It’s hard to believe that “Bear”, one of the best songs released last year, is just getting the music video treatment now. I guess it’s time to admit that the music video is dead and that it does not sell records the way “Thriller” used to. That doesn’t make the music video for “Bear” any less gorgeous. If you haven’t bought Hospice yet, maybe you should do so now.
#Music Videos #The Antlers
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
13
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Japandroids “Art Czars”
Vancouver’s Japandroids, self-absorbed and partied out, released one of the finest albums of 2009. With a touring schedule as tight as theirs, they won’t be able to record a follow-up to Post-Nothing this year, so the bad has come up with a solution to satisfy their equally self-absorbed and partied out fans. Throughout 2010, Japandroids will five 7″ singles limited to 2,000 copies. Each single will include a track from the Post-Nothing sessions (or you might call them, “the tracks that weren’t good enough”) and a cover.
The first 7″ features the previously unreleased “Art Czars” and is backed with their cover of Big Black’s classic “Racer X”, which they performed at Daytrotter a while back. Pre-order the limited single here, and stream and download “Art Czars” below: Continue reading →
#MP3 #Japandroids
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
81
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Janelle Monae “Tightrope” (feat. Big Boi)
I am excited to announced that “Tightrope” is the first single off Janelle Monae’s upcoming ’suites,’ the Metropolis Suites II & III: The ArchAndroid. In this outstanding collaboration with Outkast’s Big Boi, Janelle Monae draws strength from James Brown, Grace Jones and even Andre 3000. Listen to it below:
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On Friday, February 12th, “Tightrope”, along with another The ArchAndroid track, “Cold War”, will go on sale exclusively at Janelle Monae’s website. It will be available everywhere on the 23rd of February.
Janelle Monae’s The ArchAndroid is the hotly anticipated and long awaited first release since Monae’s 2007’s Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase. According to her official blog, “The ArchAndroid” is an “EMOTION PICTURE” brought to you by Janelle Monáe and the Mad Minds of the Wondaland Arts Society. The star-studded featured cast includes the legendary Big Boi of OutKast, renowned poet Saul Williams, psychedelic dance-punk troupe Of Montreal, punk prophets Deep Cotton, and the Wondaland Arch Orchestra.
I can already tell you now that the of Montreal collaboration is going to be bananas. The ArchAndroid is out on May 18th. Read on for Janelle Monae’s tour dates: Continue reading →
#Listen #Big Boi #Janelle Monae #Of Montreal #OutKast
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
6
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Stream Peter Gabriel’s Scatch My Back In Its Entirety
You can stream all of Peter Gabriel’s epic indie rock covers album Scratch My Back at The Guardian’s website. Scratch My Back features covers of the likes of David Bowie, Radiohead, Arcade Fire and Bon Iver. Refer to the tracklist below to learn more of the awesomeness that awaits you. You can download Gabriel’s cover of Bon Iver’s “Flume” here.
Tracklist:
01 “Heroes” (David Bowie)
02 “The Boy in the Bubble” (Paul Simon)
03 “Mirrorball” (Elbow)
04 “Flume” (Bon Iver)
05 “Listening Wind” (Talking Heads)
06 “The Power of the Heart” (Lou Reed)
07 “My Body Is a Cage” (Arcade Fire)
08 “The Book of Love” (The Magnetic Fields)
09 “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” (Randy Newman)
10 “Après moi” (Regina Spektor)
11 “Philadelphia” (Neil Young)
12 “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” (Radiohead)
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
5
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Good Shoes “Under Control”
Good Shoes play with the same cards as their contemporaries (and countrymen) Late of the Pier, Friendly Fires, Foals – that sharp and cutting guitar, a quick and driving bassline, sexy lyrics… I’m sure you can think of more. “Under Control” is a good song, solid and danceable, but I think I would like it more if I hadn’t heard it in at least four or five previous incarnations. Good Shoes – based on this song, at least – don’t have the ridiculous incongruity that makes Late of the Pier interesting, nor the genius hook-craftsmanship that makes Friendly Fires interesting, nor the unwieldy time changes that makes Foals interesting. “Under Control” is enjoyable, but it’s been done before, and it’s been done better before.
