FREE MUSIC: ALIEN HOUSE
I haven’t done some free music in awhile. Alienhouse is a bunch of noise really but an agreeable noise full of effects, electronic percussion, and guitar that lets you delve into a lazed soundscape. This free 6-track album is a nicely done, mostly instrumental type narrative. According to their facebook they will be releasing a full length album “before the world ends,” which means you can expect some enticing tracks from them before the end of 2012.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Simple Song OFFICIAL VIDEO - The Shins
The Shins released the video for the first single “Simple Song” off of their upcoming album Port of Morrow. After watching the video, it made me like the single even more. It’s fun, malicious, and facetious. What a great video. It is currently not available on stream but you can download it for free off iTunes. When it becomes available for streaming, I will link it.
Mind Spiders - Meltdown
It has been awhile since I heard good lo-fi, post-punk/surf rock music that I can sit through from start to finish without getting bored. Mind Spiders (from Fort Worth, Texas) take the key components of the aforementioned genres and produce a blend of great hooks, nice synth, and brassy vocals, that in turn makes for a album that is definitely not boring and gives you the right blend of sounds to shout and move to.
Listen to the album below and purchase it at: http://www.greennoiserecords.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=23803&osCsid=c739e7aa6508f73ee39fa78fd62395e7
REMIX - Shabazz Palaces, Battles
It seems remixes are always a hit or miss. But Shabazz Palaces delivers a methodical remix on Battles’ “White Electric,” off of Gloss Drop. But that should be no surprise as their debut album Black Up was rightfully one of the best hip-hop albums of 2011. The remix version, along with other remixes are available today on vinyl.
Remixed Version:
Original Version:
M. Ward will be releasing A Wasteland Companion in April. I’m loving the single “The First I Ran Away” and the animated short video that accompanies it. M. Ward is a beast when it comes to making soft-compelling tracks.
I’m so excited to be checking out Cloud Nothings this Saturday. I love that Lo-Fi Garage Punk sound Baldi makes. Attack On Memory has been one of my favorite 2012 releases. Attack on Memory is lyrically and musically well-written and produced. It is full of rhythmic-charged, post-hardcore sound. The guitar and hooks will grab you and the angst will get your blood boiling.
Check out Cloud Nothings recent music video for “No Future/No Past” what a great song and intro.
Los Campesinos! W/Parenthetical Girls 2/17/12 REVIEW
Friday I saw Los Campesinos! and Parenthetical Girls at The Parish in Austin, Texas.
I went in not knowing Parenthetical Girls and went out knowing I probably would not listen to them again but would not mind seeing them live again. Let me explain. Their music was not my kind of thing; their sound is experimental pop but lacks quality, very bland, and some pretentious sounding lyrics (I mean look at the band’s name). But the constant theatrics and banter with the audience i.e. Comparing Austin to their current location Portland, Oregon “1. Laziness 2. Suspended Adolescence 3. Good looking people over 30” marching around The Parish, talking about semen smelling trees, and swinging from speakers made their 30+ minute set enjoyable.
I would not call myself a “hardcore fan” of Los Campesinos! I did not particularly care for their latest release Hello Sadness as a whole but have enjoyed the albums in-between their first release. My hope was that they would play enough stuff from their other albums to satisfy my urge, which they did. One of the main things I enjoy about their music is that it has dark undertones mixed with an upbeat sound, even added that one-step dance, hands in the air feel. But not Saturday and it wasn’t for a lack of trying, Los Campesinos! just seemed to lack steam and their sound quality at times seemed to be amiss. They just did not have consistent momentum in their first night of two night performances at The Parish. I did not stay for the encore and I must have looked at my phone a few times during their under 80 minute set. I’ll be honest; if it had not been raining I probably would have left early, which is disappointing because they ARE a good band….just maybe on CD only.
Check out their new video for “Songs About Your Girlfriend” off their new album, Hello Sadness. It reminded me why I went to the show in the first place.
Chromatics (from Portland,Oregon) have released another video from their upcoming album Kill For Love. For the past few months the band has been leaking sounds off the track. There is no real word when it will be released but the tracks leaked have been pretty enticing. Their sound is a cross between lo-fi, electric, and rock. Chromatics bring a lot of different unique blends of sound.
Also, check out this awesome cover they did by Neil Young.
"Conor Oberst, Ron Sexsmith Pay Tribute To Leonard Cohen" by NPR
Check out the above link and listen to all things considered as Conor Oberst and Ron Sexsmith talk about Leonard Cohen. It’s good stuff.
Old Ideas is Cohen’s current album, which was released in late January.
Michael Kiwanuka has been one of the artists I have recently been addicted to. I can’t wait until he puts out an LP. “I’m Getting Ready” is the new video off his current EP by the same name. He has a lot of soul when he sings. If there is a downside to this track and video, it’s that it’s too short for something so good. His debut gets dropped later his year.
