This is fine.
It seems like the music world is really getting behind this new pop band from Montreal Braids. I have to admit that I was a little reluctant to jump on the hype machine at first, but their sweet tunes have turned the tide on me. Below you can find the song “Plath Heart” that put me on the Braids team. The track will appear on the band’s upcoming debut LP Native Speaker due out January 18th on Kanine Records.
Download: Braids – Plath Heart [MP3]
Clearly 2011 is going to be huge year for music, at least as far as releases go in the first half. We have another addition, that of Asobi Seksu; the band will be releasing their latest album, Fluoresence, on February 14th, via the good people at Polyvinyl. This first single kind of has this furious moment from the beginning, almost with a driving rhythm, but this is before Yuki’s voice begins to really take flight, allowing the rest of the track to soar off into the horizon. Give “Trails” a listen, and get prepared for yet another noteworthy release when the new decade kicks off.
Download: Asobi Seksu – Trails [MP3]
You might have forgotten about this guy, or maybe you never heard him in the first place. Make no mistake about it, despite his eight year absence, Cody Chesnutt still maintains one of those voices that warms your soul, as good R&B should. He’s just released his Black Skin No Value EP, and the only single out right now is under a minute long, but if you listen carefully, you can hear the talent this guy has, and it makes everything he does, somehow important in my world. Come on now, he broke by hanging with the Strokes, then toured with the Roots, so it’s not like listening to R&B will hurt your street cred.
Download: Cody Chesnutt – The Quiet Girl Who Eats Alone [MP3]
Several months ago I posted an awesome new song from John Lamonica and his new project known simply as WRSTLRS. Back then, I was excited to see that one of the great unknown artists from my post-emo days was still creative and “in the scene”. Lamonica has since finished recording with WRSTLRS and has done a bit of home recording under his own name. We were given an exclusive listen to a new demo from John entitled “A Ghost” and wanted to share the track with our readers. You’ll again notice the soothing voice of the former My Spacecoaster lead singer mixed in with a beat to tap ya toes to. I think Lamonica described it to me best when he said his goal was to create music “so my friends will have something to play in the morning with coffee”. I’d say this song fits in nicely with a drowsy Sunday morning and that first cup o brew. In the meantime, check out more music from John in his various projects on Soundcloud or say hi to him on twitter.
Download: John Lamonica – A Ghost (demo) [MP3]
Legendary Dinosaur Jr. front man J Mascis is gearing up to release a new album of solo material entitled Several Shades of Why. The album, hitting stores on March 15th via Sub Pop Records, will feature a more singer/songwriter side of Mascis with mostly acoustic tracks. Below you can find a taste of the mellowed out side of this indie rock great in the form of “Not Enough”. Enjoy.
Download: J Mascis – Not Enough [MP3]
Having been a long time fan of Wye Oak, of course I was looking forward to this track, and any ensuing goodness they had to offer up. But, when the song appeared on TheGum I had no idea just how good it was going to be. Jenn’s voice sounds phenomenal here, and part of me has this tingling feeling I got when I first heard “Zebra” by Beach House last year. If that’s any indicator, then Civilian, the new album out on March 8th from Merge is going to be one incredible animal. Just listen to that squalling feedback near the end! It’s like steamy sex in the woods, then Sonic Youth reckless abandon. Yes, I realize that might be a bit redundant, but go with it.
Download: Wye Oak – Civilian [MP3]
I’ve really been enjoying this new jam “Cover Your Track” from Young Galaxy that seems to be popping up on every website I read regularly. The song is set to appear on the band’s third LP Shapeshifting due out Feb. 8th on Paper Bag Records. You can also check out the first single from the album “Peripheral Visionaries” over on amigo’s website GvB.
Download: Young Galaxy – Cover Your Tracks [MP3]
Last April I brought you all news about the Vivian Girls/Woods side-project, The Babies, and at that point in time, it was rumored to be sort of a one off, kind of just a fun release amongst friends. But, as these things inevitably go, the group had so much fun writing together that they continued to pump out tracks, leaving us with the upcoming album, The Babies, on February 8th of next year. It’s going to be sort of a combination between bedroom pop and lo-fi grittiness, and in our minds, that sounds exactly like this new single, leading us to believe this could be one hell of a good time in 2011.
Download: The Babies – Run Me Over [MP3]
It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard a word about the forthcoming album from local Austinites Oh No Oh My. But, we now know the band will be releasing their new record, People Problems, on January 18th. While their last effort had a lot of disjointed folk attributes, it seems that the boys have cleaned out the closet here. Their first single, “Walking Into Me,” has a bit more straightforward pop appeal, going right for the emotional appeal, though moderate guitar strumming in the background, and other tinkering instruments, still allows the band to keep their quirky attitude intact. We like that, and that makes us anticipate this release even more.
Download: Oh No Oh My – Walking Into Me [MP3]
Every once in awhile the British press will actually get something right. They’ve been all over The Vaccines, expecting huge things from the group in 2011, even though the band have little more than a demo to their name. There is, however, this one incredible single featuring two great tracks. The first track is titled “Wreckin’ Bar,” and its this amped up tune that blows by you in less than 1.5 minutes; catchy to boot. Then, there’s the below single, “Blow It Up,” which draws out the listening experience a bit more, giving a bit of angular guitars and hollow swirling vocals to the masses. As of right now, I’m super excited about this band and their promise. I’ll not get too over myself until they actually put out something more substantial, but for now, it’s nice to meet you guys.
Download: The Vaccines – Blow It Up [MP3]