Good Shoes’ second album, No Hope, No Future was released in late January in the UK. It hasn’t been released stateside, as far as I know.
#MP3 #Friendly Fires #Good Shoes
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
4
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Stream Local Native’s Gorilla Manor In Its Entirety
NPR is currently streaming the Local Native’s debut record Gorilla Manor at their website. Head over there to listen to the album in its entirety. Gorilla Manor is out February 16th.
#Listen #Album Stream #Local Natives
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
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Harlem “Someday Soon”
On the first track on their second album (first on the wonderful Matador Records) Harlem insist that they won’t help you out if you’ve done them wrong. They won’t even put you out if you’re on fire. They don’t say they’d be the ones to set you on fire, but I think they would – it’s in that simple punk energy, classic rock structure, uncomplicated harmony, like an angrier, punkier Born Ruffians.
I thought about other bands with lineups like Harlem’s – No Age, Wavves, Japandroids – all brash lo-fi, a deliberate attempt to sound recorded in a garage. Harlem, working with the old guitarist / drummer standard, play with that lo-fi sound, like they’ve set up the drum set next to the snowblower, but nevertheless manage to do something new and reasonably exciting. “Someday Soon” is clean, bright, more pop than grunge, more driving in the sunlight than head-banging in a sweaty room. And it works, marvelously.
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Harlem’s Hippies is out April 6th on Matador. Make sure to download the free MP3 single “Friendly Ghost” which is also quite good.
#Favorite Songs # Listen #Harlem #Japandroids #No Age
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
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Lupe Fiasco “What U Want”
We’ve been hearing a lot about Lupe Fiasco’s third and possibly final album titled LupE.N.D. Lasers. While Lupe Fiasco leaks are a dime a dozen around the internets (I just stay away now), Lupe himself has confirmed that “What U Want” will be on Lasers.
With a release supposedly slated in early 2010, “What U Want” serves as the acting first single or taste of what we can expect from Lasers. With simple, laid back beats and equally chill and relaxing supporting vocals, we find ourselves nodding our heads along to a Lupe Fiasco heavily channelling his contemporary, Kid Cudi. If Lupe Fiasco was to perpetuate a trend in hip-hop, choosing the Kid Cudi/808 & Heartbreaks path is most refreshing. I can admit I’m growing weary of the Young Money set. You can listen to “What U Want” below: Continue reading →
#Listen #Kid Cudi #Lupe Fiasco
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
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Major Lazer “Sound of Siren” (feat. M.I.A. and Busy Signal)
Late last night, Diplo announced, via Twitter, that Major Lazer will be releasing an EP in April with new material featuring vocals from “M.I.A, Busy Signal, Colliebudz, Lindi Ortega, Buraka Som Systema, Kicks Like a Mule and Thom Yorke“.
Major Lazer is letting us download “Sound of Siren” featuring M.I.A. and dancehall buffo Busy Signal, for free — however, the mp3 seems to cut short at the end. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is an unfinished version of the track. What ever state of completion its in, you can download “Sound of Siren” for free, below: Continue reading →
#MP3 #Busy Signal #M.I.A #Major Lazer
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Feb 10
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Feb 10
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Joanna Newsom “Kingfisher”
Drag City is streaming yet another new Joanna Newsom track, this time also giving us the tracklist to Newsom’s mammoth TRIPLE LP Have One On Me. “Kingfisher” is a delicate and smooth 9-minute is just another of 18 songs that span over two hours of gorgeous Joanna Newsom music. However, beautiful or not, I can’t really see myself listening to Have One On Me in one sitting.
Listen to “Kingfisher” below, and take a peek at the tracklist:
Stream: Joanna Newsom “Kingfisher”
Have One on Me tracklist (with track lengths): Continue reading →
#Listen #Joanna Newsom
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