STREAM: Basement Jaxx take over BBC Radio 1 from 1pm AEDST today!

Basement Jaxx will be guest hosting Giles Petersen's show on Radio 1 tonight (2am - 4am UK time).
During the show they will be debuting the legendary "soundscape" - a new selection of mellow tracks from the "Scars" sessions due for release later this year.

Click here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nfsc9 for more details.

Stream it live from 1pm-3pm AEDST today. And in the crazy daylight savings muddle we're in that's:
Melbourne/ Sydney - 1pm-3pm
Adelaide - 12.30pm-2.30pm
Brisbane -12pm-2pm
Perth - 10am-12pm

Basement Jaxx have just been announced to be playing Good Vibrations festival in February along with labelmates Friendly Fires.

Basement Jaxx's Scars is out now through XL/ Remote Control

New mp3 - Beak - I Know

Get ready to be blown away by Beak>.
The new musical project from Geoff Barrow (Portishead member and producer extrodinaire) Billy Fuller (Fuzz Against Funk) and Matt Williams (Team Brick).

The trio formed in January '09 and have since been creating musical landscapes that have been likend to that of Kraftwerk, Neu, Silver Apples, Fuck Buttons and Sunn 0))).

Most of Beak>'s sonic asthetic can be attributed to their strict writing and recording processes. Their debut album was recorded in one take, in one room, with absaloutely no overdubs or repair. Edits were only used for arrangements sake.

For your first taste of Beak>, take a listen to I Know.

I Know [mp3]

For more info, hit up their blog.

Their debut album Recordings 05/01/09 > 17/01/09 is due out this November through Invada/Remote Control.

Stream - Jack Penate - Everything Is New

To celebrate Jack Penate's upcoming UK tour, XL are streaming his latest album Everything Is New.
An Australian tour is not yet on the cards for Mr.Penate, but in the meantime you can stream his entire album in full, or better yet, get the real deal here!

New mp3 and video - ROX - Rocksteady

Introducing ROX, the 22 year old South Londoner brought up on a healthy diet of traditional Jamaican music and influential artists ranging from Rufus Wainwright right through to Mahlia Jackson.
ROX possesses the rare talent of a daunting vocal range matched with brilliant songwriting skills.

Take a listen to Rocksteady, the very first taste of her debut album due for release early next year through Rough Trade.

Rocksteady [mp3]

The folk at Rough Trade recently spent a day with ROX soaking in some sunshine and talking about her heritage, family and inspirations.

NEW MP3 - The Big Pink mixtape for Fact Mag

Milo Cordell from The Big Pink has put together Fact mix 89 for UK Mag Fact Magazine.

Check out the tracklisting here

Listen up
The Big Pink: Fact mix 89 (mix tape) [mp3]

The Big Pink's A History Of Love is out now through 4ad/ Remote Control.

New MP3 and tour news - Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire

“One of Adelaide’s leading musical lights.” dB

“Caitlin Duff has the kind of voice that will make guys start dribbling

on their perfectly worn-in cons.” Drum Media Sydney

“Phenomenal” Rave

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! have spent the past couple of years being Adelaide’s best kept secret, playing enthusiastic and passionate shows supporting some of the best international and national touring acts around, including the Rapture's Matt B. Safer, Spank Rock, Sia, Midnight Juggernauts, Muscles, Young and Restless, Sarah Blasko, Red Riders, Something For Kate, Dappled Cities, and Snowman.

They have also done their fair share of the the festival circuit, playing at the Big Day Out, Parklife and Homebake.

The band’s debut album will be released late summer 2010 and will include their singles to date, War Coward and Animal Spirit Guide, plus this new gem, Witch House.

Witch House [mp3]

In true Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! style, Witch House is an eclectic track with a stoner-rock swagger, matched with Caitlin Duff’s animated and infectious vocals.

The band recently played with The Bumblebeez, Bertie Blackman, and Sugar Army, and are shortlisted as one of the ten finalists for the 2009 Qantas Spirit Of Youth Award.

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! are:
David - Guitar, Vox Sam - Drums Josh - Bass Art - Synth Nate - Guitar Caitlin - Vox, Synth

Touring with ‘I Heart Hiroshima’
Fri 23 Oct - Geelong, National Hotel
Sat 24 Oct - Melbourne, Northcote Social Club
Sun 25 Oct - Adelaide, Enigma Bar
Fri 30 Oct - Port Macquarie, Laurieton Hotel
Sun 1 Nov - Sydney, Annandale Hotel
Sat 7 Nov - Meningie SA, LILKAFEST 2009

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! on myspace
Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! website

The band’s debut album will be released late summer 2010 through Dot Dash/ Remote Control.

New MP3: The Horrors - Whole New Way

Brand new track from The Horrors right here.
Whole New Way was originally on the Japanese edition of Primary Colours, but was re-recorded over the English summer in Damon Albarn's studio.
This comes on the back of The Horrors being freshly announced for next year's
selling-out-like-hotcakes Big Day Out.


The Horrors - Whole New Way [mp3]

New MP3 - tUnE-yArDs 'Hatari'

tUnE-yArDs is the project of New England native, Merrill Garbus.

As well as marrying a vast range of musical styles, tUnE-yArDs has a fierce DIY approach.
She recorded and produced her whole album, at virtually no cost using free downloaded software (and you thought you were resourceful).

If you're into the folktronic stylings of Micachu and Coco Rosie take a listen to tUnE-yArDs.

Tune Yards - Hatari [mp3]

New mp3 and tour news - Space Invadas 'Life' and debut shows

Hot on the heels of the success of the first single Original, Katalyst & Steve Spacek team up with Jade Macrae to bring you Life.

Life is all about the plans and regrets, the ups and downs that we all experience.

It gives us the message that staying true to ourselves is the best approach to all the issues we face.

Upbeat big band horns and driving drums combine with Spacek’s urgent delivery, giving the track an instant summer vibe.

Take a listen
Space Invadas - Life [mp3]

Space Invadas will bring their phenomenal sound to the stage this November for some live shows in Sydney and Melbourne (with 5 piece band in tow).

Nov 19th – Toff In Town, Melbourne
Nov 20th - Melt, Sydney

Look to the sky and listen. Space Invadas are coming.

Hear the brand spankin' new Vampire Weekend track Horchata

Vampire Weekend are offering you an exclusive free download of Horchata; the first track off Contra - the band's highly anticipated full length follow up to 2008’s gold selling debut.

Contra is bustling with fresh ideas, and yet it sounds immediately familiar; it’s heavily layered but taut and kinetic; it chews ravenously through sound palettes and rhythms, and yet it’s nimble and assured; it’s still breezy, and yet it smolders with a newfound emotional heft. The songs are catchy, fast, twinkling, clattering.

“I think we sound more like Vampire Weekend than we did on the first record,” says drummer Christopher Tomson.

“It’s sadder than the first one, a bit more sentimental,” says singer Ezra Koenig.

Click 'Embed' below to get your own Vampire Weekend player

DOWNLOAD: Horchata [mp3]


Vampire Weekend's new album Contra is due out in Australia on 8th January 2010 through XL/ Remote Control.

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

Introducing Cold Cave

The latest addition to the Matador family is Philly/New York quartet Cold Cave.
A band of fine pedigree, Cold Cave is comprised of Wesley Eisold (Give Up The Ghost, Some Girls) Caralee McElroy (ex Xiu Xiu) Dominick Fernow and Sarah Lipstate (ex-Parts and Labor, Noveller).

They have been hotly tipped as the "ones to watch" by Stereogum and Pitchfork and have had their material previously released on smaller labels, What's Your Rupture? and Fernow's Hospital Productions.

Take a listen to Life Magazine, it has equal parts fuzzy lo-fi charm to upbeat electro danceability.

Cold Cave - Life Magazine [mp3]

Their Matador debut Love Comes Close is due out this November.

Ned Collette + Wirewalker reveal details of album #3, tour dates and new mp3.

The creation of an album is a time of alchemy, as the sounds in an artist’s head take on tangible form. It’s a time of enchantment and good fortune, when thoughts become deeds, which in turn become captured moments and future memories.

However, from another perspective, the creation is only the start of the process. The music takes on a life of its own, beating its own path and forging its own identity out in the world. The musician’s life becomes defined and determined by the course the music takes.

This has been the case for Ned Collette. In the two years since the release of his sophomore work, Future Suture, his music has led him around the globe, in and out of late night bars and dark venues, sometimes accompanied by his extraordinary band, sometimes alone – always with his solitary vision.

The new creation is Over The Stones, Under The Stars, an album purposefully stripped of theorchestration that marked previous releases, conveying more of the fiery live experience of this unique band, forged from the last two years of performing around the world. Ned also adds piano, organ and mellotron to his usual axe slinging.

The first single taken from the album is Come Clean

Ned Collette + Wirewalker - Come Clean [mp3]

In November the caravan rolls on, as Ned Collette + Wirewalker tour Australia.
All shows will be with Teeth &
Tongue except * with Laura Jean:

Fri 13 Nov - Adelaide, Metro*

Fri 20 Nov - Bateman's Bay, North St Bar

Sat 21 Nov - Sydney, Raval (tickets here)

Fri 27 Nov - Melbourne, Northcote Social Club

Sat 28 Nov - Hobart, Alley Cat

Early in 2010 Ned Collette + Wirewalker will relocate long-term to Europe, with a continental tour organized by their European agent commencing in May.

Over The Stones, Under The Stars is released October 23rd on Dot Dash.

New Kurt Vile album Childish Prodigy out Oct 2

A while ago we announced Matador's signing of über-talented Philly singer-songwriter Kurt Vile.

