love in this club

Apparently Billy Bob the Showbiz Pizza Place bear picked today to finally make his long overdue comeback (by the way, Showbiz > Chuck E. Cheese). First a cameo in that new MGMT video, and now he gets to star as Urrsher in this epic version of "Love in This Club," featuring a gorilla on synths. What, it's a slow news day (via):

new beach house :: "Norway"

beach house :: dallas, tx

Here's a lovely and haunting new song written by Victoria and Alex on a train ride through the mountains; shot for Norwegian TV at a train station in Oslo:

so like a dream? no, better.

(photo)

One of the best new records that no one seems to be talking about at all is No Way Down, the little 6-song EP from Sweden's Air France that came out this week on Sincerely Yours (home of the Tough Alliance). "June Evenings" is one of the more appropriately titled songs in recent history, and the tropical pop jam figures to get some serious play on approaching balmy summer nights. At just over 22 minutes long, the whole record demands repeat listens, but the initial standout for me is this impossibly earnest, little-kid-sampling gem:

mp3:
air france :: collapsing at your doorstep

Buy No Way Down here in high-quality mp3 format (320 kbps) for just about the best 5 bucks you'll spend all week. Highly recommended.

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unrelated:


the road (via)

This looks so amazing. And in what is perhaps the most obvious/genius bit of casting ever, Omar plays "The Thief."

"The thief was Michael Kenneth Williams (Omar on 'The Wire'), one of a string of brand-name actors who turn up briefly in the film...Mr. Williams brilliantly improvised while taking off his rags and plastic bags, pleading for his life in a way that causes the boy to take his side. When the first take was over, even before a wardrobe assistant could get there, Mr. Mortensen rushed over to help Mr. Williams pick up his clothes and get dressed again.

'He's a good actor,' Kodi said."

gorilla vs. pants contest

James Pants' new album Welcome came out this week on Stones Throw. On a related note, Stones Throw is giving away a copy of Welcome on CD & LP, a couple 12"s, a DVD, T-shirt, and more, all to one winner. All you have to do to win is embed this badass new mix that Mr. Pants created for us + imeem (dude is 2 for 2 so far this year, btw) on your myspace/blog/wherever you want, then send a link to your page to imeemcontests@gmail.com:



The gorilla vs. pants mix features De La Soul, Young Marble Giants, Silver Apples, Ariel Pink, and more, including a bunch of dope stuff I've never heard of from James' insane record collection. Grab the mp3 and view the ridiculous full tracklist, grab an mp3 from Welcome, check all of the Stones Throw loot you can win, and watch an interview w/ James Pants shot at San Francisco's Rooky Ricardo's Records by SF's Cameraphonic crew, all after the jump...

mp3:
james pants :: we're through



Winner gets:

Welcome on CD and LP
We're Through 12"
Rhythm Trax Vol. 1 12"
Stones Throw 102 DVD In Living the True Gods
Limited Edition Parra designed T-Shirt
Limited Parra designed stickers

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mp3:
James Pants :: Gorilla vs. Pants mix (47 mb)

01. Joe Meek - I Hear a New World
02. Lady Jane and DJ Mike T - Bring Back Romance
03. Alain Goraguer - Le Bracelet
04. Bernie Worrell - Much Thrust
05. De La Soul - Who Do You Worship?
06. Bruce Haack - Jelly Dancers
07. Tetes Noires - Geisha
08. Tuff Crew - Tuff Is In The House
09. Kano - Can't Hold Back (Your Loving)
10. Galt McDermot - Never Die, Desire Not
11. Todd Rundgren - Does Anybody Love You?
12. Kashif - Baby Don't Break Your Baby's Heart
13. Thumbs & Hoestiles - Munster TV Theme
14. Young Marble Giants - The Taxi
15. Silver Apples - Lovefingers
16. Father Peter Scholtes - Choose Life
17. Ariel Pink - Trepan Earth Overture

we make it good

We Make It Good dropped this awesome new mix from Chris Devlin of Spank Rock/Fully Fitted/Devlin & Darko/BBC Soundsystem fame. Less an all-out dance mix than a weird, tripped-out 40-minute excursion that WMIG describes as "kind of like if Animal Collective were DJs instead of a weirdo, hippy, hobbit family," in the vein of that stellar James Pants mix I posted up a few weeks back.



mp3:
Devlin :: We Make It Good Vol. II (58 mb)

Check Devlin's super-detailed tracklist, which includes the Alan Parsons Project, El Guincho, Hercules & Love Affair, the Beatles, some crazy-ass found sounds, and more, here.

