Artist: Ketamines
Album: Spaced Out LP
Hails From: Calgary, Canada
Release Date: March, 2012
Featured Track: “1 YR”
I’m liking everything I hear so far from this band from Calgary and their forthcoming Spaced Out LP. Is that Linda Ronstadt on the cover?
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Artist: Lilacs & Champagne
Album: Lilacs & Champagne
Hails From: Portland
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Featured Track: “Sensation”
Featuring one half of Grails, Lilacs and Champagne is the new effort from Alex Hall and Emil Amos. This is 100% headphone music. An instrumental journey in sampled 70s tinged funk, soul, psychedelia. Your go to late night unwind album. Put this on around 11:30 tonight and you’ll see what I mean. Feel the groove.
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Artist: The Proper Ornaments
Album: The Proper Ornaments
Hails From: UK
Featured Track: ”Shining Bright”
I stumbled upon this great track in my SoundCloud feed this week and, unsurprisingly, found that it was the work of another UK collaboration. My Brit Pop proclivities run deep, you know. This duo from London featuring James Hoare (Veronica Falls) and Max Clapps make some sweet music together when they get around to it. This, their debut album, was released late last year.
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Artist: POND
Album: Beard Wives Denim
Hails From: Australia
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Featured Track: “Moth Wings”
Psych yeah! Featuring two members of Tame Impala‘s touring band — Nick Allbrook and Jay Watson — the Australian group leaked a track this week from their forthcoming Beard Wives Denim album. LOVE IT.
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Artist: Django Django
Album: Django Django
Hails From: UK
Release Date: January 30, 2012
Featured Track: “Default”
Gotta thank my UK music pal Christian for turning me onto this one. As an avid fan of The Beta Band, I was easily won over by the British foursome’s debut album. Listening to it is like reconnecting with a long lost love. A younger, hotter version, mind you. They’ve got the dreamy, Beta-esque vocals going for sure, but their sound is much more electrified and funky. Think The Beta Band meets Hot Chip. A little research discovered that, indeed, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Turns out Django bandleader David Maclean is the younger brother of Betas keyboardist John Maclean. Sometimes nepotism ain’t so bad.
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Artist: Adventure Galley
Hails From: Portlandia
Featured Track: “Weekend Lovers”
Weekend lovers….sigh…the story of my life. Yes, well. The first thought I had when I tuned into this track was, “Hello, Arcade Fire!” And I mean that in the most complementary way, of course. The six dude band from Portland is set to release their first full length LP and this catch tune, “Weekend Lovers”, is one of the featured tracks. After listening to a few of their tracks, I would have to say this is one act I look forward to seeing live.
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Artist: Terry Malts
Hails From: SF, baby
Release Date: February 21, 2012
Featured Track: “Nauseous”
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, San Francisco up and coming garage rockers, Terry Malts, have released a track from their forthcoming debut LP due out this February 21, called ‘Nauseous’. More specifically, “your love makes me nauseous.” So sweet, indeed. Hardly a one man act, the properly named band is actually a trio of seasoned local musicians with a renowned live performance reputation. One of the Bay Area bands to watch, for sure. So come join them in their album release party February 17 at The Hemlock Tavern and see what it’s all about. As the press release says, “It’s an album, it’s a lifestyle, it’s a 34-minute hour of pure, unadulterated Malts.”
Yeah.
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Artist: Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Hails From: UK
Featured Track: “Pictures (GZUS Remix)”
There are times I leave my garage rock proclivities behind for a softer sound. And I do confess I have a little soft spot for Ben and his haunting melodies. The success of his debut album “Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm” will bring him stateside, with a North American Tour that will begin at SXSW and take him through May.
February 20 / Cardiff, The Globe
February 21 / Bath, Komedia
February 22 / London, Shepherd’s Bush Empire
February 23 / Manchester Academy 2
February 24 / Glasgow ABC 2
April 10 / New York, Bowery Ballroom
April 13 / Philadelphia, Johnny Brendas
April 14 / Washington, DC
April 16 / Boston, Brighton Music Hall
April 17 / Montreal, Divan Orange
April 18 / Toronto, Mod Club
April 20 / Chicago, Lincoln Hall
April 21 / Minneapolis, Triple Rock
April 23 / Winnipeg, West End Cult Centre
April 24 / Saskatchewan, Amigo’s
April 26 / Edmonton, Pawn Shop
April 27 / Calgary, SAIT
April 28 / Nelson, The Royal
April 30 / Whistler, Lucky
May 01 / Vancouver, Biltmore Cabaret
May 03 / Seattle, Crocodile
May 04 / Portland, Mississippi
May 08 / San Francisco, Independent
May 11 / Los Angeles, Troubadour
May 12 / San Diego, Casbah
Artist: Mind Spiders
Album: Meltdown
Hails From: Texas
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Featured Track: “Wait for Us”
A cacophony of lo-fi goodness, Texas-based Mind Spiders is set to release their sophomore effort, Meltdown, next month. Just in time for SXSW at which, of course, they’ll be making an appearance.
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Artist: Mike Wexler
Album: Dispossession
Hails From: Brooklyn
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Featured Track: “Pariah”
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