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Archive for the 'MP3' CategoryPage 3 of 22

Transcendental Garage Shredding from Jerusalem and the Starbaskets

JeremyLO Transcendental Garage Shredding from Jerusalem and the Starbaskets

Both us and No Conclusion immediately tear open emails from De Stijl Records as soon as we get ‘em, just like how Christmas used to be. And with good reason – everything around those parts are 100% solid, and this beautiful damage jammage from Jerusalem and the Starbaskets is no exception. Jerusalem grabs the crusty grit of Elevators-style garage, adds a touch of space rock expansiveness, and calibrates said sounds to match their Midwestern stomping ground. While the tones are interstellar, they, kinda like Amen Dunes, have the uncanny ability to create a bucolic, rural psychedelia that’s as dusty as it is cosmic. Mega like.

Go see about them over at De Stijl’s website.

MP3 :::
Jerusalem and the Starbaskets – Gulf of Mexico

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Some Boys Are Strangers Than Others

be brave

The Strange Boys are the brainchild of few stumbling kids out of Austin, TX who play hot-bed confessionals, scruffy twilight ballads, and drinking jams. With a mix of influences from Bob Dylan to the Seeds, they arrive at a pleasantly concocted hybrid of psychedelic nature and southern mannerisms that have led them to play with everyone from King Khan to Roky Erikson. For their new album Be Brave, they recruited two members of Mika Miko, and Tim Presley of Darker My Love, to be released on In The Red. Singer Ryan Sambol sounds like he’s trying to one-up Daniel Johnston at his own game (which is a bit unfair considering dude doesn’t even know what day it is), with a bit of a drunken country slur. That aside, he is a pretty masterful storyteller. The songs move along at a crawling pace, packing in garage rock crunch, wailing harmonica, and outsider folk leanings for an album full of surprises. You can catch these dudes supporting Deerhunter and Spoon this Spring.

Be Brave is available February 23rd on In the Red.

For Fans Of: Daniel Johnston, Smith Westerns, Black Lips

MP3 :::
The Strange Boys – Laugh At Sex, Not Her
The Strange Boys – Friday in Paris

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Mako Sica and the Bustle in Purgatory

mako

Chicago’s spectral psych trio Mako Sica are the newest wandering souls in camp La Societe Expeditionnaire, who secured a spot on our Best of 2009 list with Dragon Turtle’s Almanac. Their name is Sioux Lakota Native American for “land bad,” which they caught on a sign post during a trip through the Painted Desert. Containing two member’s of the late Rope, the group took to the basement last May with James Zespy and US Maple’s Todd Rittman behind the boards to jam out their debut full-length Dual Horizons.

Somehow, this sprawling three-song epic was recorded completely live with no overdubs, just a couple of wild, presumably bearded dudes turning post-rock conventions into cathartic explosions, unsettling lulls, and everything in between. Take the fluid movements of early Tortoise, add some of the occult fetishes from New Weird America bands, and you’re on the right track. Alternately primitive and cinematic, Mako Sica wrestle a hoard of influences to the floor for one 40-minute, soul-purging performance.

Dual Horizons is available in limited vinyl (only 250 pressed) on February 16th. You can pre-order here.

MP3:::
Mako Sica – I’Itoi

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New Collateral Jammage from A Sunny Day in Glasgow

ASDIG_NR_300 New Collateral Jammage from A Sunny Day in Glasgow

Ashes Grammar was absolutely fantastic, though a little fragmented with the myriad of ambient interludes. The newfound conciseness and cohesiveness explored on Nitetime Rainbows showcases a band with a vision. The melodies are more unique and focused this time around. A Sunny Day in Glasgow is not simply a revisiting of the glory days of dream pop – they have firmly established themselves as heavy fucking hitters in the theme of ethereal anthems, with the electronic scheme that throws their atmospherics solidly into the future (or retro future perhaps). I’m very much looking forward to the next full-length, but for the time being, Nitetime Rainbows is packed with awesome new music and three remixes of “Nitetime Rainbows” worth your time and headspace (including one from the mighty Benoit Pioulard).

Nitetime Rainbows is out March 2, and you can grip it physically or digitally at the band’s website along with live MP3s and other excellent goodies that cool and smart bands provide.

MP3 :::
File removed per request

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Slumberland to Release Black Tambourine Anthology

bt

For a band that only put out a modest handful of singles twenty years ago, Black Tambourine’s unadulterated noise pop jams turned out to be one hell of a crystal ball. Circa 1989, I was in utero and members of twee gaze start ups Whorl and Velocity Girl had just recruited singer Pam Berry (whom I for some reason remember being much more attractive than in the above picture) to form a new project. It was an outlet to fuse together their obsessions with The Jesus & Mary Chain, the Ronettes, and efficient garage rock. Previously available as 1999’s Complete Recordings, this new anthology on their original label Slumberland contains six previously unreleased jams, including four new ones that the reunited band recorded for this specific occasion. There’s even a cover of my favorite Suicide song “Dream Baby Dream” and Buddy Holly’s “Heart Beat”. This is no carrot in the face of recession-weary completionists, it’s the perfect introduction for newcomers, and some long needed closure for fans. Also, Black Tambourine will now be available for the first time on vinyl.

bt

Black Tambourine will be available in all it’s overdue glory March 30th on Slumberland Records.

