new polyphonic spree :: "blurry" (demo)

The Polyphonic Spree just posted the first demo for their upcoming record, which will be released on their own Good Records imprint. This is obviously the Spree at their most sparse (i.e., Tim DeLaughter and an acoustic guitar), but in its current stripped-down state, "Blurry" is a pretty, '60s-esque folk ballad that may surprise non-fans of the group:

mp3:
the polyphonic spree :: blurry (demo)

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what would i want sky

"Animal Collective confirmed to get first officially licensed Grateful Dead sample! "Phil Lesh loved the track..." [via]

We went ahead and confirmed the obvious: it's the "Unbroken Chain" sample, for this:

mp3:
animal collective :: what would i want sky (live)

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Dallas' Tim DeLaughter & fam nominated for Emmy

Tim Delaughter of the Polyphonic Spree/Tripping Daisy recently received a 2009 Emmy nomination for his theme song for Showtime's "United States of Tara." The group just posted up the high quality .wav version of the theme, and you can look for a "full song version" of this on the next Polyphonic album:

download:
tim delaughter :: the ride

In related news, Delaughter has almost finished writing the new album, and the group will post demos soon here.

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atlas sound :: "walkabout (feat. panda bear)"

Noah Lennox + Atlas Sound = one of the songs of the year. We mentioned before how psyched we were about the song, but the live version was no where near this:

mp3:
atlas sound :: walkabout (feat. panda bear)

[via the Fader]

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'09 Fun Fun Fun Fest Lineup update

the GZA and friends

We've just been made aware of a few more lineup leaks for Austin's 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest : hip-hop legend GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Why?, Melt Banana, and comedian Todd Barry join Broadcast, the Jesus Lizard, King Khan & BBQ Show, and Atlas Sound on the list of announced acts for this year's lineup. Nice start, guys. The '09 FFF Fest goes down November 7 + 8 at Austin's Waterloo Park; stay up on further lineup leaks here and/or here.

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heavy deeds

More hazy/sweaty psychedelic swamp drone jams from Cameron Stallones, aka Sun Araw: Not Not Fun has made the title track from his hypnotic new LP, Heavy Deeds, available for free download. The label says this one is "at once loftier, sweatier, deeper, groovier, and wilder than anything he’s done before," and between this and the dub-funk grooves of Stallones' other project with Amanda from Pocahaunted, dude seems to be on fire lately:

mp3:
sun araw :: heavy deeds

Get Heavy Deeds on marbled blue vinyl here while it lasts. Previously from Sun Araw/Vibes:

mp3:
sun araw :: horse steppin
vibes :: night court

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blog radio on sirius/xm

Our weekly Sirius XM Blog Radio show airs today at noon Eastern (and again at midnight) on Sirius XMU. This week's episode features brand new music from Reading Rainbow, Fergus & Geronimo, the xx, the Very Best, Pictureplane, and more. You can listen online with a free trial here. Check this week's playlist + some mp3s after the jump...

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gorilla vs. bear blog radio :: july 16

01. toro y moi :: 109
02. real estate :: beach comber
03. jj :: ecstacy
04. vivian girls :: when i'm gone
05. reading rainbow :: the sun is out
06. reading rainbow :: i will wait
07. best coast :: sun was high (so was i)
08. the xx :: basic space (pariah remix)
09. toro y moi :: blessa
10. julian lynch :: garden 2
11. pariah :: detroit falls
12. phaseone :: tower grove joint
13. grouper :: heavy water (phaseone edit)
14. burial :: archangel
15. pictureplane :: goth star
16. the very best :: chalo
17. mos def :: supermagic
18. amadou & mariam :: sabali
19. major lazer :: keep it goin louder
20. korallreven :: loved up
21. pearl harbour :: lost @ sea
22. eternal summers :: fall straight back
23. fergus & geronimo :: harder than it's ever been
24. fergus & geronimo :: tell it in my ear
25. the mayfair set :: i've been watching you
26. the mayfair set :: three for me
27. animal collective :: daily routine
28. forest swords :: miarches
29. the xx :: crystalised
30. rainbow bridge :: big wave rider
31. night control :: don't try
32. sparrow house :: when i am gone

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mp3: new kurt vile | "overnite religion"

The first mp3 from Kurt Vile's forthcoming Matador debut, Childish Prodigy:

mp3:
kurt vile :: overnite religion

Pre-order Childish Prodigy here.