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unrelated:

Another spot for Kobe's new Hyperdunks, this time featuring a bunch of snakes and the Jackass dudes. These would be great viral ads if the shoes weren't 1500 bucks and sold out everywhere.

new sigur ros mp3: "gobbledigook"

As promised, here's the gorgeous new Sigur Ros single with the bad name, taken from their upcoming Með suð i eyrum við spilum endalaust LP. Driving tribal rhythms, pastoral acoustic guitar, + Jonsi and crew's floating, ethereal melodies all lend "Gobbledigook" an almost childlike sense of innocence and wonder. Get your Sung Tongs comparisons ready:

mp3:
sigur ros :: gobbledigook

The NSFW video is also pretty great: set in a presumably enchanted Icelandic forest (they're total nature fetishists, obviously), the clip was inspired by and created in collaboration with Ryan McGinley, which means there are mad naked people running around. Check it out here. Here's the artwork for the single:

with a buzz in our ear we play endlessly

Sigur Ros has announced that their new LP, Með suð i eyrum við spilum endalaust, will be released next month. The album, co-produced by the band and Flood, features the band's first song in English, contributions from Amiina, a track with 90 people playing at the same time, and a mellotron. The unfortunately-titled first single, "Gobbledigook" (seriously), will be released for free download later today. Með suð i eyrum við spilum endalaust is out June 24 in the U.S. Full tracklist after the jump...

Sigur Ros :: Með suð i eyrum við spilum endalaust

1. Gobbledigook
2. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur (Within me a lunatic sings)
3. Góðan daginn (Good day)
4. Við spilum endalaust (We play endlessly)
5. Festival
6. Suð í eyrum (Buzz in our ears)
7. Ára bátur (Row boat)
8. Íllgresi (Weeds)
9. Fljótavík (A place in Iceland)
10. Straumnes (A mountain near Fljótavík)
11. All Alright

morning light

Okay, now I really leave you for the weekend with this, the debut video from one of our favorite new bands, San Francisco's Girls. "Morning Light" is totally different from the Girls songs we posted back in March, but it further establishes the fact that these dudes rule:



Girls have a 7" out soon on True Panther Sounds (limited to 500 copies; pre-order here for $6). The duo will head over to the French Riviera in July to play the exceedingly awesome MIDI Festival, along with Glass Candy, YACHT, Why?, High Places, Anoraak, and more. They'll also be playing a few assorted SF/NYC dates before that, all of which can be seen after jump...

July 05 Hotel Utah, San Francisco (Lust For Life 7" release show)
July 17 Delancey, NYC
July 18 Glasslands, Brooklyn (w/Rings, Nite Jewel)
July 25 MIDI Festival, French Riviera

more new RATATAT :: "mirando"

RATATAT's LP3

I leave you for the holiday with another brand new jam from RATATAT's upcoming LP3, which I foresee remaining on repeat for much of Memorial Day weekend. While "Mirando" isn't necessarily one of the record's BANGERS (see "Mumtaz Khan"), it's got a pretty tight 8-bit Bollywood thing going on that's in line with the album's decidedly global steez.

mp3:
RATATAT :: mirando

And here's a video Evan from RATATAT just made for the song:



LP3 is out July 8 on XL. In case you missed the first song from the record:

mp3:
RATATAT :: shiller

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unrelated:

Here's a sort of uneventful clip of Sigur Ros working on their new album, complete with a glimpse of the artwork and a snippet of a new song. You can see more at the band's widget thing.



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Elitaste hooks up a track -- complete with old school Weezer sample -- from the new Paper Route Gangstaz/Mad Decent mixtape, Fear & Loathing in Hunts Vegas. (via The Fader)

mp3:
Paper Route Gangstaz :: Grind Baby (feat. XO & Cee Cee)

natural snow buildings

Song of the night:

mp3:
natural snow buildings :: the spears of the wolf

I don't know much about French duo Natural Snow Buildings, but their extremely limited new double LP The Snowbringer Cult is sort of awe-inspiring in its sheer ambition and scope. The first disc is split between the pair's solo projects, and the song above -- which sounds like a lost Vashti Bunyan lullaby -- is from Twinsistermoon's side. Disc two, which finds the pair working together, has already elicited comparisons to Godspeed You! Black Emporer and various other Constellation bands. Buy one here while they last.

