Jack's virtually unheard 1970-something LP, and it is without a doubt one of the saddest songs ever recorded. It's cool if you tear up a little, we won't tell anyone.

mp3:
Cap'n Jack If I Never Touch You

Cap'n Jack's LP is called Aren't You Ashamed?. Let us know if you find a copy. Download the entire Sparrow House Daytrotter Session here. Take the time to read Sean's preface and Jared's words as well, they're wonderful.

new Feist remix

I believe this electro remix, by Australia's Vanshe Technologic, will appear on Feist's "1234" single, due out July 23 in the UK.

mp3:
Feist 1234 (Van She Tech remix)

what's a girl to do

I know very little about Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan, other than the fact that Thom Yorke is a big fan; he's stated that her music "seems to come from the world of Grimm's fairytales, and I feel like a wolf." Uh, okay. But anyway, how rad is this video? It's like Donnie Darko scored by a '60s girl group, Bjork, and Lily Allen. Only instead of that Gyllenhaal kid, this version stars a full squad of shady animal-mask-wearing synchronized BMX-ers. My only complaint is that those guys with the balloons creep me out every time. (thanks to Chels for the tip)



Bat For Lashes' "What's a Girl To Do" single comes out July 9th.

we love Brazos

martin crane of brazos

Brazos is the new project of one our very favorite musicians, Martin Crane. We were lucky enough to score a copy of the band's uber-limited Feeding Frenzy EP (39 total) at the sold-out White Denim EP release at the Mohawk this past weekend, and it hasn't left the car's cd player since.

Feeding Frenzy is made up of 6 "glorified demos" (according to Martin) that were "were recorded in an instant in a 90 degree, hot-as-hell living room in a house off the graveyard." Also, the band wrote the EP within 30 minutes of recording it, and insists these songs were made "just for fun." Some of that may just be Martin being modest, but we can't wait to hear what the Brazos dudes come up with when they get serious. Here's the EP opener, and an older Martin Crane solo song that we adore:

mp3:
Brazos Feeding Frenzy
Martin Crane On an Evening

Brazos' first "real" EP will be out soon on Autobus Records.

jracula

I've mentioned Jana Hunter and her new album There's No Home quite a bit around here recently, and for good reason, because it's turned out to be one of my favorite releases of 2007 so far. So now's as good a time as any to revisit just how great Jana's other project is: Jracula is made up of Jana Hunter and members of Octopus Project, Tame Tame and Quiet, Woozyhelmet, and others. They still haven't officially released anything yet (there's been talk of a split LP coming soon), but every time one of these songs randomly pops up, I'm reminded of just how fucking awesome and bizarre these guys are.

mp3:
Jracula Carpopolis
Jracula Lion, Ox and Eagle

from There's No Home:

Jana Hunter Babies

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elsewhere:

We've been bumping the appropriately titled "Blog House is Dead, Long Live Blog House" mix that the Ghosthustler kids put together for We Shot J.R., featuring Chromeo, Crystal Castles, Daft Punk, Simple Minds, and more. Download it here, and try not to let your boss catch you dancing around your cubicle.

Our friend ABX from the Hood Internet pits TVOTR vs. UGK on his latest airtight mashup:

mp3:
TVOTR vs. UGK I Was an International Player

no more

dirty projectors

Back in March, Dirty Projectors played one of our SXSW parties, and it remains one of the best things I've seen all year, making us instant (and huge) fans of this current incarnation of the band. Fast forward to just now, when I saw a myspace bulletin from Grizzly Bear about DPs new record, imploring us to "please for the love of god listen to this. I've heard the whole new album, it will change lives" (I'm guessing that was Ed).

The album in question is titled Rise Above, and it's a "reimagining of Black's Flag seminal 1981 record Damaged." We've listened to this track a few times now, and it comes as close to capturing Dirty Projectors' intense/mindblowing live show as anything that the band has ever done:

mp3:
Dirty Projectors no more

spirit if...

