You Say Party! We Say Die!: XXXX

Check out my review of You Say Party! We Say Die!'s new album, XXXX, over at PopMatters.

Lissie - "Little Lovin'"

Singer/songwriters are such an overabundant crop that it's a serious chore separating the bit of wheat from the overrunning chaff. Thankfully, I'm happy to help with the labor: Lissie is golden wheat. Her debut EP, Why You Runnin', shows her to be a spiritual peer of Marissa Nadler and Alela Diane, but with more grit and, well, balls. The excellent "Little Lovin'" begins as radiant Laurel Canyon folk, but suddenly turns dark at the song's midpoint while Lissie repeatedly asks "Why you runnin'?" From there, it's a stunning, extended outro of handclaps and "whoa-oh-oh's" pierced by stabs of rumbling tremolo.

Why You Runnin' EP is out now on Fat Possum.

Download MP3: "Little Lovin'"

A Sunny Day In Glasgow - "So Bloody, So Tight" (video)

After releasing one of the best albums of 2009, Ashes Grammar, A Sunny Day In Glasgow is releasing a follow-up EP, Nitetime Rainbows, that consists of three new songs and three remixes of the title track. The band shot a video for the EP's best song, "So Bloody, So Tight", and seem eager to be jump on the NSFW bandwagon, albeit meekly.

Frog Eyes - "A Flower In A Glove"

2010 is looking to be a banner year for Dead Oceans. First, they snagged The Tallest Man On Earth and, now, they've signed Frog Eyes who will be releasing their new album, Paul's Tomb: A Triumph in April. The album's opening track, "A Flower In A Glove", is a 9 minute monster much in the vein of the blistering glam-prog epics from Frog Eyes' previous album, Tears of the Valedictorian.

Paul's Tomb: A Triumph is out 4/27 on Dead Oceans.

Download MP3: "A Flower In A Glove"

Joanna Newsom - "Good Intentions Paving Company"

That's the cover of Joanna Newsom's forthcoming third album, Have One On Me, up there. Drag City has another new song, "Good Intentions Paving Company", streaming on their website. This one is harpless and, instead, features Newsom on the piano and accompanied by a band. There's a vague Vince Guaraldi vibe here that I'm digging.

Have One On Me is out 2/23 on Drag City.

Beach House: Daytrotter

Thus far, Beach House's Teen Dream is my favorite album of 2010. I realize that's silly to proclaim on February 1st, but, like I've said before, I seriously doubt it will be anything less than Top 10 material by year's end. Seeing them perform Teen Dream's songs at their record release show last week only reinforced my feelings. Daytrotter just posted an excellent four song session with the band that includes "Zebra", "Used To Be", "Walk In The Park" and "Take Care". I've also posted my video of them performing "Take Care" last week.

Download MP3's here.

We Are Wolves - "Blue"

Due to what I can only assume is pack mentality, We Are Wolves will soon be embarking on a tour with those other lupine Montrealers, Wolf Parade (their third album is due sometime this spring). I admit to knowing relatively little about We Are Wolves, but their new single "Blue" has been on very heavy rotation for the last week. This dance floor-ready shit-kicker owes as much to Hot Chip as it does Les Savy Fav. Not to mention, it won't sound too out of place next to Wolf Parade's set.

Invisible Violence is out 2/6 on Dare To Care.

Download MP3: "Blue"

The Delta Mirror - "He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You"

In their band bio, The Delta Mirror claim an affinity with The Big Pink and Fuck Buttons. While neither of those bands is a terribly accurate reference point for The Delta Mirror's music, I can definitely hear The Big Pink's dark romanticism and Fuck Buttons' evocative noise-scapes in there. "He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You" is actually the type of aching, goth-tinged ballad that Interpol used to compose so effectively. The song - like the rest of the band's debut, Machines That Listen - is set in the room of a hospital. Naturally, this will encourage comparisons to The Antlers' own hospital-based song cycle, Hospice.

Machines That Listen is out 3/16 on Lefse.

Download MP3: "He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You"

Surfer Blood - "Swim" (video)

One of my favorite songs of 2010 finally gets an official video treatment. If you haven't gotten your hands on the mp3, grab it here.

Yeasayer - "O.N.E."

In case you haven't heard "O.N.E." (or all of Odd Blood for that matter), "O.N.E." is now available as a free download on the band's website. Initially, I had a violently negative reaction to Odd Blood. To me, it sounded like another episode of Identity Crisis: The Band. That stance slowly softened since I couldn't shake songs like "Madder Red", "Ambling Alp" and "O.N.E." from my head. At this point, I still have plenty of qualms with Odd Blood, but I've come to enjoy (parts of it) despite its flaws. With it's buoyant calypso bounce, "O.N.E." is a disgustingly infectious break-up anthem and almost impossible to dislike.

Odd Blood is out 2/9 on Secretly Canadian.

Download MP3: "O.N.E."

David Bowie: A Reality Tour

Hey kids, check out my review of David Bowie's stellar new live album, A Reality Tour, over at PopMatters.

Animal Collective: ODDSAC trailer

A brief, phantasmagoric trailer for Animal Collective's upcoming "visual album" ODDSAC. Shit looks amazing.

Joanna Newsom - "81"

And this week's hot streak continues: Drag City is streaming a new song, "81", from Joanna Newsom's forthcoming triple (!!!) album, Have One On Me. It's a sparse, beautiful tune that harkens back to her Milk-Eyed Mender days - just Joanna and her harp. Listen to it here.

Have One On Me is out 2/23 on Drag City.

PopMatters: Slipped Discs 2009

Hey folks, be sure to check out PopMatters' slipped discs of 2009. I penned some love for the underappreciated Handsome Furs and their fantastic sophomore album, Face Control.

Keepaway - "Yellow Wings"

Like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups before them, Brooklyn trio Keepaway combine two things I love dearly - in this case, Modest Mouse and Animal Collective - and make something delicious. That's not to say their music doesn't have more reference points. Those are just the two most readily apparent. As for surface comparisons, lead singer Nick Nauman's voice fluctuates between Avey Tare-isms and Isaac Brock's clipped cadence. Going deeper, the percussion, both live and programmed, leans toward the tribal side of things (AC) and the guitar lines contain many a bent note (MM). The stunning "Yellow Wings" exhibits all these components in full bloom while doling out lines that register universally: "I think I finally know what I want/I wanna be two places at once."

Download MP3: "Yellow Wings"