Nikki Lane - Right Time

I'm not usually a country fan. But, these are not ordinary times ... with Shovels and Rope and Shakey Graves bringing the awesome Americana. Sturgill Simpson is doing his best to resurrect real country. And now Nikki Lane is offering some great blues-infused, honky tonk sounds. Enjoy!

Field Report

For some folks that made it to the SXSW, it would seem that one under-the-radar gems this was an outfit named Field Report. The band is fronted by Chris Porterfield, formerly of DeYarmond Edison (which spawned Bon Iver and Megafaun).

These preview tracks are wonderful, lighlty layered gems in a singer-songwriter tradition. They are dripping with song-craft and personal touches. Can't wait to hear more in the near future.

Tennis "Young and Old" Full Album Stream

Check out the new Tennis album Young and Old. The album will be officially released on the Fat Possum label on February 14, a Valentine's Day treat of sugary goodness.You can pre-order a copy here

Get yourself to a show soon.

Date Location Venue 2/9/12  Paris  Point Ephémère 2/10/12  Amsterdam  Paradiso 2/11/12  Ostend  Zwerver Cafe 2/13/12  London  Hoxton Bar And Kitchen 2/16/12  Denver  Bluebird Theater 2/22/12  Omaha  Slowdown 2/24/12  Madison  High Noon Saloon 2/26/12  Chicago  Lincoln Hall 2/27/12  Indianapolis  Radio Radio 2/28/12  Cleveland  Grog Shop 2/29/12  Toronto  Horseshoe Tavern 3/2/12  Allston  Brighton Music Hall 3/3/12  New York  Bowery Ballroom 3/4/12  Music Hall of Williamsburg 3/6/12  Philadelphia  Union Transfer  3/7/12  Washington  Black Cat  3/9/12  Chapel Hill  Local 506             3/10/12  Atlanta  The Earl 3/11/12  Orlando  Orange You Glad Festival 4/24/12  Salt Lake City  Urban Lounge 4/26/12  Seattle  The Crocodile 4/27/12  Vancouver  Biltmore Caberet 4/28/12  Portland  Doug Fir Lounge 4/30/12  San Francisco  The Independent 5/2/12  Los Angeles  Troubadour 5/3/12 San Diego  The Casbah 5/4/12 Phoenix  Crescent Ballroom

Band of Skulls "Sweet Sour" Full Album Stream

The Band of Skulls are nearing the release of their sophomore effort, entitled "Sweet and Sour." It will be available in the states on March 27, 2012.

Preview the full album below. Then preorder here .

On first pass, the songs on the new album sound less anthemic, but more crafted than the tracks on "Baby Darling Doll Face Honey." The numbers have a more developed feel (or movement) to them, and have more of a metal-like, crunchy, shine (or atmosphere) than some of the tracks on the first album. But, it is definitely a Band of Skulls record, with foot-stomping, thick, bluesy, pounding grooves.

Check out an interview with the band about the new record at Spin .

Have a listen and drop a comment.

Tuesday's Trimmings: February is for February

You want to start February with some new tunes? You do ... ok. Well, here you go ... Here is a list of "new trimmings" to kick off your month in a decent way.

What am I enjoying in this set?

Jagwar Ma, "Come Save Me"-- Tight indie-rock grooves. Has a great simple bassline, nice drum beat, and nice layering of electronica. It's upbeat; it's chill; it's a tight little groove.

Porecelain Raft, "Drifting In and Out" -- The riff sells it. Layer in some big electronic filler and the sound swells. It's like the Big Pink matured and figured out how to layer their sound and grew the confidence to back off unnecessary swagger.

Tennis, "My Better Self"-- Way to stay the same and change just enough that I love it. I wasn't sure they would last for me past their debut ... but I'm digging this sophomore track. Its more of the same in the best possible way.