Vile’s second album Childish Prodigy will be out in Australia on October 2. Matador tell us "this absorbing, addictive and richly detailed album covers an immense amount of ground compared to its predecessor, from the pounding stomp of Hunchback and the hypnotic beat of Freak Train” to the unexpected, soaring trumpet in Amplifier."

Here is the first MP3 from Childish Prodigy, the lovely, haunting “Overnite Religion”:



Overnite Religion [mp3]

Childish Prodigy will be out in October 2 through Matador/ Remote Control

The Big Pink album streaming on line - out this Friday!

Ahead of the record's release on September 11, The Big Pink are streaming their debut album, A Brief History of Love:



You can also download the new single Dominos here
Dominos [mp3]

WHO ARE THE BIG PINK?

In case you missed the buzz,

Searing and soulful, transcendental and life affirming, The Big Pink are Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell, two old friends in love with digital hardcore and the narcotic effects of blessed out electronic music. Woozy refrains become 'pink noise'. They dream of the future. More people should. There is an incredible human soul to all they do, something entrancing.


The Big Pink recorded their debut album at the legendary Electric Ladyland studios in New York. The album is self-produced, mixed by Rich Costey (Interpol, Glasvegas, The Mars Volta, Muse). Entitled A Brief History Of Love, Milo Cordell says of the album name “Every song is a love song to some degree, about every different aspect of love.

“The good, the bad, the boring, the exciting, the dreams, the nightmares, the whole thing and I guess that’s what encompasses the whole album."


A Brief History Of Love is out through 4ad/ Remote Control September 11.

www.musicfromthebigpink.com

www.4ad.com/thebigpink

www.myspace.com/musicfromthebigpink

Are you ready for The Real Feel from Spiral Stairs?

After a five-year absence, Pavement guitarist and Preston School Of Industry mainman SPIRAL STAIRS (Scott Kannberg) returns with The Real Feel, his bona fide solo debut.

It’s a heart-on-sleeve (but occasionally tongue-in-cheek) song cycle about his complicated personal life. This album is by far the most crafted and introspective of Spiral’s post-Pavement works.

The album was recorded in Australia with a diverse crew of talented people including members of The Posies, Gersey, Ian Moore and others. The Real Feel was mixed by The Posies’ Jon Auer,

Spiral maintains his trademark melodic whoops and Flying Nun guitar licks, but overlays a layer of melancholy and wisdom, as well as a touch of Peter Green blues. Alert listeners will also spot Richard Thompson, Captain Beefheart and The Died Pretty.

Maltese Terrier [mp3]

Please note no raccoons were harmed during the making of the album artwork. Not by us, anyway.

The Real Feel is out October 16 through Matador/ Remote Control.

Jack Peñate - Pull My Heart Away

Mr Peñate just seems to be getting better and better.

His second album, the very aptly titled Everything Is New takes his music in a completely new direction by exploring his ever expansive range of influences.

We've already showed you the afro-beat infused Tonight's Today as well as the hella catchy Be The One.

Now we have the video for the third single Pull My Heart Away which has also been picked up as iTunes single of the week, Follow the link for a free download!

The clip was shot in filmed in Jordan in the Middle East using a Super 8.

Take a peek!



Everything Is New is out now through XL/Remote Control.

The Mountain Goats Go Biblical

John Darnielle and co have announced the release of a new album due out in October this year titled The Life Of The World To Come.

When questioned about the premise of the upcoming album, Darnielle says "It’s twelve new songs: twelve hard lessons the Bible taught me, kind of."

With a tracklisting that reads like a Sunday school's curriculum you'd be forgiven for thinking that The Mountain Goats may have gone all Christian Rock on us!
Though Darnielle insists it isn't an album detailing a "religious awakening" rather an immersion in Biblical poetry and imagery.

Intriguing!

Take a listen to the first track from the album Genesis 3:23.

Genesis 3:23 [mp3]


The Life of the World to Come:

1 1 Samuel 15:23
2 Psalms 40:2
3 Genesis 3:23
4 Philippians 3:20-21
5 Hebrews 11:40
6 Genesis 30:3
7 Romans 10:9
8 1 John 4:16
9 Matthew 25:21
10 Deuteronomy 2:10
11 Isaiah 45:23
12 Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace

New mp3 from The Clean - In The Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul

Fans of the seminal New Zealand band The Clean are going to be excited about this one. After eight long years the band are set to release a brand spankin' new studio album. Entitled 'Mister Pop' the album was recorded partly in New York and partly in Dunedin (where the band reunited to perform at the Big Day Out).

Although New Zealand born and bred, their influence has been stretching beyond the shores of NZ for years with Pavement's Stephen Malkamus and Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan attributing them as a major influence.

Not quite familiar with The Clean? Then it's time to catch up!

Here's a start; The first track taken from the upcoming 'Mister Pop'
In The Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul [mp3]

Mister Pop is out Sep 5 through Arch Hill/ Remote Control Records.

Basement Jaxx - Feelings Gone mp3

The Jaxx are back with Feelings Gone.

With their upcoming album Scars right around the corner, the pair offer up another single to follow the ridiculously catchy Raindrops.

What's that? The vocal sounds somewhat familiar? Well, that's cos Aussie boy Sam Sparro (of Black And Gold fame) has lent his vocal talents to the track.
Quite a fitting collaboration don't cha reckon?

Catchy, soulful and dancefloor-ready. Yep, the Jaxx have still got it.

Basement Jaxx - Feelings Gone [mp3]

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! - Animal Spirit Guide mp3

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! summon their inner animal for their latest single Animal Spirit Guide.

Inspired by the Native American belief that each individual can call on their own individual animal to give them strenth it times of solitude, F!SR,F! have produced what they can best describe as "a barnstorming country inspired jam".

The result is an explosion of noise and colour, raw sounding guitars combined with programmed arpeggios and male-female harmonies.

Whatever their inspiration, these kids from Adelaide somehow always manage to create a remarkable mish-mash of textures and sounds.
Animal Spirit Guide is no exception.

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! [mp3]

Deerhunter - Live at the Wireless on JJJ Mon Aug 3

Triple J will broadcast their live recording of Deerhunter from their recent tour, this Monday 3rd August at 8pm, and repeated at Sunday 9th August at 5pm.

Here are the photos they captured at the show:



If you're not in Australia, you can still tune in by streaming them on the net.
Mon Aug 3, 8.00pm AEST (Sydney time)
Sun Aug 9, 5.00pm AEST (Sydney time)

New Love Of Diagrams mp3 - Look Out

“Recalls the early work of British shoegazers Ride, Swervedriver and other luminaries from Creation Records circa early ’90s… Simultaneously urgent and laid-back, which is quite a feat to pull off.”
Mess & Noise

“The new album is due out soon… and is sure to be a monster of biblical proportions”
Inpress

“An explosion of guitars, resurrecting the dense sounds of American indie-pop circa 90-94”
Beat

“Highly recommended listening”
Rave

So we can all safely say that everyone has fallen in love with Love Of Diagrams' track Forever, the first single taken from the upcoming Nowhere Forever

You can grab a copy of the album on August 21, but for those still salivating for some fresh LOD in the meantime, we bring you Look Out.

Staying true to form, the track has all the fuzzed out guitars, feedback and pummeling drums that you would expect from this much loved Melbourne three piece.

Look Out [mp3]

New Atlas Sound album and mp3

Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox is back with a new release under his solo guise, Atlas Sound, for another round of ethereal pop genius with his second solo album, Logos.

Whilst its predecessor (Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, 2007) was a record of fragile beauty and acute experimentalism in comparison to the often volatile bluster of Deerhunter, Logos has a far more rooted pop sensibility.

A draft version of the album leaked on the internet last year. Understandably, Cox was not happy Jan! In fact he almost abandoned the project but thank goodness he didn't.

Bradford says, "My last album was a bedroom laptop type thing. Very introverted. Logos is an album that was recorded all over the world. It's not about me. There are collaborations with other musicians. The lyrics are not autobiographical. The view is a lot more panoramic and less close-up. I became bored with introspection. This was also the case Deerhunter's Microcastle LP, which was written during the same period."

At its heart is ‘Walkabout’, a collaboration between Cox and Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) put together whilst he was on tour with Animal Collective in Europe. Combining their love for tape loops and doo-wop, the track lifts the hook from The Dovers’ classic 1966 garage track ‘What Am I Going To Do?’ to form a glorious summertime jam.

Walkabout [mp3]

Elsewhere Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier also lends her vocals to the kaleidoscopic motorik number, ‘Quick Canal’.

The tracklisting is as follows:
'The Light That Failed'
'An Orchid'
'Walkabout' ft. Noah Lennox (Panda Bear)
'Criminals'
'Attic Lights'
'Sheila'
'Quick Canal' ft. Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab)
'My Halo'
'Kid Climax'
'Washington School'
'Logos'

Read more of Bradford Cox's interview with Stereogum about Logos here.
Logos is out in October through 4ad/ Remote Control

New Cave Singers album and mp3 Beach House

Matador have announced the second album from Seattle’s Cave Singers is due in August. "It is entitled ‘Welcome Joy’ and adds a world of color and nuance to the already great songs from their 2007 debut. The trio of Peter Quirk, Derek Fudesco and Marty Lund were joined on this record by Amber Webber (Black Mountain, Lightning Dust) and Ashley Webber (Lightning Dust). They recorded the album at The Hive in Vancouver with Colin Stewart.