MP3 :::
Black Tambourine – Black Car
Black Tambourine – Throw Aggi Off the Bridge

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Dead Leaf Echo’s Ominous Dreamscape

l_5e76951a935647d6b2b6f77009741ba8 Dead Leaf Echos Ominous Dreamscape

Really like what I’m hearing from New York City’s Dead Leaf Echo. While you could toss them in the newgaze camp, I would argue that Dead Leaf Echo is only tangentially reminiscent of the scene that celebrates itself (which is what was immediately appealing to me in the first place). The vocals (coming from a gentleman simply known as LG, like my phone) have an odd, clear croon, brought up high in the mix rather than washed out (as is apropos to most shoegaze), bolstered more by moody and light synth flourishes and melted, chorus-heavy guitar rather than pure “wall of sound” or fuzz distortion. Lush as fuck, easy on the ears, yet keeps a visceral ominous tone throughout that reminds me of the finer portion of Medicine’s repertoire and, actually, older Blonde Redhead. Creation addicts should also take notice of these dream pop mensch, in the event you’ve not already. Hear more at Dead Leaf Echo’s website.

For fans of:  Soundpool, Medicine, Blonde Redhead

MP3 :::
Dead Leaf Echo – Half Truth

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Serena Maneesh – “I Just Want To See Your Face”

serena-maneesh-photo-212 Serena Maneesh - I Just Want To See Your Face

The guitars are so laterally evil and the vocals are so syrupy sweet. Praise be to Allah. I just want to see the new Serena Maneesh album in my hands a.s.a.p. I mean, I’m going to go grip it on vinyl, but it would be way fucking rad if 4AD wants to send me an advance promo. March 23rd, otherwise.

MP3 :::
Serena Maneesh – I Just Want To See Your Face

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Add Another Wolf to the Wolves

l_6806639e3c85906ecd1ba50fb2a0fad3 Add Another Wolf to the Wolves

Dude, what’s with the fucking wolves? Wolf Eyes, Wolfmother, Patrick Wolf, Guitar Wolf (who is awesome), Wolf Parade (who is not awesome), Sea Wolf, Peanut Butter Wolf, Howlin’ Wolf, AIDS Wolf, and lest we forget Peter Wolf and my personal favorites…

Wolf Blitzer (of The Situation Room fame, when not hosted by Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, not to mention can double as an excellent metal band name)

 Add Another Wolf to the Wolves

Law & Order executive producer Dick Wolf (not to be confused with wolf dick, which is entirely different). DOINK DOINK:

dickwolf Add Another Wolf to the Wolves

and, of course, three wolves havin’ a howl, coming to a state fair or dance party near you…

wolfshirt-moon Add Another Wolf to the Wolves

Wolf is the old and new Bear, I suppose.

So yep, the Wolf is everywhere, and this shit’s beginning to confuse me. Add Wolf People to the fray. However, it’s worth mentioning and perhaps self-evident that Wolf People is a rather amazing band – amazing enough to make me (almost) completely forget about my aversion to wolves, both in project names and in real life encounters.

Two things you need to know about Wolf People. First, flutes. Second, Wolf People are completely out of the loop of what’s en vogue right now. This is good classic psychedelia, and some of the best interpretations of the genre since Dungen. No glo-fi, no beats, no poorly realized garage slop, no hype – just complex, ornate, soaring acid rock and electric folk – respectfully retro, yet with a contemporary sheen that shines brightly. Nothing complicated to read into with Wolf People, this is just how rock and roll is supposed to sound.

I’ve had a shit morning thus far, but discovering and listening to Wolf People put me in the right headspace. Despite having yet to set foot in the states (they come to us from  merry ole England), they just scored a distribution deal with the practically flawless Jagjaguwar label. Their debut full-length, Tidings, hit selves February 23.  Hit up the sample below, and hear more at the group’s Soundcloud.

For fans of:  Dungen, Fairport Convention, Kurt Vile, The Pretty Things

MP3 :::
Wolf People – Tidings

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Emily Reo’s Haunted Graffiti

l_1f3e4aa129844002b06d9ec63d926179 Emily Reos Haunted Graffiti

Sunny good-times Orlando doesn’t necessarily seem the type of milieu that begets sequestered and supremely haunting lo-fi. But it did, and Emily Reo is decidedly in a league of her own. Simple synths, swells of tape warmth, junky drum machines, a touch of vibraphone, and distorted, melodic, post doo wop vocals certainly evokes Tickley Feather or a totally fucked version of Beach House. However, Reo adopts a more cathedral-tinged approach, demonstrated on “Metal For Your Skin” – a song too expansive for the bedroom. “Tell Us All” features a masterful incorporation of the evasive “circus waltz” that you no longer hear much in skewed pop music. Her full length Minha Gatinha is available now. (Emily Reo on MySpazz)

For fans of:  Tickley Feather, Grouper, Ariel Pink

MP3 :::
Emily Reo – Metal For Your Skin
Emily Reo – Tell Us All

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Sun Araw Builds New HQ, Sends Us a Rad 7″ As a Post Card

SA

To christen his new batcave Sun Ark Studio, Cameron Stallones a.k.a. Sun Araw has released a new 7″ of the same name on Not Not Fun. The A-side “Bump Up (High Step)”, with it’s live lo-fi sampling feel, sounds more like Ferraro-led projects like Matrix Metals or Lamborghini Crystal than his previous dub-revisionist space voyages or romps with Vibes.  This track coasts on a surreal airspace haunted by disembodied funk loops, woodwinds, karaoke mantras, blasting organ stabs, and random FX solutions. Side B’s “Live Mind” is more traditional Stallones, with a busy high-end preference that recalls his Boat Trip 3″ from 2008 on Woodsist, and a scorched reggae line prompting impulsive cracks from the drum pad. This is a limited edition of 500, so act fast. TDT seal of approval.

Sun Ark is available now through the good folks at Not Not Fun.

MP3 :::
Sun Araw – Bump Up (High Step)

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