[via]

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mp3s: girls | hellhole ratrace 10"

Our friends at True Panther have made the new Girls' Hellhole Ratrace 10" available for free download as high-quality mp3s, and revealed the album art for the group's beautiful upcoming debut LP, Album (pictured). These songs have been floating around for a while, but these are the final remixed/remastered versions:

mp3:
girls :: hellhole ratrace
girls :: solitude

Album is out September 22 on True Panther/Matador.

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vivre sa vie

We premiered Pariah's flawless remix of the xx's "Basic Space" only a few days ago, and an enterprising fan has already put together this unofficial video, using oddly appropriate images of Anna Karina's iconic performance in Godard's Vivre Sa vie:



mp3:
the xx :: basic space (pariah remix)

[thanks to young turks for the tip]

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In other news, Pariah's "Detroit Falls" will see a proper vinyl release soon (b/w the equally great "Orpheus"), via 10" on R & S Records.

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the sun is out

Sweet new summer jam from Philly's Reading Rainbow (best myspace URL, by the way), taken from the duo's awesome forthcoming full-length, Mystical Participation. Songs about the Sun are super relevant right now, and this makes a solid companion to that Best Coast song we won't shut up about, especially if you like a little unbridled youthful enthusiasm in your noisy lo-fi dream-pop jams:

mp3:
reading rainbow :: the sun is out



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Reading Rainbow's Mystical Participation LP is out on 12"/download August 1. Get it here or here.

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elsewhere:

In other rainbow/summer news, our friends at True Panther sent over the a-side from Rainbow Bridge's new limited 7"; much better than the myspace rip that's been floating around. Get it before it sells out, as True Panther releases are prone to do:

mp3:
rainbow bridge :: big wave rider

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phrazes for the young

Preview the new solo project of the Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas (due this Fall) after the jump...

[via ultra8201]

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mp3: new Vivian Girls :: "when i'm gone"

Download "When I'm Gone" from Vivian Girls' upcoming LP, Everything Goes Wrong, here.

[via]

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ducktails x julian lynch II

We mentioned the new Ducktails/Julian Lynch split 7" the other day, and today the Underwater Peoples bros sent over the Richard Law videos featured on the accompanying DVD:





mp3:
julian lynch :: garden 2
ducktails :: parasailing

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Buy the Ducktails/Julian Lynch split 7" here.

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mp3: classixx x major lazer

You might recall Classixx from their well-received official remix of Phoenix's "Lisztomania," or from the video for their own "I'll Get You." Here, the L.A. duo offers up their chill Balearic-leaning "Glass Bottom Dub" extended rework of Major Lazer's roots-reggae throwback "Cash Flow."

mp3:
major lazer :: cash flow (classixx glass bottom dub mix)

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loved up

In a recent blog post from Sweden's Air France, the group mentioned their recently completed St. Etienne remix, an upcoming "epic dinosaur record called Before the cave people" which may or may not be coming out on Sincerely Yours, and big upped both jj and Best Coast's "Sun Was High" ("It is cracked, like life."). They also recommended new Swedish "tropical shoegaze" duo Korallrevven, whose label likens this song to a "surfer praying for the perfect wave, getting a tzunami." Take a listen to "Loved Up" below:



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Air France also offered up a high-quality .wav recording of their latest single, "GBG Belongs to Us":

download:
air france :: GBG Belongs to Us .wav (32 mb)

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elsewhere:



New songs from Best Coast at the group's myspace page. You can now order their Where the Boys Are cassette from Blackest Rainbow (limited to 200 copies).