Our first MP3 is the gorgeous, brooding, building Beach House":

Beach House [mp3]

Welcome Joy is out in August through Matador/ Remote Control.

Another new Jay Reatard mp3 Wounded

Yet another new track from the forthcoming Watch Me Fall album by Jay Reatard, due out in August!

Here is Wounded, which Matador say "wraps layers of Tall Dwarfs-ish acoustic guitar around a typically complex Jay song structure. In two and a half minutes it builds to an ironically celebratory refrain. We challenge you to get this one out of your head after listening to it a couple of times."

Wounded [mp3]

Watch Me Fall is out Aug 15 through Matador/ Remote Control.

New Kid Harpoon mp3 and video

“Exceptional” – NME
“He has the seeds of something special” – The Independent
“Dreamy imagery sparkling with passion” – The Sun

It’s been over a year since Kid Harpoon released any new material. Since then, he’s been in Los Angeles with producer Trevor Horn working on his debut album.

The first fruits of these sessions, which included musicians who have worked with Bob Dylan, Dean Martin and Elvis Presley playing on the record, is this limited edition single ‘Stealing Cars.’

Debuting Kid Harpoon’s more refined, fuller sound, ‘Stealing Cars’ sees the singer-songwriter develop the lo-fi acoustics of earlier songs and transform them into a rich, textured sound as demonstrated here.

Stealing Cars [mp3]

The single will come backed with the exclusive new track ‘Don’t Cry On Me.’ Kid Harpoon will also be playing an instore at Pure Groove on the day of single release.



Stealing Cars is out July 20 through Young Turks/ XL.

New Times New Viking mp3, album on way

Times New Viking have a new album on its way. According to Matador, the Columbus based trio delivered their second album for the label on VHS tape and if this first mp3 taster is anything to go by, it's going to be packed with more lofi pop goodness.

No Time To Hope [mp3]

The release date for the new album, Born Again Revisited is yet to be announced.

Discovery album out July 10, stream it now on nme

The Discovery album is out in just over a week. We blogged a couple of tracks a month ago but you can now listen to the whole thing over at NME.

Discovery is the recording project of Rostam Batmanglij and Wes Miles, friends who began recording together in the summer of 2005. One year later they had committed themselves to their respective bands, Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot, but nonetheless continued to record together when they both found themselves in the same city.

The project is many things: it’s partly an attempt to realize Wes’s concept of a band where everyone plays synthesizers, and of Rostam’s concept for an album where handclaps keep the backbeat instead of snares drums. It’s an embrace and also a commentary on the pop music of the past decade, of booming 808 bass and jittery sixteenth note high-hats; Elements of European electronic dance music skittering in double-time over steady R&B.

If soul music is secularized, sexualized gospel, Discovery is an attempt to see if soul music can survive being plasticized, roboticized, quantized, chopped, and finally, screwed. The album features Rostam and Wes each singing half the songs and guest vocals from Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig (on ‘Carby’) and Dirty Projectors’ Angel Deradoorian (‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’)

The tracklist for ‘LP’ is:


You can read an interview they did with Pitchfork here.

Discovery is out July 10 through XL/ Remote Control.

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New God Help The Girl mp3 Mary's Market

Here's a new God Help The Girl track:

Mary's Market [mp3]

You won't find it on the album. It was recorded a month ago, and promptly put up on the band's website just days after capturing it. It is the b-side to the Funny Little Frog 7" that you can only get by signing up for the subscription.

God Help The Girl is out now through Rough Trade/ Remote Control.

New DJ mix from Friendly Fires

Can't wait for Friendly Fires to get down here to play their sold out debut tour of Australia?

Neither can we!

In the meantime though, we can all warm up to the DJ set they recently dropped for BBC Radio 1's 'Essential Mix'

"Two hours of techno, deep house and post punk from the band who know their way round a DJ Booth as much as they do a festival stage."



Tracklisting:
Friendly Fires (DJ Set)

Alexandro Jodorowsky ‘F Machine’ (Soundtrack)
Tony Lionni ‘Found a Place’ (Ostgut Tontrager)
Luke Solomon ‘People, Places, Thoughts and Faces (Ajello ReMix)’ (Rekids)
David Labeij ‘Shakedown’ (Intacto Records)
Just Two Ordinary People ‘Lucky Times (Paul Frick ReMix)’ (spontanMusik)
2000 and One ‘Wan Poku Moro’ (100% Pure)
Pezzner ‘Shasta’ (Physical Graffiti Records)
Mark Broom and Brothers Vibe ‘Mind/Feeling (youANDme Hirsch Edit)’ (Platzhirsch Schallplatten)
Makam ‘New York Hustler’ (Sushitech Purple)
Arto Mwambe ‘Ombala Mbembo’ (Brontosaurus Records)
Michel Cleis ‘La Mezcla’ (Cadenza)
Visti & Meyland ‘Yes Ma'am (Kasper Bjorke Mix)’ (Eskimo)
DOP ‘The Genius of the Crowd’ (Supplement Facts)
STL ‘Something Is Raw’ (Something)
Alec Wizz ‘Drummin (H2O Mix)’ (4th Floor Records)
Liquid Liquid ‘Optimo (Optimo ReMix)’ (Domino)
Silver City ‘Pendulo (Pete Herbert Edit)’ (Deep Freeze Recordings)
Anton Pieete ‘Players’ (Intacto Records)
Harry Axt ‘Crazy’ (Rompecabeza)
Daniele Papini ‘Church of Nonsense’ (Alchemy)
Cajmere ‘Say U Will’ (Cajual Records)
Friendly Fires ‘Jump In The Pool (Wild Geese Mix)’ (XL Recordings)
Photonz ‘No Fear’ (Dissident)
Paul Woolford ‘Pandemonium’ (Intimacy Music)
Kerri Chandler ‘Six Pianos’ (Deeply Rooted House)
Whirlpool Productions ‘From Disco: To Disco’ (ZAC Records)

Friendly Fires self-titled record is out now through XL/ Remote Control.

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New Jay Reatard mp3 It Ain't Gonna Save Me from new forthcoming album

My does time fly! It seems like only yesterday when Jay Reatard graced our shores earlier this year for the St Jerome's Laneway Festival. Since then Jay has been working away on a new album titled Watch Me Fall and already new tracks are floating around the bloggosphere.

Matador will be releasing ‘Watch Me Fall’ in August. Excepting last year’s pair of singles comps for Matador and In The Red, this is Jay’s first album since 2006’s ‘Blood Visions’, and it’s a self-produced full-length that more than lives up to the sky-high standards previously set. Earlier this year, Jay described the making of ‘Watch Me Fall’ to labelmate Andrew Earles:

“This new album has been challenging. It’s the first time I’ve written and recorded an album specifically because a label wants to release it. I’ve never made a record for a record label. I’ve always finished my recordings and then a label is decided on. When I made ’Blood Visions’ I had no idea that it was going to see the light of day. And I’ve never made a record in which the label heard the songs, or anyone heard the songs, before the album was finished, so that’s kind of intense. That’s what singles are for; I always considered my singles as a glimpse between the albums. Labels always had the previous single as an example of where I was going at the time, or of what the next album might sound like. In this situation, people at the label are hearing the songs before the album has been finished, but I try not to let it distract me, I’m trying to go about this process in a way that’s the closest to how I would have done an album in the past. A lot of bands these days, they approach the making of an album like it’s collecting songs, they don’t think about how all of the songs are going to work together. They sequence their albums on iTunes, wondering what songs sound best next to each other rather than putting them together as they were written. That’s not an album.”

It Ain’t Gonna Save Me [mp3]
is the first MP3 from ‘Watch Me Fall’, and provides only the slightest hint of the album’s depth.

It Ain't Gonna Save Me was featured on Pitchfork's 'Best New Music' scoring an impressive 8 out of 10.

Have a read of the full review on Pitchfork's website.

Watch Me Fall is due out August through Matador/ Remote Control.

New Yo La Tengo mp3 from forthcoming album Popular Songs

(cassette by Dario Robleto)

From the Matablog:

We have an old saying at Matador HQ, “the only thing predictable about Yo La Tengo albums is their high level of excellence and crazy amount of musical ground covered”. Trouble is, even if you believe we really have an old saying that unwieldly, it doesn’t really do justice in this instance. The new Yo La Tengo CD/2XLP/digital album ‘Popular Songs” (OLE 856-1,2) could be the bravest musical statement to date in a career full of ‘em. Recorded in Hoboken and Nashville in early 2009 with longtime associate Roger Mountenot, ‘Popular Songs’ finds the trio of Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan and James McNew at the height of their creative powers, fashioning an epic work that’s cooly confident as it is wildly adventurous.

Even for longtime followers of Yo La Tengo, the stylistic range encompassed on ‘Popular Songs’ is startling ; the band aren’t merely conversant with rock & pop subgenres stretching into the double digits, but their unselfconscious mastery of such is simply uncanny. Without absolving you of the sacred responsibility of listening to this album from start to finish (with no commercial interruptions!) , we can say with full confidence there are portions of ‘Popular Songs’ where a cursory needle drop reveals a band that doesn’t sound instantly like Yo La Tengo — or at least how you recognized them prior to now. In the words of Mike Wolf, “Yo La Tengo is not afraid. They walk confidently forward, into the unknown, hand in hand. And 12 (or 14) albums in, they may just be hitting their stride.”

Periodically Double Or Triple [mp3]
is the first MP3 from ‘Popular Songs’. Stay tuned for the release date.

Download the Dark Was The Night concert from NPR

Remember how we were all getting our knickers in a twist over missing out on this?