PAPA, "I Am the Lion King" -- I slept on these guys, as this track is a little older (maybe I posted this before?). This is all that is right with indie rock sounds. It also sells me that this is a Girl's side-project (yeah .. I like the band Girls .. not overrated ...suck it).

MMOTHS, "Hearts" -- I float in-and-out on the electronic beats (often because it can get self-indulgent real fast in my humble opinion). This track is repetitive, stuttery, and yet sonically thick and sexy. Ill take it.

I could list a few more, but that would be abusing my privilege to write whatever the hell I want. Dive into the other selections this week. I believe there is a little something for everyone.

Artist	Track
Adam Arcuragi	The Well
Alt-J	Fitzpleasure
Bahamas	I Got You Babe
Bowerbirds	In the Yard
Damien Jurado	Museum of Flight
Howler	Back of Your Neck
Jagwar Ma	Come Save Me
Lady Danville	Operating
MMOTHS (feat Keep Shelly in Athens)	Hearts
Memoryhouse	The Kids Were Wrong
PAPA	I Am the Lion King
Phèdre	In Decay
Porcelain Raft	Drifting In and Out
Tennis	My Better Self
The Sayitaints	Flutter
Tiny Victories	Lost Weekend
Wild Nothing	Nowhere
Yukon Blonde	Stairway

The Dø – Tightrope (Janelle Monaé Cover)
Covers don't often do it for me. But this one does it. 








DeerBazan - No One Asked Bazan to Dance
Awesome (as theoretically conceived) combination of Deerhoof and David Bazan (Pedro the Lion front). The 7" features Bazan adding his contributions to Deerhoof's "No One Asked to Dance" as an A-side, and Bazan's rendition of "Gas and Matches" on the B-side. If you have to have it, you can purchase here at Polivinyl's webstore.

Tuesday's Trimmings: What Is That New Year's 2012 Smell?

New Year -- New trimmings.
New Year -- Even less time and far less concern for waxing poetic about new beginnings.
New Year-- We likely both have goals that amount to "Get on with it!!". Let's just do that.

This Tuesday's Trimmings is a bit of a hodge-podge mess ... but the best possible kind of mess. It is a random smattering of tunes that generally straddle late fall and the new year. It seems to represent a set of tunes that I didn't quite have on my best of 2011 tracks but that I still really enjoyed at the end of the year; ALONG WITH, a set of tunes that represents artists to watch for 2012. These sets are not mutually exclusive, of course.

I could try to explain this in greater detail, but that would cause great pain. Let's not linger, shall we. Let's just take it in. More importantly, let's just listen and render critical, vitriolic judgement. In other words, let's have fun the modern way!

Here are your first cuts for 2012. Be sure to tell all your friends quickly about these tracks so you aren't (aghast!) second in the new year (i.e., irrelevant).

Artist	Track
Breton Coves	Edward the Confessor No Ladder
Destroyer	Leave Me Alone (New Order cover)
Evening Hymns	Asleep in the Pews
FIDLAR	Wake Bake Skate
First Aid Kit	The Lion's Roar
Friends	I'm His Girl
Grimes King Krule	Genesis Portrat in Black and Blue
Lana del Rey Little Jungles	National Anthem Nothing Will Grow
Michael Kiwanuka	I Need Your Company
Michael Kiwanuka	I'm Getting Ready
Nerves Junior	As Bright As Your Night Light
Nick Waterhouse	Is That Clear
Polica	Wandering Star
Southern Shores	Meridian
Stone Darling	Can You Get to That (Funkadelic)
The Coasts	Handshakers
The Coasts	Poltergeist
The Weeknd	Montreal
Tycho	Coastal Brake
Tycho	Dive
Tycho	Hours
Yukon Blonde	Choices

Arthur Beatrice -- What We Hoped to Achieve

What We Hoped To Achieve (Recorded Live at Flesh + Bone) from ululation on Vimeo.



The Peach Kings -- Thieves and Kings





Evening Hymns -- La Blogotheque Take Away Show


Evening Hymns | A Take Away Show | Presented By La Blogotheque, NxNE, SxSW and ASTW from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.