EDIT: Sold out.

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Remix news: VEGA x Grizzly Bear

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basic space

[photo]

London youngsters the xx are set to release their ethereal, dream-like minimalist pop debut next month in the UK on Young Turks. On this remix of album standout "Basic Space," UK producer Pariah taps into the same brooding, haunted/hopeful glow and early-morning-rain atmospherics that elevated Burial's transcendent Untrue:

mp3:
the xx :: basic space (pariah remix)

The xx's debut full-length is out August 17 in the UK on Young Turks, with a U.S. release to follow this Fall. Pre-order here.

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white denim signs with Downtown

Austin's White Denim has signed with Downtown (home of Mos Def, Major Lazer, Spank Rock, Justice, Santigold, et al.). The group's sophomore LP, Fits, will see a proper U.S. release this October on the label.

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gvsb presents: Dungen + Woods | Live in Dallas

Gorilla vs. Bear presents Swedish psych wizards Dungen, live on Saturday, August 22, at the Loft here in Dallas, with support from Woods. We've got 5 pairs of tickets to give away for this one courtesy of the venue; email us at gorillavsbearcontests@gmail.com if you'd like a pair. Purchase tickets here.

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mp3:
dungen :: satt at se
woods :: rain on

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thanks but no thanks

St. Louis producer Phaseone has gained a following on the strength of a handful of consistently tight remixes for the likes of Grouper, Burial, Panda Bear, Bloc Party, and others, and as it turns out, the kid makes some pretty huge beats of his own, as evidenced by the upcoming Thanks But No Thanks LP. Looks like you'll be able to get the whole thing for free soon, but for now, here are a couple highlights:

mp3:
phaseone :: tower grove joint
phaseone :: sage

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mp3: sally shapiro | "love in july"

The new "summer single" from Gothenburg's Sally Shapiro, out July 14 on Paper Bag Records. Sweden holding it down lately, even more than usual:

mp3:
sally shapiro :: love in july

Taken from Sally Shapiro's forthcoming full-length, My Guilty Pleasure, out August 25. Edit: Here's the video (via):



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blog radio on sirius/xm

Our weekly Sirius XM Blog Radio show airs today at noon Eastern (and again at midnight) on Sirius XMU. This week's episode features brand new music from Girls, Forest Swords, Toro Y Moi, VEGA, Pearl Harbour, and more. You can listen online with a free trial here. Check this week's playlist + some mp3s after the jump...

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gorilla vs. bear blog radio :: july 9

01. toro y moi :: blessa
02. neon indian :: mind, drips
03. jj :: ecstacy
04. jj :: things will never be the same again
05. air france :: GBG belongs to us
06. the xx :: crystalised
07. girls :: solitude
08. ariel pink's haunted graffiti :: kind of kind
09. king tuff :: sun medallion
10. smith westerns :: diamond boys
11. forest swords :: miarches
12. white denim :: sex prayer
13. selda :: ince ince bir kar yagar
14. pisces :: dear one
15. the mayfair set :: already warm
16. fergus & geronimo :: harder than it's ever been
17. grass widow :: to where
18. harlem :: caroline
19. amadou & mariam :: sabali
20. major lazer :: keep it goin louder
21. VEGA :: kyoto gardens
22. toro y moi :: 109
23. julian lynch :: garden 2
24. memory cassette :: body in the water
25. nite jewel :: what did he say
26. cassie :: official girl (CFCF remix)
27. trailer trash tracys :: strangling good guys
28. dum dum girls :: baby don't go
29. best coast :: sun was high (so was i)
30. pearl harbour :: lost @ sea
31. hole class :: this mirror's a window
32. grouper :: rising height

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atlas sound x panda bear :: "walkabout"