Well bless NPR, they have now made it possible for us to listen to the whole concert! Get it here.

There are also photos and an interview with Bryce Dessner from The National who of course, helped curate the album.



Dark Was The Night is out now through 4ad/ Remote Control.

New sounds from The National

In case you haven't heard, The National have been road testing new material.

Here are two new tracks that were captured in Montreal and Boston last month, in all their audio and visual glory:

Blood Buzz Ohio (Live In Montreal) [mp3]

The Runaway (Live In Boston) [mp3]

[via][via]

Micachu Mixtape #2

Micachu has released a second mix tape as a follow up to last year’s word-of-mouth, must have, Filthy Friends.

Aptly titled Kwesachu the new mixtape is collaborative project from Mica and her friend Kwes, a young producer from London. Kwesachu, features contributions from Mica’s friends: The XX, The Invisible, Man Like Me, Gold Panda and many more.

Click the cassette below to download it:



Micachu's album Jewellery is out now through Rough Trade/ Remote Control.

New Space Invadas mp3 and video - Original

In 1960's when aliens visited earth, they took many things back into space to analyse. One of the things they took was numerous examples of soul music. Feeling a great affiliation with the music they proceeded to write thier own songs. Not having the vintage equiptment to record them properly, they sent them to Space Invadas to record. The music they make is known as Soul-Fi.

Here's the first single Original from the debut Soul-Fi album from new project Space Invadas - a group formed by Steve Spacek (as vocalist) and Katalyst (as producer). Their first collab made it into Giles Peterson's top 20 tracks for 2008 and went on to be licensed to many compilations around the Galaxy.

Original is the 1st single from the forthcoming album of soul music for 2009, Soul-Fi. It features emcee's Buff 1 from Detroit and RuCL from Melbourne.

It is inspired by the idea of striving to be original in what you create. Too many times in this day and age things are recycled and not added to. Originality comes from the evolution of ideas.

The tracks hypnotic rhythm and melody give it a contemporary feel but the synthesizers and cracking back beat are firmly rooted in a time past. The track has a catchy hook that outlines what it’s all about. "Original.... don't you get".

Steve sets the tone with his verse, vibing off the groove and the idea of staying original; Buff1 and RuCL follow both delivering concise and dynamic raps about staying true to themselves and keeping their art fresh and true to their beliefs. You can expect to see this one light up the dancefloor as this beat is up tempo and contagious.



Original [buy mp3 from itunes]

Soul-Fi will be out later this year through Invada.

New Black Cab mp3 Black Angel

“I’m leavin’ the sun – and I’m coming to rescue you’

After an extended break Black Cab release a new double single from their forthcoming third album, Call Signs. The single features ‘Rescue’ and ‘Black Angel’, a tribute to ‘70’s tragic singer song-writing genius Judee Sill, one of Geffen Records earliest signings whose life ended in the late ‘70’s in drug hazed obscurity. The bands’ third album Call Signs is due out August 1st on Sydney’s Laughing Outlaw label, distributed through Inertia.

Black Angel [mp3]

The double single will be released in late June and the band will be launching the single at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on Friday July 17th. The band will be touring Sydney and Brisbane in September.

www.interstate40music.com

www.myspace.com/black_cab

New Love Of Diagrams mp3 - Forever

(Photo by Lauren Bamford)

After much anticipation, LOVE OF DIAGRAMS finally unleash the first taste of their new album NOWHERE FOREVER, in the form of a limited edition 7” vinyl single.

The A-side of the single is Forever, a guitar-heaven explosion that hints at the pleasures to come on the new album.

Recorded in November ‘08 at Bear Creek Studios in Seattle with producer Ryan Hadlock (Gossip, Blonde Redhead, Steve Malkmus among many more), NOWHERE FOREVER, is the guitar-drenched dream-pop record LOVE OF DIAGRAMS have always wanted to make.

The 7” perfectly captures Love Of Diagrams’ transition from the pared-back minimalism and live-as-possible aesthetic of their 2007 album MOSAIC, (captured on the B-side of the vinyl by the exclusive older live favourite ‘With your Instinct’) to their new experimentation with warmer textures and layered sounds on the new album

Forever is a perfect little slice of the sonic textures, pop hooks, and guitar heavy sounds that LOVE OF DIAGRAMS have dreamed up on the new album.

The 7” is out July 1st on the band’s own Free Field Records.

The album NOWHERE FOREVER is released later in the winter on Unstable Ape/Remote Control.

7” Launches:

Melbourne: Sat July 4th at The Tote w. The Twerps and Chris Smith
Sydney: Fri July 10th at Spectrum w. Songs

Forever [mp3]<

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

JACK PENATE - BE THE ONE

After the lovely, summery afrobeat tune that was Tonight’s Today, we get one step closer to Jack Penate’s new album Everything Is New with his latest single Be The One.

This song is hella-catchy; just try not to sing along.

A hearty concoction of pop, soul and a bit of disco, Be The One is testament to the fact that Jack has well and truly grown up on this new record. No cutesy wide-eyed indie pop here.
Everything Is New is due out June 27th through XL/Remote Control.

Be The One [mp3]

New Discovery mp3 (Vampire Weekend/ Ra Ra Riot Side Project)

So about a month ago we mentioned a side project that Vampire Weekender Rostam Batmanglij had been working on with Ra Ra Riot singer Wes Miller.

To the delight of many curious fans, details have surfaced of Discovery’s new LP which is set to be released through XL later this year.

Some highlights from the very literally named ‘LP’ includes an Autotuned cover of the Jackson 5’s classic “I Want You Back”, a remix of Ra Ra Riot's "Can You Tell" (re-dubbed "Can You Discover?") and vocal contributions by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig and Dirty Projectors' Angel Deradoorian.

If you haven’t had time to ‘discover’ Discovery you can hear tracks up on their MySpace and here on stereogum.

Orange Shirt [mp3]

Osaka Loop Line [mp3]

Discovery LP out July 10 in Australia through XL/ Remote Control.

myspace.com/discoverdiscovery

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New The Magistrates mp3 Heartbreak

No where near as serious as their name suggests, The Magistrates are four kids hailing from Essex churning out “unashamedly sexual music for the mind, feet and hips"

Being latest singing to XL these boys are fast becoming hot property, NME have already dubbed them as “MGMT and Stevie Wonder mixed to disco perfection”

Hailing from Essex, the musical melting pot that gave us The Prodigy, Blur and Depeche Mode, and thousands of weekend ravers, drinkers and dancers, Magistrates channel their love of 80’s house, early Prince and timeless iconic pop into something of their own.

A fitting introduction is their new single
Heartbreak [mp3]

Buy the EP from iTunes.

And here's the video:


Stay tuned for an album release later this year on XL.

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New Julian Plenti mp3 Fun That We Have

Here's our first full taste of Julian Plenti, aka Paul Banks from Interpol's solo project.

As we mentioned last week, the album is due out August 1 through Matador/ Remote Control.

We like what we hear!

Fun That We Have [mp3]

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New Devendra Banhart on Rudo y Cursi soundtrack

Stereogum have given the heads up on a new Devendra Banhart track Lindo Cihuatlán featured on the soundtrack to film Rudo y Cursi featuring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.

It is quite beautiful:

Read more about it at Stereogum.

Stream The Horrors album Primary Colours here!

The Horrors new album Primary Colours has scored a glowing 9/10 album review in NME:

"Time will tell how Primary Colours stands up to the likes of Loveless or Psychocandy, but right now, this feels like the British art-rock album we've all been waiting for"

.

Take a listen and judge for yourself:

Buy the album on iTunes.

Primary Colours is out in Australia on May 2 through XL/ Remote Control.

New Future Of The Left mp3 Arming Eritrea

Earlier this month we announced details for the new Future Of The Left album, Travels With Myself and Another, due out here June 20.

Now here is the first song from it:

Lead-off track Arming Eritrea sets the tone for the album. It lulls the listener into a false sense of security before exploding through the speakers with a bloodthirsty roar of fuzzy bass and distorted guitar lines.

Arming Eritrea [mp3]

New God Help The Girl mp3 Come Monday Night

Belle And Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch has been busily working away at his new project "God Help The Girl".

Brought together as a musical narrative of sorts, the album features all the songs that have been floating around Stuart's head for several years while touring.

Feeling the songs 'just weren't right' for Belle And Sebastian he enlisted the vocal talents of various female singers including Asya of Smoosh fame and newcomer Catherine Ireton.

On 'Come Monday Night' Ireton (who seems to be the leading lady of this project) sings beautifully and somewhat effortlessly over a 42 piece orchestra to create this pop gem reminiscent of 60's girl groups and Bacharach-esque ballads.

Come Monday Night [mp3]

God Help The Girl is out June 20 through Rough Trade/ Remote Control.

godhelpthegirl.com

New The Big Pink mp3 Velvet remix by Gang Gang Dance

The Big Pink have released Velvet as a 7" and digital single. You can get it here:
1. Velvet
2. An Introduction To Awareness

They have also released a free Gang Gang Dance remix of Velvet. You can listen to that here:
Velvet [Gang Gang Dance remix] [mp3]

The album is due out later this year through 4ad.

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New Basement Jaxx mp3 Raindrops

You might have caught whiff of this earlier in the week, but if not, you'll be excited to hear that Basement Jaxx are streaming a new track 'Raindrops' on their myspace.

That's BJ's Felix Buxton on the vocals in this track. Though when the guys recently toured they mentioned guest vocalists on the forthcoming album include Grace Jones, Yoko Ono, Yo! Majesty, Lightspeed Champion, Cyndi Lauper, Santigold, and Sam Sparro.

