How badly do you want to combine the auto-tune and beats of Daft Punk with the vocals of Death Cab, the pop tendencies of Passion Pit and the crude attitude of Arctic Monkeys? Very badly? Fortunate for you! The new album by musician/producer Rafter Roberts (aka Rafter) is all of that and so much more!… Continue reading Rafter’s Animal Feelings makes love to you on the dance floor
Miss The Go! Team? Try Russia’s Cheese People
Stop the presses! I’m about to talk disco punk! Whaattt?? Don’t I just listen to like, soft and wimpy indie rock stuff? Usually. But sometimes a band comes around with a unique sound that begs for my attention (the sound, not the band – I’m not that cool) and I need to diversify. Cheese People, a… Continue reading Miss The Go! Team? Try Russia’s Cheese People
[MP3] Big Tree: “The Concurrence of All Things”
Big Tree, a quintet out of Brooklyn, stole my heart immediately with pop gem “The Concurrence of All Things” off their forthcoming EP, Home(here), set to drop June 1. Their debut full-length came out in 2008, but this is the first I’m hearing of them, and I’m glad they didn’t fall off my radar. “The… Continue reading [MP3] Big Tree: “The Concurrence of All Things”
[MP3] The National: “Afraid of Everyone”
MORE NEW THE NATIONAL. Sorry, but caps lock was totally necessary. The latest tune available off the forthcoming High Violet is called “Afraid of Everyone”, and starts off with Berninger taking the lead in a melancholic despair of a song, with backing falsetto harmonies (courtesy of Sufjan Stevens). Steady percussion kicks in about a minute… Continue reading [MP3] The National: “Afraid of Everyone”
[MP3 + Video] Justin Vernon covers Tom Petty
Thanks to Joe from Each Note Secure, we have video of Justin Vernon covering Tom Petty’s “Crawling Back To You” at Cincinnati’s MusicNOW 2010 festival. It’s a stirring rendition, complete with an (small) orchestral backing and Vernon’s quivering voice. But his vocals actually take a back seat, as the violin and electric guitar are front… Continue reading [MP3 + Video] Justin Vernon covers Tom Petty
The Tallest Man on Earth gives us some well-crafted, good ol’ folk on The Wild Hunt
It must be tiring for Kristian Matsson, The Tallest Man on Earth, to keep hearing all those brushed-over comparisons to Bob Dylan, but oh well. The similarities are striking. The songs on The Wild Hunt, his latest album, are largely bare-bones folk, not much more than strummed or picked acoustic guitar under Matsson’s unconventional voice.… Continue reading The Tallest Man on Earth gives us some well-crafted, good ol’ folk on The Wild Hunt
MGMT is jarring, surreal, wonderful on Congratulations
I think the best way to approach MGMT’s follow-up album, Congratulations, is to just pretend it’s not by MGMT. At least not by the MGMT you know and love already for their pop-indie hits “Kids,” “Time To Pretend” and “Electric Feel.” One of the things that plagued reception to the band’s first new single, “Flash Delirium,”… Continue reading MGMT is jarring, surreal, wonderful on Congratulations
Sam Billen covers The Postal Service, Sufjan, and more on Removers
Late night email for the ages. We were just sent a few tunes from Sam Billen off his Removers album, with remixes and covers that range from Sufjan Stevens to Deastro to The Postal Service. His voice has a fragile melancholic ting, and he adds a bit of dreaminess to the songs with airy crescendos… Continue reading Sam Billen covers The Postal Service, Sufjan, and more on Removers
Tokyo Police Club reveals tracklist and cover art for new album, Champ
Tokyo Police Club has announced via MySpace (yep!) the tracklist and revealed the cover art (above) for their forthcoming album, Charm, out June 8 via Mom + Pop. Tokyo Police Club – “Breakneck Speed” [MP3] Tracklist: 1. Favourite Food 2. Favourite Colour 3. Breakneck Speed 4. Boots of Danger (Wait Up) 5. Bambi 6. End… Continue reading Tokyo Police Club reveals tracklist and cover art for new album, Champ
Stream Greg Laswell’s forthcoming album, Take A Bow, in its entirety
That’s right! One of my go-to singer/songwriters in times of melancholic pop need, Greg Laswell, is streaming his entire forthcoming album, Take A Bow (out May 4) [Edit: Link removed. Unfortunately there was some miscommunication and the album was only streaming for review purposes for promoters.] The album is everything you’d expect from Laswell –… Continue reading Stream Greg Laswell’s forthcoming album, Take A Bow, in its entirety