While we continue to wait patiently for a new Broken Social Scene record, this is probably the next best thing. Arts & Crafts will release Kevin Drew's Spirit If... on September 18th (via Brooklyn Vegan). This track is definitely promising:

mp3:
Kevin Drew tbtf

the rosebuds + land of talk: live in dallas

There's a rare reason to venture out on a Tuesday here in Dallas, as The Rosebuds and Land of Talk play the Cavern tonight. Both are outstanding live acts (I speak from experience, dude) and this will sell out, so show up early. We caught the Rosebuds at Gypsy (RIP) last time they rolled through town, and it was a good time. Dancing will take place.

mp3:
The Rosebuds Blue Bird

Land of Talk plays "Sea Foam" on the DL:



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also:

The Hot Freaks/GvsB residency program continues tonight in Austin at the Mohawk.

new video from the Go! Team

Lots of cool videos surfaced today, what with that one and that one, and finally, this one, for the Go! Team's new single, "Grip Like a Vice." Seems like all Go! Team tracks were born to soundtrack clips like this:

premiere: ghosthustler "parking lot nights" video

Here's the badass new video for Ghosthustler's "Parking Lot Nights," directed by the always brilliant, Emmy-nominated Pete Ohs. Yes, that's a Power Glove in that cut.



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Speaking of Ghosthustler (more on this later):

high enough to raise

J. Tillman

GvsB favorite J. Tillman has posted a new demo from his upcoming album, The Territory, on his myspace page. This guy remains terribly underrated (although Jesus is a fan) despite putting out consistently great releases over the last couple of years. Fans of Oldham or Drake would be wise to check him out.

mp3:
J. Tillman High Enough To Raise (demo)
J. Tillman My Waking Days

diplo remixes justice

From the forthcoming Hollertronix 7 EP:

mp3:
Justice D.A.N.C.E. (Eli and Diplo remix)

the polyphonic spree on blog radio

Tim + Julie of the Polyphonic Spree (shot by David)

Tim DeLaughter and Julie Doyle of the Polyphonic Spree are our guests on this week's gorilla vs. bear Sirius Satellite Radio show. Tim and Julie will talk about The Fragile Army, how much they miss Tripping Daisy, a new film that Tim is scoring, and a lot more over the 2 hour show, which airs today at noon and midnight EST on Left of Center channel 26. If you aren't a subscriber, you can get free trial at sirius.com.

mp3:
The Polyphonic Spree Running Away

The Fragile Army comes out June 19. That's tomorrow.

new Sufjan album about Oregon?

click for larger image

According to an "exclusive" on Sufjan Steven's PureVolume page, his next album will be titled Oregon, With the Wind. While that title would lead one to believe it's all a hoax, PureVolume is streaming an "exclusive preview track" called "Portland, or Whistling Underwater," which may or may not actually be Sufjan. The man is notorious for completely fabricating things, so I guess you can take a listen and decide for yourself.

PureVolume also claims that "this time around, Sufjan decided to let all of his influences shine through, from straight-up nasty noise rock to glitchridden electronica to modern classical." The (potentially fake) album's centerpiece will allegedly be "Majesty, Snowbird," which would be great, as that's probably the best song Sufjan's ever written. The "exclusive" also claims that the album was recorded at "record pace," and much of it was "nearly improvised." The page also included a link to info about the release on Asthmatic Kitty which has since been removed, or never existed.

mp3:
Sufjan Stevens Majesty, Snowbird (live)

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In other news:

Have some more Strawberry Jam.

don't look that way at it

White Denim (photo by Nash Cook)

mp3:
White Denim Don't Look That Way At It (live on KVRX)

White Denim played a live session for KVRX last weekend. They played their EP release at the Mohawk this weekend. Both shows were unreal. Click the read more link to view some photos from the Mohawk show...