A few months ago, we we noted that awesome new Atlas Sound song "Walkabout" (previously known as "Dovers Jam," but we'll assume it's an early version of the same thing) sounded quite Panda Bear-esque. Turns out that's because Noah Lennox taught Bradford Cox how to sample/beat match, and the two will collaborate on the final version of the song, set to appear on the upcoming Atlas Sound full-length, Logos. Cox tells P4k:

"I toured for a period in Europe with Animal Collective, whose band dynamic was very inspirational to be around. On the bus, we often played improvised iPod games. We would take turns formulating a theme or unifying concept and then play three songs. The goal would be for everyone to try and figure out the theme. During one of these games, someone played 'What Am I Going to Do' by the Dovers. I was amazed at the hook-- a weird organ thing with drums and electric bass. I mentioned to Noah [Lennox] that someone should really sample that riff. He agreed and he taught me a little about sampling and matching up beats. This ended up as the collaborative effort 'Walkabout'. "

mp3:
atlas sound :: walkabout (live)

[more on Logos, which also features a collab with Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier]

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blessa

Toro Y Moi has signed to Carpark Records, and the esteemed label will release his debut Blessa 7" on October 6 of this year, with two full-lengths to follow in 2k10.

mp3:
toro y moi :: blessa

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dum dum girls

In other label news, Dum Dum Girls has signed with Sub Pop. Look for a full-length next year.

mp3:
dum dum girls :: brite futures

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mystery

SERVICE is set to release Trust in Numbers, the debut full-length from Sweden's Lake Heartbeat, produced by D Lissvik of the duo Studio. Here's a dreamy remix of the group's first single, "Mystery," created by Norway's Ytre Rymden Dansskola. Those that share our obsession with like-minded Swedish pop geniuses the Tough Alliance, Studio, Air France, and most recently, jj, will likely be into this:

mp3:
lake heartbeat :: mystery (ytre rymden dansskola remix)

Trust in Numbers is out in September '09.

previously:

mp3:
fever ray :: when i grow up (version by lissvik)

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related:

Download a label sampler courtesy of SERVICE, featuring tracks from the Embassy, the Tough Alliance, Jens Lekman, and more:

mp3:
Live Forever or Die Trying: a SERVICE Label Compilation .zip (90 mb)

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ducktails x julian lynch

Our friends at Underwater Peoples are set to release a split 7" -- with cover art by Real Estate frontman Martin Courtney, pictured above -- next week, featuring tracks from Ridgewood, NJ, homies-since-1st-grade Ducktails and Julian Lynch (his debut 7"). The 7" will be accompanied by a DVD with two videos by Richard Law. Here's one of Julian Lynch's two excellent b-side contributions, the laid back, breezy tropical psych-pop jam "Garden 2."

mp3:
julian lynch :: garden 2

The Ducktails/Julian Lynch split 7" is out July 13. Pre-order here. Also, in the deal of the year, grab the label's Summertime Showcase for $4.50.

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two weeks til prom

Pretty sure at least half of you will despise this, but we already knew that "Two Weeks" vaguely recalled a decent hip-hop beat, and at the very least, this is vastly superior to Weezy's original version:

mp3:
grizzly bear x lil wayne :: two weeks til prom

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24-carat black

24-carat black

Chances are you've heard 24-Carat Black, even if you've never heard of them, as their work's been sampled by the likes of Digable Planets and Jay-Z. The world's greatest reissue label recently unearthed the group's shelved follow-up to 1973's underappreciated "dark urban concept album," Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth, and is set to release the previously unheard Gone: The Promises of Yesterday later this month. Here's one blazing track that was too rough to make the final cut for the record; the label explains:

"The worst part of unearthing old music is digging up something in a far-too-advanced state of decay. This was the most disappointing moment from the 24-Carat Black excavation. An uptempo cut with all the right moves, this untitled jam would’ve certainly made our tracklist, if not set the bar for the material we found. Unfortunately, far too much is missing. Note the drop-outs, distortion, and overall crustiness. This is Dale Warren at his most fiery. The driving drums and echo-laden congas give a raw urgency not always present on either set of 24-Carat recordings. There was no working with this material, however, and the best efforts of experienced professionals to restore even small parts of it were for naught. Enjoy it here, as much as it is possible… it won’t likely be presented anywhere else."

mp3:
24-carat black :: untitled

Check this album mp3 sampler, which should give you an idea of this thing's greatness. Buy 24-Carat Black's Gone: The Promises of Yesterday here (and while you're over there, pick up that Pisces record on vinyl).