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unrelated:

Prince Paul, Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Ladybug Mecca (Digable Planets), Wordsworth, and Scratch (the Roots) are the Dino 5.

new bodies of water :: "under the pines"

Now for something completely unrelated to that last post: gorilla vs. booze alums Bodies of Water have a new record called A Certain Feeling coming out in July on Secretly Canadian. Lead single "Under the Pines" has all of the sweeping grandeur and power of the best jams from their excellent 2007 LP, Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink, but hints at something a little darker and more ominous:

mp3:
bodies of water :: under the pines

A Certain Feeling is out July 22 on Secretly Canadian. The label tells it like this:

...it's a cohesive collection that comes out feeling like the anthemic prog/gospel/psychedelic/kraut-tribal movie score that Ennio Morricone and Phil Spector never got around to collaborating on...Steve Reich organ figures blend into a Wagner meets Sabbath riff. A shape-note choir is dropped into the midst of an Upsetters/ESG jam. Musique concrete meanderings beget Velvet Underground plodding that escalates into a five-time tropicalia workout...

explorers of the heart

I've seen a number of writeups lately on new Secretly Canadian signees, the mysterious Music Go Music. The requisite (and accurate) ELO and ABBA comparisons are always there, but I haven't seen anyone mention the true identity of frontwoman Gala Bell, so I'm not going to ruin it either. I'll just say she doubles as the frontwoman of one of my favorite bands, which would explain why MGM is so good. Here's one of the three songs from the band's debut 12" single that came out yesterday on SC, but make sure to hit up their myspace for the other two tracks. Recommended for anyone born in the '70s:

mp3:
music go music :: light of love

new love is all: "darling nikki" (prince cover)

Man I love Love is All. The Swedes recently completed a 5-song covers EP, featuring their versions of songs by Flock of Seagulls, Dire Straits, and a few more. The band just upped one track from the EP, a super lo-fi and totally rad cover of Prince's "Darling Nikki," to their myspace page. The song is a fairly straightforward cover, complete with an over-the-top Josephine-channeling-Prince scream session that is pretty much awesome. Go have a listen.

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elsewhere:



If you've ever wondered what this would sound like as a Jay Dee banger, you're in luck: here's "Trucks," taken from Dilla's shelved album Pay Jay, which will hopefully see the light of day on Stones Throw in the near future. (via)

mp3:
j dilla :: trucks

Kanye also posted Pay Jay's title track -- which he produced -- up on his blog.

radiohead :: live in dallas mp3s

thom yorke :: dallas

Our heads are still buzzing from Radiohead's epic show here in Dallas on Sunday evening. Now we can relive the night in (almost) all of its glory thanks to Radiohead Not For Profit, who came through with a decent recording of the full show. Here are a couple highlights, including Thom shutting down a heckler during "Exit Music"; you can download the whole thing here.

mp3:
radiohead :: exit music (for a film) [live in dallas]
radiohead :: you and whose army [live in dallas]

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Video of Thom hamming his way through "You And Whose Army" after the jump...

the supreme genius of...

I've been listening to the shit out of some King Khan & the Shrines lately in anticipation of the band's upcoming "greatest hits" record, The Supreme Genius of..., due out June 17 on Vice. My introduction to these dudes was last year's What Is?!, so I'm pretty psyched to hear some of this older stuff, which will be available in the U.S. for the first time on this release. Also, like Weiss says, throw this in the race for album art of the year. Here are a couple jams from the LP:

mp3:
King Khan & the Shrines :: Torture
King Khan & the Shrines :: Welfare Bread

Word is these guys are even better live, which we will hopefully confirm on July 6 in Austin at America's best bar. Check all their summer tour dates here.

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unrelated: beckxchange

mp3:
Beck :: Nausea (xxxchange remix)

(via fully fitted's "stuff that never got released" feature)

new beck :: "chemtrails"

"Chemtrails" is the first track to surface from Beck's upcoming Danger Mouse-produced (and as yet untitled...or is it Modern Guilt?) new LP. Take a listen at beck.com or on his myspace page.

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elsewhere:

Our weekly GvsB Sirius radio show airs today at noon + midnight Eastern on Left of Center. New stuff this week from RATATAT, the Muslims, Faux Fox, Paavoharju, and more. You can listen right here, for free. Full playlist for this week + some mp3s after the jump...

GORILLA VS. BEAR SIRIUS BLOG RADIO :: MAY 19

1. RATATAT :: Shiller
2. RATATAT :: Mahalo
3. Architecture in Helsinki :: Like it or Not (El Guincho remix)
4. Esau Mwamwaya :: Chalo (demo)
5. Wolf Parade :: Language City
6. the Muslims :: Extinction
7. No Age :: Sleeper Hold
8. Paavoharju :: Kevatrumpu
9. Tunng :: Jenny Again
10. Beach House :: Gila
11. Quiet Village :: Circus of Horror
12. J Dilla :: Time : The Donut of the Heart
13. Love :: The Red Telephone
14. White Denim :: All You Really Have to Do
15. Brazos :: Mary Jo
16. Santogold :: Lights Out
17. Hercules & Love Affair :: Iris
18. Cut Copy :: Lights & Music
19. Invisible Conga People :: Cable Dazed
20. Love is All :: Make Out Fall Out Make Up
21. Panda Bear :: Take Pills
22. Sunnybrook :: Big Waving Hands
23. Hieroglyphics :: Classic
24. Paper Route Gangstaz :: Bama Gettin Money (Diplo remix)
25. GZA :: 4th Chamber
26. The Hood Internet :: I'm Good, I'm Ghost (Lykke Li vs. Holy Ghost)
27. Faux Fox :: Personal Best
28. Glass Candy :: Geto Boys