(click photo for larger image)




photo by Nash Cook








photo by Nash Cook


photo by Nash Cook

Great Lake Swimmers: Live in Dallas

Toronto's Great Lake Swimmers play here in Dallas tomorrow evening at Bend Studio, and we've just been informed that there are only around 20 tickets left, so you might want to get on that if you plan on coming. Check the poster for all the show details, and if you're undecided, here's a sample of how great the band sounds in an intimate live setting:

mp3:
Great Lake Swimmers Moving Pictures Silent Films (live on CBC Radio)


poster by Garrison

white denim at mohawk

photo by Ashley Garmon

We're heading down to Austin this afternoon to catch White Denim's 7" release party tonight at the Mohawk. This show promises to kick ass for any number of obvious reasons; one of which is that Martin Crane's great new band Brazos is one of the openers. So here's a brand new Brazos jam, recorded live for Austin's KVRX:

mp3:
Brazos Throback (live on KVRX)

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Contest:

We have two tickets to give away for Menomena's show at the Granada here in Dallas on Thursday, June 21. Since baseball season is in full effect, we figured we'd make it baseball related, so the contest is this: What is the best thing about the photo below? There's clearly only one correct answer, so leave your guess/email in the comments. (click to see larger image)



mp3:
Menomena Shirt

new marissa nadler: "mistress"

One of the many lovable things about Marissa Nadler is that she regularly posts rough unfinished demos of new, unreleased songs on her myspace page for us all to hear. And as with the most of Marissa's tunes, the more lo-fi and rough the recording, the better. This unpolished gem showcases her ethereal vocals with sparse psych-folk instrumentation that gives the song a gauzy, almost otherworldly feel:

mp3:
Marissa Nadler Mistress (demo)

Marissa Nadler's Songs III: Bird on the Water is one of the most starkly beautiful albums of the year. It will be released in the U.S. on Kemado in August.

take pills

Take Pills cover art by Agnes Montgomery

Paw Tracks has made Panda Bear's double-LP version of Person Pitch available for purchase 5 days in advance of the June 19th release date (thanks to Matt for the tip). The "Take Pills" 7" is also available now. The B-side is a live version of the non-album track "Bonfire of the Vanities" recorded at the Lisbon club ZDB in September of 2004. A video for "Take Pills" by Gang Gang Dance member Brian DeGraw should surface soon as well. Here's a different live version of "Bonfire," recorded for the outstanding Portuguese blog Ma Fama.

mp3:
Panda Bear Bonfire of the Vanities (Live on Ma Fama)

Buy the Person Pitch double-vinyl and Take Pills 7" here.

black hollywood

Well, this made our day. Spine Magazine has the title track from Camp Lo's upcoming album, which is due out July 24th. In case you're unfamiliar, Camp Lo's 1997 release Uptown Saturday Night remains one of our favorite hip hop albums of all time.

mp3:
Camp Lo Black Hollywood

(via Spine Magazine)

dan deacon in polaroids

So after seeing Dan Deacon's insane live show last night, I can safely say I'm a convert (even though I still probably won't listen to the record very often). Deacon is an almost unbelievably entertaining performer, and although the comments from yesterday's post would suggest he's a polarizing character, the crowd last night pointed to the contrary. That was one of the most unified, enthusiastic bunches I've seen in Dallas in quite a while, and Deacon's set was off the chain. At the bar pre-show, we observed Deacon inspect the contents of a fan gift package (see photo), at which point he turned to us and owned up to being an avid Magic: The Gathering player. That, and we also learned that he enjoys Best Damn's Top 50 Unforgettable Sports Moments more than one might imagine, as he ogled over Michael Jordan highlights in rapt silence five minutes before showtime. Click for larger image:


Dan Deacon (polaroids by david)

mp3:
Dan Deacon Don Mattingly

song of the night

France Gall

A couple of months ago, we posted April March's "Chick Habit," which was perfectly utilized by Quentin Tarantino following the closing girl-power ass-kicking scene in Death Proof (video). As numerous commenters pointed out, "Chick Habit" is actually a cover (in English) of this song, which Serge Gainsbourg wrote for France Gall in 1964. We've been somewhat obsessed with this original version lately, and the video is pretty sweet as well.

mp3:
France Gall Laisse tomber les filles

lonesome sundown

Garrison Reid went up to Denton recently to meet with Calvin Johnson (of Beat Happening/Halo Benders fame) and Julie Doiron to record this stipped-down, acoustic version of the Halo Benders classic "Lonesome Sundown" for our weekly Sirius Blog Radio show. Recorded in an empty Rubber Gloves hours before that night's Denton performance, the song's thin arragement is in stark contrast to the original version, and Johnson's trademark baritone coupled with Doiron's reduced harmonies (compared to Doug Martsch's duet on the original) only reinforces the recording's simplicity:

mp3:
Calvin Johnson & Julie Doiron Lonesome Sundown (live for blog radio)