Gotye -- Making Mirrors album stream

Gotye - Making Mirrors by Gotye

Shin's Release First Single from New Album Port of Morrow

I have never been an immense Shin's fan, but I can't say that I don't get it. I dabble in their catalogue from time to time and do find a good deal to enjoy. It's just often too subtle for me most of the time ... I suppose ... which is likely an excuse so I can say obnoxious things like, "Im past the Shins."

It's been roughly 5 years since we last heard a proper album material from the band. That is an eternity in this interweb jungle. And things do change ... and change fast .... I understand that this is not the same Shins. The present manifestation is James Mercer plus a set of new Shins. It still certainly sounds like Mercer and the Shins, nevertheless.

Stream the new single Simple Song here. Yep, it's jangly and has some hipstery crooning, as we expect. But, this track is more "riffy" and is filled with more than "electronic" pump than some of their previous material. Methinks this is an arena-fication of the Shin's sound. Got to make the folks in the back row happy.

 Simple Song by theshins

The War on Drugs Don't Fear the Ghost

On the heels of the excellent (and Best of 2011 album) Slave Ambient, the War on Drugs deliver a new track entitled Don't Fear the Ghost. Stream here.

It will be released officially as the B-side on the Come to the City single.




Catch the War on Drugs on Fallon tonight (Jan 10, 2012)!

The Least Definitive List of the 25 Best Tracks of 2011

Let's not pretend with each other. You and I both know that we share the same opinion about end of the year lists. We consider them extremely self-indulgent and sometimes outright obnoxious. Yet, we still look. It's the car-wreck, reality-TV, Kardashian moment of indie music blogging, the biggest instance among other narcissistic feats of glory. And, oh, how you hate that pretentious blogger for that definitive list ... and you still can't turn away until you've had a chance to determine that he/she is in fact a prattling moron on the other end of the interwebs. You think, "Yeah ,I guess so. I did like that track. Ha! But that idiot totally left out the killer track by [ ]. What a freaking joke!"

Here we are, dear reader, at an impasse. I have my list on one side of the e-clouds, and you have your universal, pre-disposed, predilection for rolling your electronic eye on the other side. So, let's get on with it. Let's just own the shit out of it while we do this.

Praise be to egomania! Here's my list of my 25 favorite tracks (alpha by band name). Suck it! Read it! Then, tear it a new one.

Artist	Track
Apache Relay	Home Is Not Places
Blackbird Blackbird	Overboard
Destroyer	Chinatown
Dreamers of the Ghetto	Tether
Dum Dum Girls	Coming Down
Elbow	With Love
Generationals	Ten-Twenty-Ten
Girls	Lawrence
Hooray for Earth	No Love
Leisure	Green Light
Little Dragon	Ritual Union
Not in the Face	Downtown Girl
Sun Wizard	World’s Got a Handle
The Antlers	I Don’t Want Love
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart	Belong
The War on Drugs	Come to the City (or Brothers .. I cant decide)
tUnEYarDs	Powa
Typhoon	Summer Home
U.S. Royalty	Equestrian
Washed Out	Call It Off
WU LYF	We Bros
Wye Oak	The Alter
Yellow Ostrich	Mary

And a few honorable mentions .....

Artist	Track
Clock Opera	Belongings
Cults	Oh My God
Gotye	Somebody That I Used to Know
I Break Horses	Winter Beats
M83	Steve McQueen
Pure X	Dry Ice
Ringo Deathstarr	Imagine Hearts
Summer Camp	Better Off Without You
The Naked and Famous	Young Blood
Tin Sparrow	From the Boat

Tuesday's Trimmings: What of December edition

Ok ... so we skipped documentation of several really solid sets that were posted to Dropbox. Excuse my absence, or don't. Do the interwebs maintain grudges?

Let's just decide to enjoy this last set of new tunes for the year.