Hear it here.

Download it here.

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New Sonic Youth mp3 Sacred Trickster

Ever since we announced details of the new Sonic Youth album The Eternal, everyone's been asking for a listen.

Well, other than this dodgy YouTube video of a live performance of Calming The Snake, here's your first 'official' taste.

“Sacred Trickster” is a 2:10 out-of-the gate hardcore matinee track with Kim singing salutes to French painter Yves Klein and Western Massachusetts noise artist Noise Nomads. It sets the tone for ‘The Eternal’, which comprises twelve tunes that are a fireworks display of Sonic Youth touchstones. From the primal no wave attack of its earliest days, to the radical chording and song structures of its ’90s period, to the more focused and contemporary explorations of the last five years. This their 16th album, and their first for the Matador label, consolidates their move to a more lush, sensual sound as displayed on last album ‘Rather Ripped’ - but if anything punchier and cleaner, and now backstopped by the addition of Mark Ibold (Pavement, Dustdevils) on bass. - Matablog

Relish it!

Sacred Trickster [mp3]

Buy The Eternal on iTunes.

The band has also just been confirmed to play at the My Bloody Valentine-curated ATP Nightmare Before Christmas to be held at Butlins Holiday Resort in Minehead from December 4th - 6th, 2009.

sonicyouth.com

The Eternal is out June 6 through Matador/ Remote Control.

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New Deerhunter mp3 Rainwater Cassette Exchange

Deerhunter will be releasing a new EP just in time for their tour here in June.

The 5 track Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP will be released digitally May 18 and physically June 8 through 4ad/ Remote Control.

Listen to the title track:
Rainwater Cassette Exchange [mp3]

Download from itunes here.

The Deerhunter shows are already selling well so we wouldn't leave it too much longer before snapping a ticket up!

DEERHUNTER'S DEBUT TOUR OF AUSTRALIA
Thu 11 Jun - Sydney, Manning Bar
Fri 12 Jun - Melbourne, Corner Hotel
Sat 13 Jun - Brisbane, The Zoo

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

Elvis Perkins live on NPR

NPR are also streaming a live set from Elvis Perkins on their site.

They perform:
I Heard Your Voice in Dresden
Hours Last Stand
Stay Zombie + Shampoo

Check it out here.

TV On The Radio live on NPR

NPR have just uploaded some fantastic live sets.

Playing live as a four piece version of the band, sans Dave Sitek, the band performed four songs:

Love Dog
Family Tree
Crying
Stork & Owl

Check it out here.

New Jarvis Cocker mp3 Angela

Jarvis Cocker has a new mp3 Angela (lyrics here) from his forthcoming Steve Albini produced new album 'Further Complications'. And he has a new website too. Go have a look at him making a name for himself, literally.

Buy the album 'Further Complications' or the single 'Angela' on iTunes.

Looking for mp3s?
Check out our free mp3 download page here!

New St Vincent mp3 Actor Out Of Work

St Vincent's Actor Out Of Work is the next single taken from the upcoming album Actor.

Actor Out Of Work is where Clark gets into 'rock mode' if you like, a succinct concoction of fuzzed out guitars, horns and thumping drums clocking in at just over two minutes.

Though don’t be mistaken, this aint your ordinary middle-of-the-road rock track.

Miss Clarke’s melodies and inventive arrangements ensure that this is yet another one of her kooky creations, impossible to pigeon hole yet easy to love.

Actor Out Of Work [mp3]

Buy the album Actor from iTunes.

Actor Out Of Work 7" is out now.

The album Actor is out May 2 through 4ad/ Remote Control.

New Breeders video and mp3

Like we told you last month, The Breeders have a new EP 'Fate To Fatal' that they are self-releasing.

Now you've seen the making of video, here's the finished product, and the mp3.



Fate To Fatal [mp3]

New The xx MP3 - Crystalised

Introducing the latest band toted as the “next big things”. The xx.
Four 19 year olds from London producing music with the kind of brooding minimalism you’d expect from someone a lot more advanced in age.

Earlier this year, they put everyone in a flurry with their cover of the Womack and Womack track Teardrops. It seems the more we here from these guys, the more we hear that they are most certainly the ones to watch in 09’.

Their knack for tense, slow burning no-wave pop is obvious on their latest track Crystallised, taken from their debut album due out sooner hopefully than later this year.

Crystalised [mp3]



The xx's first 7" will be out soon through Young Turks/ XL, with a debut full-length to follow in September.

New Broken Records mp3 - Until The Earth Begins To Part

Armed with an onslaught of instruments including guitars, bass, violin, cello, accordion, mandolin, piano, trumpet, glockenspiel and drums (phew!), Broken Records are set to release their album Until The Earth Begins To Part.

The first taste is the album’s title track, a lush and layered arrangement that has a beautiful balance of horns, strings and lively, dynamic vocals.

In a statement the band said "we’re trying to do something different. People forget that music doesn’t have to be just bass, guitar and drums. It can be just as loud and exciting with glockenspiel and trumpet". After one listen we can safely say they’ve pretty much nailed it.

Until The Earth Begins To Part [mp3]

Jessica Says, Melbourne launch Good Friday

JESSICA SAYS
Melbourne launch of her debut album ‘We Need To Talk’
GOOD FRIDAY @ The Toff In Town
w/ DJ Jens Lekman, Dick Diver and Darren Sylvester

Just a quick reminder that the veritably talented Jessica Venables, aka Jessica Says will be launching her debut album in her hometown of Melbourne tomorrow night.

I'll Set The Night Upon You (feat. New Buffalo) [mp3]

'We Need To Talk' has made a deep impression on critics across the country:

"eloquent, affecting and downright gorgeous" - ****1/2 Album Of The Week, Beat & The Brag
"a compelling figure... a phenomenal debut" Inpress
"a guilt-free musical indulgence" J Mag
"a disarming debut... an elegant and touching recording from an excitingly fresh local voice" **** MX
"delicate but swooning classical-folk-pop songs" Rave
"a magical release .. a ghostly and blossoming talent" 9/10 Rip It Up
"an intelligent and affecting soundscape" **** The Age
"windswept, baroque and tender" - Melbourne Magazine
"with sweeping strings, melancholic piano and a voice that is part Kate Bush and part Joanna Newsom... Jessica Says has set the bar very high indeed" Xpress

INTERSTATE ALBUM LAUNCHES:
Sat 25 Apr – Adelaide, The Metro Hotel w/ Megafauna and Fair Maiden
Fri 15 May - Sydney, Hopetoun w/ Hugo Race

We Need To Talk is out now through Unstable Ape Records.

New track from The Horrors - Who Can Say

If you found the epic Sea Within A Sea single we posted up last month a bit too much to swallow, here’s something a little more short n’ sweet.

Who Can Say is the second taste of the oh so very soon to be released Primary Colours.

The lads seem pretty intent on starting a new chapter in their musical path, only subtle hints of their old stuff is evident in the new tracks and news has been circulating in the blogosphere that their onstage attire has seem to be toned down a few notches… hmm interesting.

Bringing to light their inspirations (or obsessions) with such musical staples as My Bloody Valentine and Jesus And Mary Chain Who Can Say matches a swampy, chugging bassline with a steady drumbeat and a middle eight of Shangri La-esque spoken word.

Have a listen to what all the fuss is about.

Who Can Say [mp3]

The Horrors' new album Primary Colours is out May 2.

Blue Roses - I Am Leaving mp3

Now we realize the words ethereal and angelic get bandied around relentlessly when describing a lot of solo female artists, but in the case of Yorkshire's Blue Roses a description more modest just wouldn't be doing her any justice.

Recently taking on the Blue Roses moniker, 20 year old Laura Groves is on the very cusp of releasing her self titled debut album and has offered us the beautifully delivered I Am Leaving in the meantime.

Named after a Tennessee Williams novel, Blue Roses' music is every bit as unique and enthralling as it's namesake.

A breath of fresh air from the twee sugary faff we've been hearing from her contemporaries, after one listen to I Am Leaving a sigh of relief is most likely to ensue.

I Am Leaving [mp3]

Blue Roses' debut self-titled album is out April 25 through XL/ Remote Control.

Lee Memorial - new mp3, album out this Saturday

Lee Memorial's debut album 'The Lives Of Lee Memorial' hits the cd racks this Saturday.

FBi Album Of The Week
RTR Album Of The Week

The band played a gorgeous set at their Melbourne single launch of Berlin a fortnight ago. The new songs went down a treat with many a head nodding and foot tapping. A few wry smiles were also spotting in the audience as they watched accomplished musicians from numerous well known local outfits, come together in an all together different outfit - ex Sodastream Karl Smith fronting a ROCK band hollering Private Joseph Skelling, and guitarist Tom Lyngcoln (usually of Nation Blue) trying his best to restrain his usual onstage thrashing while still unleashing his subdued-by-comparison melodic pop hooks, and Laura McFarlane providing vocals from behind the drum kit.

Enjoy another mp3 from the album.
Long Days In Bed [mp3]

WARNING: this song will be stuck in your head for days on end

The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out now through Dot Dash

The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea mp3

When a mysterious, unnamed counting down clock appeared on the Horrors Website, speculators and fans naturally assumed that this clock counted down to the release of new, never before heard Horrors material. On the 17th of March the band unveiled their first single ‘Sea Within A Sea’ from their upcoming album ‘Primary Colours’.