Here's the original version, from 1998's The Rebel's Not In LP:

The Halo Benders Lonesome Sundown

dan deacon: live in dallas

Dan Deacon plays at the Cavern tonight, and while I'm not the biggest fan in the world of his Spiderman of the Rings LP, the guy is pretty damn awesome, and I have to admit I'm extremely psyched about this show. The prospect of seeing him go off in a tiny space like the Cavern makes this one of the more intriguing shows to hit Dallas so far this year. The fact that Videohippos and Mom are opening doesn't hurt, either.

mp3:
Dan Deacon The Crystal Cat

Download tons of Dan Deacon mp3s here, and read a Q & A with him over at We Shot J.R. Check out this hilarious/rad video of the man performing on some NBC affiliate's morning show. This should be the clincher if you have any doubts about going to this show tonight:

weezy and the cool kids

the cool kids

Yet another strong candidate for Summer Banger: 2007 Edition. Taken from DJ Benzi's upcoming Get Right LP:

mp3:
DJ Benzi Gettin' It (feat. Lil' Wayne and the Cool Kids)

(via the smoking section)

Silent Shout: Deluxe Edition

This is essentially just a fancy commercial for the deluxe edition of The Knife's 2006 masterpiece Silent Shout, but when said commercial is for our favorite record of 2006, and it's directed by the Knife's long-time collaborator/art director Andreas Nilsson, it's totally worth a quick mention:



The 3-disc Silent Shout: Deluxe Edition will be released by Mute in the U.S. on July 17. If you're going to shell out the cash for one triple-disc release this year, this would be it. Check the full track-listing for all 3 discs here.

Raise Your Ears and Hold Onto Your Heart

Here's the trailer for the Polyphonic Spree's "Raise Your Ears and Hold Onto Your Heart", a 52-minute documentary that chronicles the making of The Fragile Army:



The Fragile Army is out on vinyl now, and comes out on other formats on June 19. "Raise Your Ears and Hold Onto Your Heart" will be included with the special edition CD/DVD. Those of you in Dallas can get the record (along with free food and wine) Monday night at Good Records.

Tree Wave: Live in Austin

Tree Wave's gear

Austin, you guys should head out to the Mohawk tonight for a rare chance to see the incredible electro-pop performance art of Dallas' Tree Wave. In introducing this show, I'd be remiss if I didn't first mention Tree Wave's "instruments", which include a bunch of antiquated computer gear from a more primitive era: a Commodore 64 from 1983, an Atari 2600 from the late '70s, and a mid-'80s model Compaq PC and Epson Dot Matrix Printer.

It's nothing short of mindblowing to watch Tree Wave's Paul Slocum utilize this seemingly obsolete machinery to create lush, organic electronic pop that has drawn comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and the Postal Service. The music is synchronized with hypnotic visuals that Paul programs with the game systems, and we hear that he has created some new video art projections for the Mohawk residency. If nothing else, you sort of have to see the magic he creates when attempting to play a perfect game of "Dodge 'Em."

mp3:
Tree Wave May Banners
Tree Wave Sleep

Here's the video for Tree Wave's "Sleep." Watch the video for "Combat" here:



Denton's Mom, whom we've talked about before, will open. The evening will also feature the gorgeous video installations of Michael Bell-Smith, whose work has been chronicled in the New York Times and by Rhizome.org.

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Tonight's show is part of the gorilla vs. bear/Hot Freaks June residency, and was made possible by Dallas' And/Or Gallery, KEXP, the Onion, and Austinist. Show starts at 9:30, and cover is only $2.

New Animal Collective

A few tracks from Animal Collective's Strawberry Jam have finally made their way on to the internet, and you can find them here and here. Upon first listen, our ridiculous anticipation was justified by the second half of "Chores" alone.

new M.I.A. video: "Boyz"

Check the video (not recommended for those with epilepsy) and the Kala cover art after the jump...