Artist                                                              Track

• Bowerbirds                                            Tuck the Darkness in
• Dear Lions                                            Boarding House
• French Films                                         Pretty in Decadence
• Guards                                                  I See It Coming  
• Guards                                                  Resolution of One
• Heartless Bastards                                 Parted Ways
• Keegan Dewitt                                       Colour
• Lana del Rey                                         Born to Die
• Lissy Trullie                                           Madeleine
• Not in the Face                                     Downtown Girl
• Plants and Animals                                Lightshow
• School of Seven Bells                            The Night

• Snowmine                                             Beast in Air Beast in Water

• The Dodos                                            So Cold
• The New Division                                  Sense
• The Pack AD                                        Making Gestures
• Wooden Wand and the Briarwood Virgins         Winter in Kentucky

Streaming Bonus Goodness

New Track from Band of Skulls: 

Sweet Sour by Band of Skulls

Interesting Audio from Zulu Winter:

 DD008 A2: Zulu Winter // Let's Move Back To Front by Double Denim Records 

 DD008 A1: Zulu Winter // Never Leave by Double Denim Records 

Pop-guitar-rock sounds from The Savage Nomads (British lads you are likely to hear on this side of the pond any day now...):

.... And your Xmas Present .. where is that? what is that? How about a lame "Best of" list in the next week or so? Sure, not what you asked for, but I don't really care. 

Guineafowl

Guineafowl, hailing from Sydney, Australia, have crafted a set of tunes on the Guineafowl EP that I've been waiting on for quite some time ... a tight mesh among some lo-fi electronic songs and detailed, well-played rock guitars and drums. I shouldn't claim that this has not been accomplished to some extent before. But, Guineafowl have blended the sounds extremely well to deliver a well-crafted Rock record. Let me say it again ... an energized Rock record. Yes, they have those all too familiar electro-elements, but they don't let those sounds dominate what is some quality guitar and drum work.

Here is a sample. Enjoy. Perhaps repeat. If you are in the NY area, you should get yourself to the Heart is a Spade CMJ showcase to catch a live set.


 Guineafowl - The Lie Is by dewprocess





What's that, you say? .. you hear some of that Arcade Fire-esque orchestral rock too, especially in The Lie Is...so it's not just me.

Tuesdays Trimmings: More October

What do you do when your &^&(%*^R(%*&^() external hard drive fails at the end of your day??!!! Turn to some tunes and hope they help you forget about that wall you promised to punch repeatedly!! 


Ok ... block out the anger ... block out the anger


So, here we are, solidly in October. The fall album rush has descended with the likes of Wilco and Feist trying to separate you from your hard-earned coin. Overall, both of those offerings are solid outings from the tried-and-true blockbuster indie artists (Can I say that? The universe won't implode from some disruption of the oxymoron continuum paradox?). But that isnt what we do here. 


What we do here is new tunes that you probably won't hear thumping through the fall air on an outdoor PA. This week's trimmings introduce you to Alex Clare, Daughter, Girl in a Coma, Mr. Gnome, and News of the Fire. From this set of musicians, you are likely to hear immediate noise about Daughter. Elena Tonra's project is popping up all of the interweb nodes, and her effort has even managed to secure the second hit in a Google search for the band's word-namesake. I'm betting some ridiculous tween-drama network insert (/commercial) is in Daughter's near future (which will result in my telling my wife I know that band in the background and her rolling her eyes in my direction for interrupting her show once again). 


This week, we (a.k.a, I) bring you more from Brown Shoe, Blood Orange, First Aid Kit, and M83. I have been really digging the Brown Shoe tracks from their upcoming The Gift Horse. I think we shall be hearing a good deal about these gentlemen once this album hits the shelves. The Blood Orange track is another solid tune from this subtle bluesy, trip-hop band. The M83 track is huge and awesomely hair. I have read that the new album is stellar! Pitchfork was so excited they had to post a rambling review that contained a thousand grammatical errors and nearly unintelligible sentences packed with obscure references. 