Drainpipes and amazing hair still intact, the band seem to have matured musically producing this 8 minute epic that swerves towards their influences in Joy Division and Kraftwerk. .In their track-by-track summary of the ‘Primary Colours’ NME described “Sea Within A Sea” as “An eight-minute Spacemen 3-meets-Neu! odyssey of ominous motorik rhythms, Faris’ mournful incantations and an expanding starfield of synths.” Phew! Now, we do realise that the Horrors may be the darlings of NME, but this ain’t no exaggeration! Check it out for yourself…

Sea Within A Sea [mp3]


www.thehorrors.co.uk
www.myspace.com/thehorrors

The Big Pink - Velvet

Who ever said jealousy was a bad thing?

The Big Pink started when label manager at Merock Records (Telepathe, Salem) Caleb Merock got a bit jealous of his bands going off and doing the rock star thing and decided to have a crack at it himself. Aren’t we lucky he did? The Big Pink essentially sound like electro kids brought up on a healthy diet of My Bloody Valentine and Jesus And Mary Chain, just take a listen to their single ‘Velvet”.

It’s a nice clash of swampy, dark atmospheric electro with a wall of guitar and soulful vocals thrown over the top.

Velvet [mp3]
Velvet single [iTunes]

And here's the video:

With the ink still drying on their 4AD signing, these guys have promised self produced album later this year.

http://www.myspace.com/musicfromthebigpink

Vampire Weekend perform White Sky

Well looks like Vampire Weekend's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon appearance was up on Youtube for about half a second before getting taken down is back up on Youtube in all it's glory, so catch it while you can:



And here's an mp3 of the band's perfomance of White Sky, complete with string section, as posted by the good ole folks at Stereogum

White Sky (live on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon) [mp3]

Super Furry Animals onboard Inaugural Trams

Did you tune in for Super Furry Animals’ live performance of their new album this morning?

Did you check out their madly blogged “in the studio” epics recently? Hilarious verite footage of the truly unglamorous world of a band actually making an album... god bless the Furries for being so honest about it and themselves. Cos of course what really matters is the sounds that come out of it all and this Kraftwerkesque gem singing the praises of a newly completed public transport system in an un-named town in Germany, (really there just aren’t enough songs about this kind of thing are there?), could only come forth from Super Furry Animals. But wait, there is glamour to be had here… really…. coz Franz Ferdinand’s Nick McCarthy drops by to join in on vocals.

Inaugural Trams is off the upcoming album Dark Days/Light Years album which will of course be a total delight.

Inaugural Trams [mp3]

Wolf & Cub - Seven Sevens (Brother From Another Mother Remix)

Finally, over the weekend the planets aligned and the sacred codes were passed down and the new Wolf & Cub album was totally finished. It’s called Science & Sorcery, (although some of us here keep thinking it’s called Sword & Sorcery, but we will get it right by the time its out mid-April). Seven Sevens is on the album but the band just slipped us a remix that cranks up the darkly danceable side of their sound, so we thought you might like to take a listen.

Seven Sevens (Brother From Another Mother Remix) [mp3]


Science & Sorcery album now.
Buy from iTunes for an exclusive track. [iTunes]

Jessica Says I'll Set The Night Upon You

If she wasn’t so modest about it all we’d have to say 21 year old Jessica Venables is a precocious talent. She’s already been so in-demand, working with New Buffalo, Jens Lekman, Micah P. Hinson, Sly Hats and Luluc, and now has her own album We Need To Talk out this weekend. We’re hearing a lot of music on the o/s blogs that swims in the same deep blue water as Jessica Says and dare we say we’re thinking maybe she sounds better than pretty much all of it? Evidence? Well take a listen to I’ll Set The Night Upon, which sees Ms New Buffalo (aka Sally Seltmann) repay the favour by singing alongside Jessica.

I'll Set The Night Upon You (feat. New Buffalo) [mp3]

Oh and if you are in Melbourne and Sydney, you can check out the live shows
Thu 19 Mar – Melbourne, Empress
Fri 20 Mar – Melbourne, Yah Yah’s
Fri 10 Apr – Melbourne, The Toff *ALBUM LAUNCH w/ DJ Jens Lekman, Dick Diver and Darren Sylvester
Sat 25 Apr – Adelaide, The Metro Hotel *ALBUM LAUNCH w/ Megafauna and Fair Maiden
Fri 15 May - Sydney, Hopetoun *ALBUM LAUNCH w/ Hugo Race

We Need To Talk is out March 21 through Unstable Ape Records.

Talk To Me Peaches

Ok so the new album is gonna be called I Feel Cream, so I think we can safely say that Peaches is not about to go in to the “mature and introspective” phase of her career. Talk To Me is the first single and lets face it no one does this shit like Madam P, (though are we alone in noticing that plenty of prissy little pop stars are taking the Peaches thing and thinning it down and smearing it on their own sound?) But here’s where you get the pure stuff. Peaches produced it herself and on the album she’s bumping up against Simian MobileDiisco, Soulwax, Digitalism and Drums of Death). Excited? You should be!

Talk To Me [mp3]

Golden Silvers offer True Romance

Some folks are going to love this big time. The first single from Golden Silvers. It’s stylish and groove ladened and yes it hints at 80s synth pop but really it couldn’t have happened any other time but now. It’s produced by new wunderkid on the block Lexxx, who has worked with Crystal Castles and Esser and he’s absolutely “of the moment”.

True Romance (True No. 9 Blues) [mp3]

Check out the cool video for it too:


True Romance 7" is out April 18.

Getting the impression the album due April is going to be well worth checking out!

Jack Peñate on Tonight's Today

Whether or not you’ve heard Jack Penate before you really should check this out. It’s a different and bold sound from the guy (and more power to him cos his debut album went platinum so he could have easily just come through with more of the same). In fact NME have touted this as the “The first great single of 2009”. It’s the first taste of his yet to be named second album, it’s produced by Paul Epworth (Friendly Fires, Bloc Party) and the closest hint we can give ya about what it sounds like is kinda Peter Gabriel when he was a pop star back in the late 80s with mutating afrobeat guitars undulating in the mix.

Tonight's Today [mp3]

Tonight's Today is out April 4.

M.I.A. vs RyeRye

Super Mum Maya aka M.I.A. has turned up on a Rye Rye track 'Bang', which you can check out at Rye Rye's myspace.

Fucked Up - No Epiphany (No Age Remix)

Here's the No Age remix of Fucked Up's No Epiphany available on the No Epiphany 7".

No Epiphany (No Age Remix) mp3

No Epiphany is out now through Matador.

Super Furry Animals perform new record in its entirety tomorrow morning!

Just a quick reminder that SFA will be unveiling their new record Dark Days/ Light Years to the world by playing it live, in its entirety and webcasting it on their website tomorrow morning Australian time:

So tune into http://superfurry.com/ :
Tue 17 Mar Australian time
7.00am Melbourne/ Sydney time
6.30am Adelaide time
6.00am Brisbane time
5.00am Perth time

You can listen to a sneak preview from the album now of:
Inaugural Trams [mp3]

The album is available to buy immediately as a download from the start of the gig on http://superfurry.com

The physical album is released in Australia April 11.

Introducing Broken Records

Broken Records Release Their Debut Album Until The Earth Begins To Part On 4AD On June 1st. The Album Title Track Will Be Released As A Single On May 11th.

“We’re trying to do something different. People forget that music doesn’t have to be just bass, guitar and drums. It can be just as loud and exciting with glockenspiel and trumpet” - Broken Records

“How Nirvana might sound had they formed in Belarus instead of Seattle” - Q, Jan 2009

Hotly-tipped Scottish seven-piece Broken Records release their debut album Until The Earth Begins To Part on June 1st 2009.

The group, who formed in Edinburgh at the end of 2006, have already been tipped for greatness by publications as diverse as NME, Q, The Word, The Sun, The Fly, News Of The World, Clash and Drowned in Sound. A series of three independently released singles released in 2008 led NME to call them “an incredible proposition – set to go stellar as soon as they decide on a lucky label to sign to”.

The album features ten tracks and was recorded in Monnow Valley studio in Monmouth with producer Ian Caple.

The tracklisting is:
Nearly Home
If The News Makes You Sad, Don’t Watch It
Until The Earth Begins To Part
A Promise
Thoughts On A Picture
If Eilert Loevborg Wrote A Song It Would Sound Like This
Wolves
Ghosts
A Good Reason
Slow Parade

If Eilert Loevborg Wrote A Song It Would Sound Like This [mp3]

http://www.myspace.com/brokenrecordsedinburgh

The National - So Far Round The Bend from Dark Was The Night

For your downloading pleasure, from the brilliant Dark Was The Night compilation. If you haven't picked yourself up a copy yet, why the hell not? Get it already! Not only is an incredible collection of exclusive material from the likes of The National, David Byrne, Spoon, Sharon Jones etc, all proceeds go towards AIDs projects via the Red Hot Organisation.

So Far Round The Bend [mp3]

A Letter from The Veils

As we mentioned last month, The Veils very fine third album Sun Gangs is due out April 4.

"The Veils [are] purveyors of gothic Americana, inhabiting desert-stormy vistas that are just expansive enough to house the band's most valuable asset: Andrew's magnetic outsize persona." Pitchfork

Here's a taste of what it sounds like
The Letter [mp3]

The Letter is on the album Sun Gangs, available now [iTunes]

Anni Rossi live radio performance

Anni Rossi recently stepped in The Current studio for Minnesota Public Radio to perform 4 songs from her new album Rockwell.


Songs performed: "Machine," "Venice," "Ecology," and "Wheel Pusher".