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Kala cover art:



Check the lyrics to "Boyz" here, and peep M.I.A.'s seizure-inducing new website.

Challengers: Executive Edition

We've been blasting the sparkling, AM pop-radio gold that is the New Pornographers' Challengers most of the afternoon, particularly the outstanding jam "Myriad Harbour," which may prove to be one of the best things Bejar's ever done. Matador and Buy Early, Get Now are offering up a pretty sweet "Executive Edition" of the record, which includes a ridiculous amount of exclusive bonus material that will be well worth your time and hard-earned money. Available only through a "select group of physical and online retailers," which are listed on the site (we recommend this one), the "Executive Edition" of Challengers features a full-album stream months ahead of the album's August release, a "box-set," B-sides, demos, live stuff, and a lot more. Check it out.

mp3:
The New Pornographers My Rights Versus Yours

paint a lady

The above photo is the cover of Finders Keepers Records' upcoming Bearded Ladies compilation, which features "15 homegrown selections of forlorn and freakish female songsmithery from the past four decades." The comp will feature the lost work of a number unknown female geniuses, including Susan Christie, whose 1970 masterpiece Paint a Lady is one of our favorite finds of the last couple years (Finders Keepers reissued the rare album in 2006). Stones Throw said about Paint a Lady:

"Brings me back to the early days of my youth, sitting around the living room with my dad, listening to dusty folk LPs while he smoked a joint or three. Except this shit sounds like Madlib produced it."

No word on whether this particular Christie track will appear on the comp, but it's a good representation of how mindblowing and ahead-of-its-time Paint a Lady really was:

mp3:
Susan Christie Paint a Lady

get up and party like a rock star

As the Hood Internet dudes continue their string of impressive mashups, we'd like to shift the focus to their advancement and innovation in the Photoshop game. Seriously, that picture is amazing. The corresponding mashup pits the Shop Boyz' "Party Like a Rockstar" vs. the Polyphonic Spree's new certified club banger, "Get Up and Go." Get it here.

new YACHT: summer song

YACHT was seriously lamenting the fact that there is no "definitive summer banger for 2007" (come to think of it, he's sort of right), so he decided to do something about it. He claims the song is a love letter to his homies in LCD Soundsystem, in return for them putting him in their myspace top 8. It remains to be seen if this will reach summer banger status, but at the very least, it's a valiant effort:

mp3:
YACHT Summer Song (feat. Claire L. Evans)

mohawk residency: june

Hot Freaks + Gorilla vs. Bear present the June Mohawk Residency, sponsored by KEXP, The Onion, Dallas' And/Or Gallery, and Austinist. The first four Tuesdays in June will feature alternating performances by Austin's Low Line Caller and Dallas' own Tree Wave. Last month's shows were amazing, and we have some surpises lined up for this month. We've yet to see Low Line Caller play live (we hear good things), but we can assure you that Tree Wave is nothing short of amazing (Menomena agrees!). Did we mention it's only 2 bucks? Here's the schedule, starting with tonight's show:

June 5 - Low Line Caller (opening act TBA)
June 12 - Tree Wave (opening act TBA)
June 19 - Low Line Caller (opening act TBA)
June 26 - Tree Wave (opening act TBA)

mp3:
Low Line Caller Over the Counter Kids
Tree Wave May Banners

Justice remixes Daft Punk

Our boys (and girls) at Vice are in the midst of Justice week at their mp3 blog, hooking us up with a new Justice remix and a remix of "D.A.N.C.E." every single day this week. They've started us off with Justice's re-work of one of Daft Punk's best songs, and thrown in a pretty sweet remix of Justice's own ubiquitous summer jam:

mp3:
Daft Punk Human After All (Justice remix)
Justice D.A.N.C.E. (Blaze's Nightmarish remix)

yeasayer

After countless listens since this year's SXSW festival, Yeasayer's "2080" has emerged as a strong contender for our song of the year (those chanting children get me every time). I would personally file this jam under "unclassifiable," although the band describes their sound as "Middle Eastern-Psych-Pop-Snap-Gospel," and they've already been deemed the "second coming of Peter Gabriel and Roxy Music" by some. Yeasayer's debut full-length is out this fall on Monitor Records. Pay attention.

mp3:
Yeasayer 2080

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also:



View the full playlist for yesterday's gorilla vs. bear blog radio show (featuring Panda Bear) after the jump...