Next to last, but not least on any rock scale, a new track from Band of Skulls. It has been a long time coming. But, in all its thick glory, here it is. Must be a new album on the horizon. Slightly giddy ... ! 


A mini spotlight falls on Youth Lagoon. The debut album The Year in Hibernation is a wonderful piece of bedroom pop with crescendo reverb and clap-along twee rhythms. Sounds great on your best set of headphones.




Artist                                                              Track

• Alex Clare                                            Damn Your Eyes (Etta James Cover)
• Band of Skulls                                      The Devil Takes Care of His Own
• Black Pistol Fire                                   You're Not the Only One
• Blood Orange                                       Are You Sure You're Really That Busy  
• Brown Shoe                                         Diving Bell
• Craft Spells                                          Your Tomb 
• Daughter                                              Love
• First Aid Kit                                         The Lion's Roar
• Girl in a Coma                                      Smart
• M83                                                    Steve McQueen
• Mr Gnome                                           House of Circles
• News of the Fire                                  Faces

• Weekends                                           Hazel

Mini Spotlight: Youth Lagoon

• Youth Lagoon                                     Afternoon
• Youth Lagoon                                     Bobby
• Youth Lagoon                                     Cannons

Midnight Love by Cave Painting

Dreamers of the Ghetto full length coming

Dreamers of the Ghetto are an emerging band that likes big landscapes and aren't afraid of some space. This "family" band from Indiana has captured the art of using simple rhythms and minimal song structure to deliver large atmospheric sounds. In particular, they aren't afraid to open up a huge space in their songs and let a swelling rhythm carry everyone forward. And the vocals ... none of this would be possible if it weren't for the melodic Springstein-like grit of Luke Jones' vocals. Can you imagine a scenario in which Phil Collins adds a little heavier rock to bleed more deeply into romantic 80's dream-rock and then invites a Springstein/Bon Jovi combo. to lend some harmonic, yet occasionally dirty and growling vocal stylings? This is as close as you are going to get ... and it's happening now.

Listen below. In each of the numbers, you can hear that everyone in the band knows their role and plays it their best ability to create that big sound.

Full-length hits next week (first in October). Can't wait.



 Connection by Dreamers of the Ghetto

Note: The original cut of "Tether" that hit the interwebs clocked in at a trance-inducing 7:31. This cut from their bandcamp site is shorter by over 3 minutes. I'm guessing the band trimmed the number for the LP. I really like the tune, so I prefer the long-play cut.

Dreamers of the Ghetto - Phone Call by morrisday

Dreamers of the Ghetto - Regulator from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Tuesday's Trimmings: Some Mid-September Ease

Fall is on the doorstep, supposedly. Steadily the music world turns as the more fall-feeling albums begin to drop (too many Fall analogies to pair with that, so I'll let you fill in your own). There are a good deal of more gentle numbers with an ease of pace appearing this week; even the rocky-er numbers have a more golden sense to them this time of year. Jump right in to this week's selections. 


For a real Fall treat, hit the previous post for a full stream of Twin Sister's first full-length In Heaven.


Artist                                                             Track

• AA Bondy                                            Surfer King
• Blitzen Trapper                                     Street Fighting Sun
• Lanterns on the Lake                             Keep on Trying
• ARMS                                                  Fleeced
• Caveman                                              Thankful
• Friends                                                 I'm His Girl
• Liam Finn                                             Cold Feet
• Los Campesinos!                                  By Your Hand
• PAPA                                                   I Am the Lion King
• The Rest                                               Always on My Mind
• Wild Beasts                                          Thankless Thing
• Weekend                                              The One You Want

• You Won't                                            Fryer (from Wild Honey Pie Studio Session)

• You Won't                                            Who Knew (from Wild Honey Pie Studio Session)

fun -- We Are Young


fun.: We Are Young ft. Janelle Monáe by Fueled By Ramen