You can listen to the set here:

Lee Memorial bring Berlin to The Tote this Fri 13th

Lee Memorial started out as a ramshackle solo project of Karl Smith from Sodastream, but after enlisting the help of a brigade of unlikely cohorts from Ninety-Nine, The Nation Blue and Gaslight Radio, the project began to take on a life all its own.

Lee Memorial tumbled in and out of luck through 2008. They played sporadic live shows and chipped away at their album, all-the-while battling illness, relationship breakdowns, death, unhappy computers and the devastating effects of cheap shampoo. So now, after having shaken off last year’s blues, Lee Memorial return to the Tote on March 13 with their new record – the lives of lee memorial - tucked under their spindly little arms and a whole lot of nervous energy to burn.

Friday the 13th seemed a fitting date for this unlucky and accident-prone bunch to launch their new single, Belin. To celebrate making it this far, they’re giving away a free single to the first forty haircuts through the door; the rest get to buy themselves a beer.

Supports on the night will be Dot Dash labelmates St Helens, and Lakes.

Berlin single launch at The Tote, Melbourne
Lee Memorial 11.30- 12.30am
St Helens 10.15- 11pm
Lakes 9- 9.45pm

Berlin [mp3]

The Lives Of Lee Memorial is out through Dot Dash on March 28.

New Camera Obscura track French Navy

Here is French Navy, the opening track on Camera Obscura's new album My Maudlin Career due out April 18.

French Navy [mp3]

French Navy will be released as a single on April 11.

http://www.camera-obscura.net/
http://www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

St Vincent delivers unto us The Strangers

St Vincent, aka Annie Clarke, has unveiled the first track The Strangers from her new album Actor, due out May 2.

Two years ago, Annie Clark’s recorded debut as St. Vincent, Marry Me, gave immediate notice that a dizzying new talent had emerged from the flatlands of Texas. Actor, St. Vincent’s beguiling, sophisticated new record, takes that debut’s ambition as its starting point and never looks back. The arrangements are more masterful, the songwriting grander, the performances ever more confident and inspired.

A sneak peek:

right click here to download THE STRANGERS

Copy this code to embed the widget:
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="300" height="90" id="embedmp3player" align="middle"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" /><param name="movie" value="http://ilovestvincent.com/audio/embedmp3player.swf?myLoad=http://www.4ad.com/audio/stvincent/stvincent_thestrangers.mp3&myImage=http://ilovestvincent.com/audio/strangers.jpg" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#cccccc" /> <embed src="http://ilovestvincent.com/audio/embedmp3player.swf?myLoad=http://www.4ad.com/audio/stvincent/stvincent_thestrangers.mp3&myImage=http://ilovestvincent.com/audio/strangers.jpg" quality="high" bgcolor="#cccccc" width="300" height="90" name="embedmp3player" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" </object>

Jeffrey Lewis rolls out new single and tour dates

Part folkie, part indie-rocker, part comic book artist, how does indigenous New Yorker Jeffrey Lewis do it?

After a 2008 spent almost entirely on the road, including support tours with some of the most respected artists around (Jarvis Cocker, The Cribs, Stephen Malkmus and The Mountain Goats, to name but a few!), as well as with artistic and literary projects all over the map (an illustrated rhyming history of Communism, lectures on the comic book Watchmen, blogs for the New York Times, even an illustrated biography of Barack Obama), Jeffrey somehow managed to find the time to record his best album yet.

'Em Are I by Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard is Jeff's fifth full-length for Rough Trade, and represents the first time that all of the greatest elements of his previous recordings have formed a fully cohesive and amazing whole.

With lyrics straight from the heart and melancholic finger-picked guitar, Roll Bus Roll is the first single from the album.

Roll Bus Roll [mp3]

Jeffrey Lewis will be doing an extensive tour of Australia with Darren Hanlon in March/April.

Tue 24 Mar – Canberra, Tilleys Cafe
Wed 25 Mar – Launceston, The Hub
Thu 26 Mar – Hobart, The Republic
Fri 27 Mar – Sydney, Petersham Town Hall
Sat 28 Mar - Brisbane, The Old Museum
Sun 29 Mar - Pomona, The Majestic Theatre
Thu 2 Apr - Armidale, The Armidale Club
Fri 3 Apr - Newcastle, The Gallipoli Legions Club
Sat 4 Apr - Nowra, The Tea Club Cafe
Mon 6 Apr - Katoomba, Clarendon Guesthouse
Thu 9 Apr - Albury, Sodens
Fri 10 Apr - Melbourne, The Thornbury Theatre
Sat 11 Apr - Adelaide, Jive Bar
Sun 12 Apr - Freemantle, Mojos

'Em Are I is due out late April.

myspace.com/jefflewisband

Preview Sonic Youth's 'The Eternal'

Sonic Youth's 16th album, The Eternal, is due out early June. Recorded in November and December of last year, the first few snippets of the tracks can now be heard here:



[mp3]

Micachu's golden new single

Micachu is 21-year-old Mica Levi, an unassuming five foot one figure who creates tunes that somehow perfectly define these sometimes scary, often overwhelming, but always exciting times.

Jewellery is Micachu’s debut long-player and is a teeny, but visionary, peek at the infinite maelstrom of musical carnage that hurtles through her brain 24-hours-a-day.

Golden Phone is the first single from the album. A fuzz-fest of disintegrating electronics mashed up with poppy synth beats. [mp3]

Over the past year Micachu has:

- released an avidly received mixtape that moulded concrete grime and ruff-neck hip hop to avant-electronics
- composed a Nuevo-classical epic for the London Philharmonic Orchestra on the personal request of revered conductor Marc Anthony Turnage
- formed a band, The Shapes (aka Raisa Khan on keys and Marc Pell on drums), midway through recording the album, adding a whole new dimension to proceedings and helping to channel the mind-boggling waves of creativity that swell from her scruffily curled head

Jewellery is due out late March through Rough Trade/Remote Control.

myspace.com/micayomusic

Free Hugs, Now + Again

Since forming back in 2006, Kent’s It Hugs Back have been quietly winning over the discerning populace with their dreamy indie-pop gems. Three years on, the four-piece are finally ready to unleash their debut album Inside Your Guitar, due out April 4th.

Having joined 4AD early last year they have been carefully honing their live shows through extensive touring, released the charmingly artworked single Work Day (currently soundtracking the Sundance Film Festival television coverage) and made idiosyncratic music videos with former Aardman animators.

As with previous single Work Day, Now + Again is lifted from Inside Your Guitar and is yet another great catchy guitar-driven track clocking in at just over two minutes, showcasing Matt Simms’ softly-spoken vocals masked by layers of feedback and fuzz. The single is backed by new song Both Arms and will be available on limited edition 7” vinyl.

Now + Again [mp3]


myspace.com/ithugsback

Embed with Peaches

Feel the Peaches love and stream the mixtape we told you about last week on your own blog.



right click to download drums of death mixtape as mp3

Copy to code below to get embed with Peaches
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" width="300" height="90" id="embedmp3player" align="middle"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false"><param name="movie" value="http://xlrecordings.com/features/peaches/mixtape/embedmp3player.swf?myLoad=http://xlrecordings.com/features/peaches/mixtape/mixtape.mp3&myImage=http://xlrecordings.com/features/peaches/mixtape/mixtape.jpg"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="bgcolor" value="#cccccc"><embed src="http://xlrecordings.com/features/peaches/mixtape/embedmp3player.swf?myLoad=http://xlrecordings.com/features/peaches/mixtape/mixtape.mp3&myImage=http://xlrecordings.com/features/peaches/mixtape/mixtape.jpg" quality="high" bgcolor="#cccccc" width="300" height="90" name="embedmp3player" align="middle" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object>

Peaches' new album I Feel Cream is out May 2 through XL.

Scott Walker duets with Bat For Lashes

Scott Walker has lent his incredible vocals to Bat For Lashes' latest album, duetting on "The Big Sleep".

If you're not up on the iconic Scott Walker already, seek out a copy of 'The Drift' and check out the "30 Century Man : A Scott Walker Documentary - Stephen Kijak's film about Scott's life and work" on DVD.

The Big Sleep

Hey, it's Elvis Perkins in Dearland

Last month we gave you the first glimpse of Elvis Perkins in Dearland’s new eponymous album, the track Shampoo.

Now comes the new single from the album, Hey. Propelled by the pounding, ring-tailed beat of the marching drum, Hey is one of the catchiest songs from the album and perfectly balances its propulsive rhythm with delicate vocal harmonies supplied by Lavender Diamond front-woman Becky Stark.

Hey [mp3]

In a traditional New Orleans funeral procession, “the second line” refers to the lively troupe of brass musicians who trail behind the mourners, injecting a spirit of spontaneous celebration into an otherwise sombre affair. Indeed, Elvis Perkins in Dearland feels very much like the second line to his exquisitely melancholic and much-hailed solo debut Ash Wednesday, conjuring both the greatest celebration and the saddest funeral, channelling an ageless wisdom that deepens with each new listen.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland is due out early April.

Vampire Weekend vs Miike Snow

Vampire Weekend's latest single The Kids Don't Stand A Chance has been given an electro makeover courtesy of Miike Snow's production wizardry.

Miike Snow are Swedish producers Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (aka Bloodshy & Avant, producers and songwriters of Britney Spears's "Toxic" and "Piece of Me") and musician Andrew Wyatt (Fires of Rome, Black Beetle).

You can hear their remix of The Kids Don't Stand A Chance over at RCRD LBL.

Introducing Lee Memorial

Lee Memorial is Karl Smith’s new band.