* = Panda Bear pick

1. Map of Africa--Bone
2. Spoon--Black Like Me
3. Tree Wave--May Banners (mp3)
4. Panda Bear--Untitled (ma fama session)
5. Susan Christie--Paint A Lady
6. Joni Mitchell--In France They Kiss on Main St.
7. Panda Bear--Bros
8. Scientist & Jammy--Flash Gordon Meets Luke Skywalker
9. The Zombies--Beechwood Park
10. Animal Collective--Did You See The Words
11. Selda--Yaz Gazeteci Yaz
12. White Denim--Mess Your Hair Up
13. Animal Collective--The Purple Bottle (Stevie Wonder Version)
14. The Hood Internet--The Ghostface of You Lingers (mp3)
15. Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear--Deep Blue Sea
16. Margo Guryan--Don't Go Away*
17. Gregory Isaacs--Bits and Pieces
18. Beach House--Master of None (mp3)
19. Pantha du Prince--Saturn Strobe*
20. Best Fwends--M.Y.S.E.L.F. (XXXChange Remix)
21. The Tough Alliance--First Class Riot
22. Scott Walker--It's Raining Today*
23. Yeasayer--2080 (mp3)
24. The Besnard Lakes--Disaster
25. Sparks--My Other Voice*

The Polyphonic Spree: "Running Away" video

Props to Hal Samples for the outstanding work.

did the arcade fire steal this dude's basketball?

win butler with some kid's basketball

This kid is alleging that Win Butler (aka "Mr. Saturday Night"(?) of the Arcade Fire) stole his basketball. In response, someone who claims to be Will Butler of the Arcade Fire started this blog. Will has taken a few low blows at the anonymous accuser, alleging that he was drunk on whisky, and also that he "has a tattoo of Puff the Magic Dragon on his penis." To quote Will's response, "Win Butler didn't steal your fucking ball." Please, stop the madness. Help this kid find his basketball.

roll up

poster by Garrison Reid

We are pleased to present an intimate evening with Toronto's Great Lake Swimmers at Dallas' own Bend Studio on Sunday, June 17th. With a capacity of only 85, Bend Studio is an ideal venue for the Swimmers, whose majestic Ongiara LP remains one of the more underappreciated albums of 2007. Here's Ongiara's ode-to-the-Canadian wilderness opening track:

mp3:
Great Lake Swimmers Your Rocky Spine

Recommended for fans of Sufjan Stevens' Seven Swans, Sun Kil Moon, and of course, the Canadian wilderness. L.A.'s Eleni Mandell opens. Purchase tickets here.

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elsewhere:


Person Pitch

Noah Lennox, aka Panda Bear of Animal Collective, is our guest on today's episode of SIRIUS Blog Radio, which will air at Noon EST, and again at 9 PM PST for you left-coasters. Noah's going to talk Person Pitch, Strawberry Jam, and more, plus he'll spin a few songs that he's been listening to lately. Here's a new video of Panda Bear performing "Laughed for a World Filled with Fantasy":



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Finally:

The new Black Dice 12" that just came out on Paw Tracks has us simultaneously intrigued and confused as we attempt to decide if we're cool enough to like this sort of thing. 20 Jazz Funk Greats makes a pretty valid attempt to explain it to us, but we can assure you this video of the band debuting the A-side "Roll Up" on Peruvian TV show "Jammin'" gets increasingly hypnotic the longer you watch it.

believer comp

The Believer Magazine's 2007 Music Issue is on stands now, featuring the stellar "Cue the Bugle Turbulent" CD, compiled with care by Brandon Stosuy of Pitchfork/Stereogum fame. The compilation features Grizzly Bear, The Blow, Deerhunter, Of Montreal, and the not-very-Sufjan-like Sufjan Stevens song that Stereogum posted last week, as well as this gem by Beirut's Zach Condon. I'm not sure if his contribution is a pre-Beirut jam or something new (anyone?), but the electronic flourishes are a good look for Mr. Condon.

mp3:
Zach Condon of Beirut Venice

i guess i'll forget the sound

"Bodies of Water don't make music in order to express themselves, to comfort or challenge those who listen, or even to augment the canon of American song. They only strive to make a noise pleasing to the divine ear. They believe that the purpose of life is to align one's individual will with that of God in both thought and deed."