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forest swords

Here's the swampy, dubbed-out title track/A-side from Forest Swords' forthcoming limited edition Miarches cassette, out soon on Leftist Nautical Antiques. Awesome slow burning drone-step with soul, set to appropriate images by the battle:



mp3:
forest swords :: miarches

Miarches cassette limited to 125 copies; pre-order here for $4 before they're gone.

[thanks to alex for the tip]

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rain on radio

Our friends at Half Machine Records are set to release Woods' debut UK 7" single, on which a-side "To Clean" is backed by this exclusive, UK-only acoustic rendition of my favorite track from Songs of Shame, "Rain On." A slowed-down, even more hauntingly sparse and melancholy take on the already great LP version:

mp3:
woods :: rain on radio

Pre-order Woods' To Clean 7" here for only £2.99.

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2009.5

Our favorite albums of the first half of '09:



01. grizzly bear | veckatimest
01. white denim | fits
03. smith westerns | smith westerns
    mp3: be my girl
04. phoenix | wolfgang amadeus phoenix
05. animal collective | merriweather post pavilion
06. fever ray | fever ray
07. night control | death control
08. jj | n° 2
09. pisces | a lovely sight
    mp3: dear one
10. st. vincent | actor
11. cass mccombs | catacombs
12. various | underwater peoples records showcase

A selection of our favorite 7"/12", EPs, and otherwise unrepresented songs of the first half of 2009 after the jump...

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7"/12"/EPs:



01. dum dum girls | yours alone EP
02. the bitters | wooden glove EP
03. the mayfair set | already warm/desert fun 7"
04. VEGA | well known pleasures EP
05. girls | hellhole ratrace 10"
06. SALEM | ohK/sweat 7"
07. burial & four tet | moth/wolf cub 12"
08. memory cassette | call & response 7"
09. bullion | young heartache EP

Other songs we love that are not represented by the above releases, in no particular order:

basement jaxx :: raindrops
here we go magic :: tunnelvision
trailer trash tracys :: candy girl
major lazer :: keep it goin louder
neon indian :: deadbeat summer
dirty projectors :: useful chamber
pearl harbour :: lost @ sea
DOOM :: that's that
dum dum girls :: jail la la
ancient crux :: in teen dreams
fergus & geronimo :: harder than it's ever been
the golden filter :: solid gold
woods :: rain on
j dilla :: coming back
grouper :: rising height
best coast :: sun was high (so was i)
pariah :: detroit falls
mos def :: supermagic
highlife :: f kenya rip
kurt vile :: beach on the moon (recycled lyrics)
wavves :: friends were gone
raekwon :: wu ooh
the big pink :: velvet (gang gang dance remix)
sharon van etten :: for you

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mp3: riceboy sleeps | "boy 1904"

New song from Riceboy Sleeps, the forthcoming album from Sigur Ros singer Jonsi Birgisson and his boyfriend Alex Somers. It should be noted that "Boy 1904" features the "only known recording of the last ever castrato singer."

mp3:
jonsi & alex :: boy 1904

Riceboy Sleeps is out July 21 on XL. Pre-order here.

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video: dum dum girls | "hey sis" (live)

Dum Dum Girls perform "Hey Sis" at their first ever live show, yesterday afternoon at the Captured Tracks/Woodsist Festival in Brooklyn. Featuring Frankie Rose (Crystal Stilts, ex-Vivian Girls) on drums, Mike Sniper (Blank Dogs) on bass, and Brandon Welchez (Crocodiles) on guitar:



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