Lee Memorial is also the latest signing to Remote Control’s Dot Dash label, home of Wolf & Cub, New Buffalo, Snowman, St Helens and Ned Collette. Their debut album The Lives Of Lee Memorial will be released late March 2009.

Karl was one half of Sodastream, who were based first in Perth and then in Melbourne. Between 1999 and 2006 Sodastream:
- Released 4 albums, 5 EPs and a live recording
- Signed with Rough Trade US and Tugboat Records (part of Rough Trade UK)
- Toured Europe 7 times, as well as the USA and Japan
“Quite wonderful” said John Peel, “A blindingly beautiful beam of light” said the Sydney Morning Herald

Lee Memorial is named after a guesthouse in Kolkatta, India where Karl’s family used to stay when he was a child. (Karl lived in Bangladesh and India until he was thirteen).

With Lee Memorial Karl wanted to try something a bit different to Sodastream, to present his new songs with a full band.

Joining Karl in Lee Memorial for the debut album are:

- Laura MacFarlane, one time drummer with Sleater-Kinney and founder of Melbourne outfit Ninety Nine
- Tom Lyngcoln from Nation Blue plays lead guitar, a perversely appealing notion given the somewhat diametrically opposite sounds of the two bands
- Madeline Spawton who has no ragged pedigree, which in many ways is a good thing, but plays clarinet and cello which is exactly what Karl was looking for
- Matt Bailey (ex-Paradise Motel) plays bass (Matt has now departure to pursue his solo project, and Steve Thomas from Zond has taken over bass duties)

Lee Memorial is a band - and a band with genuine chemistry, more than evident by the fact that they recorded eleven of the album’s songs in four days.

The debut album The Lives of Lee Memorial will be released late March 2009 through Dot Dash.

Berlin is a hint of the treat in store [mp3]

They will be launching the single at Melbourne's The Tote on Friday 13th March, supported by St Helens and Lakes.

myspace.com/leememorial

Times New Viking cover Velvet Underground

The Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio recently put on a show of Velvet Underground covers, inviting local lo-fi heroes Times New Viking to take on the musical duties, plus Psychedelic Horseshit performing a couple of songs.

You can download the full set at Pat Radio.

Psychedelic Horseshit:
Sister Ray
Stephanie Says

Times New Viking:
Run Run Run
I'll Be You're Mirror
I'm Waiting for My Man
All Tomorrow's Parties
Sunday Morning
Venus in Furs
I Can't Stand It Anymore
Heroin
Pale Blue Eyes
Here She Comes Now
After Hours

Times New Viking's debut album for Matador, Rip It Off, is out now.

New Basement Jaxx single

Late last year Basement Jaxx released Planet 1 and Planet 2 EPs. Now Felix and Simon kick off 2009 with Planet 3 EP: four brand spankin' new tunes with some new friends taking on the vocal duties.

The first track from the EP is the jazzy, foot-tapping She's No Good featuring Eli "Paperboy" Reed on vocals.

Other tracks on the EP are:
My Turn (feat. Lightspeed Champion)
Wheel N Stop (feat. Serocee)
Twerk (feat. Yo Majesty)
You can hear some of the tracks at the MySpace.

Planet 3 EP is out exclusively through iTunes from next week with a new album to be released later in the year.

In the meantime, Basement Jaxx will be heading to Australia in just over a week to play the Future Music Festivals, along with headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne.

TOUR DATES
Sat 28 Feb – Sydney, Future Music Festival
Sun 1 Mar - Perth, Future Music Festival
Tue 3 March – Sydney, Enmore Theatre
Wed 4 March – Melbourne, Palace Theatre
Sat 7 Mar - Brisbane, Future Music Festival
Sun 8 Mar - Melbourne, Future Music Festival
Mon 9 Mar - Adelaide, Future Music Festival

Friendly Fires get Frenchy

Skeleton Boy is the new single from UK nu-rave sensations Friendly Fires. With its funk-driven synths, Skeleton Boy is a massively addictive slice of dancefloor-friendly pop, drenched with swathes of lush harmonies and atmospherics.

And now the track has been remixed by Air France to make it even more dancefloor-friendly:

Skeleton Boy (Air France Remix)

You can download the mp3 over at Pitchfork.

Skeleton Boy

Peaches and Cream

I Feel Cream is the highly anticipated new album from shock princess, Peaches. Due out May 2nd, the album follows on from 2006's Impeach My Bush, which featured the wickedly catchy tracks Downtown and Boys Wanna Be Her.

Returning to her electro roots in I Feel Cream, Peaches enlisted Simian Mobile Disco, Digitalism, Drums of Death and rapper Canuck Gonzales to help her out. Other special guests feature on the album but that's a secret for now.

As a teaser for the album's release, UK's Drums of Death has made a Peaches mixtape featuring snippets of tracks off the new album, as well as old favourites that we all know and love. You can download the full mixtape over at BIGSTEREO.

www.myspace.com/peaches

Introducing Blue Roses

The last couple of years has seen a plethora of female singer-songwriters take over the charts. So it comes as a relief to discover that Blue Roses is like no other.

Having tirelessly worked away in friends' bedrooms, recording in churches in her native Yorkshire and borrowing instruments from local music shops, the first glimpse the word will have of Blue Roses (aka Laura Groves) is Doubtful Comforts, a gorgeous, heartfelt plea to a former love.

Doubtful Comforts [mp3]

The song itself sees delicate twinkling kalimba give way to a glorious, lush and symphonic backing and a vocal where Blue Roses pleads “You’re so good at getting my hopes up / Where they don’t belong / I can’t reach them.”

As lead singer Laura explains, “I wanted to create something that would connect with people emotionally, whether it be a lyric or a certain chord change or a sound - something that could perhaps become as important to someone as my favourite records are to me.”

Blue Roses' self-titled debut album is due out in April.

myspace.com/musicofblueroses | musicofblueroses.com

Read Micachu's Lips

Micachu is 21-year-old Mica Levi from the UK. Lips is the first single from Micachu and The Shapes and follows hot on the heels of the eagerly anticipated debut album Jewellery due out in early March. With its short, sharp precession of maddening fret-hits and taunting vocal refrains, Lips leads you everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Lips [mp3]


Never one to rest on her laurels, Mica has been working on a second mixtape – the follow up to last year’s word-of-mouth, must have mixtape, Filthy Friends (download at last.fm). The new mixtape will feature contributions and collaborations from Mica’s friends: The XX, The Invisible, Man Like Me, Rowdy Superstar, Ghost Poet, Dels, Elan, Lime Headed Dog, Dog Bite, Gold Panda and many more. Expect another multi-coloured conflation of skewed garage, dubstep, pop and beats.

myspace.com/micayomusic

TV On The Radio remix Nat King Cole

TV On The Radio have created a (rather awesome) remix of Nat King Cole's version of the classic Nature Boy.

The remix appears on the upcoming release RE: Generations, a collection of Nat King Cole remixes by Cee-Lo, the Roots, Just Blaze, will.i.am (damn) and others

You can hear the Nature Boy remix here (.mov)

Dark Was The Night compilation out now

Dark Was The Night, the 20th release by the Red Hot Organization to raise funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS, is out now.

Produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, DWTN is available on double CD and triple vinyl and features 31 new and exclusive tracks from a vast array of indie's biggest names including Feist, Arcade Fire and Sharon Jones.

Here are just a few tracks from the release:

Jóhann Jóhannsson: NPR song of the day

Late last year Iceland's Jóhann Jóhannsson released Fordlândia, the second instalment in a proposed trilogy based on technology and iconic American brand names.

Featuring on the album is instrumental epic Melodia (Guidelines for a Space Propulsion Device based on Heim's Quantum Theory) . You can listen to the track over at NPR.

A.C. Newman takes on a-ha

Despite just releasing his second solo album, Get Guilty, The New Pornographers' A.C. Newman found time to record a version of a-ha's classic track Take On Me for an upcoming Starbucks covers compilation.

Camera Obscura - new single and album details announced

As announced last week, Camera Obscura will be releasing their fourth album through legendary label 4AD in late April.

Entitled My Maudlin Career, the first single from the album is the title track and is now available for download.

Championed early on by John Peel, Glasgow’s Camera Obscura are fondly regarded by many as one of the UK’s finest acts; having built up over the years a dedicated following with must-have records and tours throughout Europe, USA, Mexico, Australia and South East Asia. Their last album, Let’s Get Out Of This Country (2006), was to prove pivotal for the band, taking them out of the shadows and to long-deserved new heights. “You might not find heartache as enchanting as this anywhere else,” stated All Music Guide in a familiar glowing review.

Having added successful touches to the previous album, Camera Obscura returned to Sweden to work again with Swedish producer Jari Haapalainen (Ed Harcourt, Peter, Bjorn & John, The Concretes). His wonderful understanding with the band continues to flourish, again fully realising not just the potential of Tracyanne Campbell’s songs and remarkable voice, but also the ensemble musicianship of the group as a whole.

Speaking for the first time about My Maudlin Career, lead singer Tracyanne Campbell commented, "Some people who have heard it say it's intense and quite dark. I suppose it is in a way. We were even more open and brave when making it than we were with the last record. I've never been so brutal when its come to writing lyrics. I wouldn't even call them lyrics. Just documentation of what was going on with me for a while. I truly believe it's the best we've done so far."

My Maudlin Career tracklist:

1. French Navy
2. The Sweetest Thing
3. You Told A Lie
4. Away With Murder
5. Swans
6. James
7. Careless Love
8. My Maudlin Career
9. Forest And Sands
10. Other Towns And Cities
11. Honey In The Sun