I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the above quote, taken from Bodies of Water's myspace page, will be off-putting for some of you guys. Which would be a shame, because the band's new album, Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink, sounds something like the endearing sweetness of Tilly and the Wall-meets-the emotional grandeur of the Arcade Fire, if those bands were neighbors in Laurel Canyon in the late '60s. Which is also to say, it's a really good record. And while a few Christian-leaning artists like Danielson, Sufjan Stevens, and Pedro the Lion have managed to gain the acceptance of the indie music community (which typically shuns most contemporary Christian music, and rightfully so), those artists' "message" is rarely as overt as Bodies of Water's.

But about the new album: the band got some much-deserved love here and other places (Music for Robots and Said the Gramophone, to name a couple) back in 2005 on the strength of their debut EP, and the new full-length is even better. "I Guess I'll Forget the Sound" is one of the highlights, thanks in part to the undeniable moment nearly 2/3 of the way through, when the horns finally make their grand entrance:

mp3:
Bodies of Water I Guess I'll Forget the Sound, I Guess, I Guess
Bodies of Water Doves Circled the Sky

Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink comes out on July 24. It is worth buying for the song "Here Comes My Hand" alone. Download another song at the band's website.

Interpol: Live in Dallas

Paul Banks and Carlos D of Interpol

David caught Interpol's sold-out show last night at Dallas' Palladium Ballroom, which he alleges was "solid, or whatever," while adding that the kids seemed to really love it. The highlight, though, was this poignant Hallmark moment™ he was able to capture with his trusty Polaroid™:


Carlos D and Scraps the dog*

*Dog's actual name may or may not be Scraps

best of may

We've had a few people ask about bringing back our monthly "best of" posts, in which we recap the best stuff (in our opinion) that we posted in a given month. These posts were originally intended for those of you that don't have the time--nor the desire--to wade through our gratuitous daily ramblings. May was a stellar month for new stuff, as we will attempt to illustrate with this list in case you missed these the first time around. Here we go, in no specific order:


Best Fwends + Spankrock

Best Fwends M.Y.S.E.L.F. (XXXChange remix)
The Austin duo got Spank Rock's XXXChange to turn this track, taken from their brand new Alphabetically Arranged LP, into a bonafide banger.

Map of Africa Bone
We talked about how this song reminds us of a Viet Cong infested jungle, but for this post we'll defer to commenter Jared, who says that these guys make him want to "only hang out with chicks in cut-off jean shorts and dudes wearing headbands," and to start giving people more high-fives. Awesome.

Ghosthustler Busy Busy Busy
These guys have recorded 3 songs. Those 3 songs are better than your favorite "blog house" band's new record.

The Polyphonic Spree Light to Follow
Our current favorite song from the Spree's new album, which David Bowie has called their "best and deepest album yet." For the record, we agree with Bowie.

Eddie Ray Glad I Found You
One of the many highlights from the fully awesome Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label compilation.

Sufjan Stevens Waste of What Your Kids Won't Have
Previously unreleased track from Sufjan's Seven Swans sessions, available only on the bonus 7" that comes with the reissue. We already received our copy in the mail, and it sure is pretty.

Tenor Saw Ring the Alarm
This dancehall classic will appear on Trojan Records' upcoming Furry Selection compilation, which features 16 jams handpicked by Super Furry Animals bassist Guto Pryce.

Panda Bear Laughed for a World Filled with Fantasy
Part of an iTunes-exclusive (now DRM free!) release that Noah recorded a few years ago in Portugal. The entire release is great, but this part, which features two inspired samples you guys might recognize, really gets us.

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also:

A few videos that are worth revisiting, each for entirely different reasons:

St. Vincent performs "Your Lips Are Red":



Pase Rock's "Lindsay Lohan's Revenge" (NSFW, or anywhere else, really):



Jeanette's "Por Que Te Vas":