radiohead :: live in dallas

Radiohead played the final show of the first leg of their North American tour last night at Starplex here in Dallas, to an adoring, sold-out crowd of 20,000+. The setlist was essentially perfect -- check it after the jump -- and Thom was in a mood; laughing, dancing, raising the roof, and threatening to fight hecklers. Amazing show. David took a lot of pictures; click for larger image (HIGHLY recommended):






























View more photos + the full setlist for last night's show after the jump...















thom


ed


jonny


thom







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Radiohead :: Dallas TX :: May 19, 2008 (setlist via at ease)

01. All I Need
02. There There
03. 15 Step
04. Bangers and Mash
05. Nude
06. Pyramid Song
07. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
08. The National Anthem
09. Dollars and Cents
10. Faust Arp
11. Videotape
12. A Wolf At The Door
13. Optimistic
14. Reckoner
15. Everything In Its Right Place
16. Idioteque
17. Bodysnatchers

encore 1:
18. Fake Plastic Trees
19. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
20. House of Cards
21. Exit Music (For A Film)
22. The Bends

encore 2:
23. You and Whose Army?
24. Paranoid Android

[Watch a clip of the band playing "The Bends" from the first encore here.]

more monolith

hercules & love affair

I mentioned recently that we're helping out on this year's Monolith Festival, which takes place September 13 & 14 at Red Rocks in Colorado. The fest added 22 bands to the lineup today, including Atmosphere, Foals, and many more. But the new addition I'm real excited about is Hercules & Love Affair, who played their first official show last night in Brooklyn. They join an already stacked lineup, which features Justice, Band of Horses, Devotchka, TV on the Radio, CSS, Vampire Weekend, Cut Copy, Del, White Denim, et al., at one of the world's raddest venues.

mp3:
Hercules & Love Affair :: Hercules Theme
Cut Copy :: Lights & Music
CSS :: Rat is Dead (Rage)
White Denim :: Mess Your Hair Up

We've got TWO weekend passes to give away for the fest; just email us at gorillavsbearcontests@gmail.com and let us know who you're most excited about seeing, and I'll pick two winners next week.

no age x new era contest

no age x new era

Remember that Panda Bear New Era cap we gave away a few months back? Well now Randy + Dean of No Age have gone and designed this extremely limited (and extremely gangster) fitted in collaboration with New Era + the Fader, and we have one to give away. Just leave us a comment with your name and your favorite album of '08 so far; see, apparently I'm running out of decent contest ideas. Anyway, the winner also gets one of those Fader/SoCo Esau Mwamwaya/BLK JKS 7-inches we mentioned recently. I'll pick a winner next Friday.

mp3:
no age :: eraser

sleeps

song of the night:

mp3:
lau nau :: painovoimaa valoa

taken from lau nau's new LP, nukkuu (finnish for "sleeps"). watch the video here. brought to you by the same people that released that outstanding paavoharju record i mentioned the other day.

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elsewhere:

Here's some footage of day two of our Hot Freaks SXSW day party, courtesy of the the Projectmill, who also shot day one. The highlight: Lykke Li loves us.

new white denim video :: "all you really have to do"

Here's the official new video for White Denim's "all you really have to do" -- one of the very best jams of '07 -- which will appear on the band's upcoming UK LP, Workout Holiday:

[update: video is back & working again]



Speaking of Workout Holiday, here's the album art, and a free mp3 of "Mess Yr Hair Up," courtesy of WD's UK label, Full Time Hobby:


workout holiday

mp3:
white denim :: mess your hair up

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elsewhere:


at mount zoomer

Wolf Parade is giving away another song from At Mount Zoomer, via their myspace page. Dan's finest contribution to the new record, without question:

mp3:
wolf parade :: language city

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Esau Mwamwaya + Radioclit talk about their upcoming album, which will feature collaborations with M.I.A., Santogold, Marina from Bonde Do Role, and Vampire Weekend. Whoa.

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Nah Right has a new track from Raekwon + Ghostface, taken from Rae's highly anticipated Only Built For Cuban Linx sequel.