Category Archives: Spanking New Music

Aussie Week: Bon Chat, Bon Rat [Free EP Download]

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Bon Chat, Bon Rat – “Map of Sao Paulo”

Main Entry: à bon chat, bon rat
Pronunciation: \ä-bōⁿ-ˈshä bōⁿ-ˈrä\
Etymology: French
Definitions:

  1. An attacker and an attackee who grow stronger from finding new ways to outwit each other. Literally, a French proverb that means “to a good cat, a good rat” – whether good or bad, they got what they deserve.
  2. A Sydney-based three piece electronic act whose lush, atmospheric sound evokes acts like Pivot, Four Tet, M83 and Decoder Ring.

I love it when this happens.  I open my inbox to discover awesome new music, not only for me but you too! Bon Chat, Bon Rat is giving away their self-titled EP for free download. That’s right. Free!! So go ahead, drop it like it’s hot.

Download Bon Chat, Bon Rat EP now.

Aussie Week: City Riots

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City Riots – “She Never Wants to Dance”

I was standing in a crowd watching Children Collide, I believe, at the Aussie BBQ in Austin when I met Ricky of City Riots. A very nice lad (his words) who followed up with even nicer email with some tracks from their new album.  The indie 4-piece spent four months in Chicago with producer Bjorn Thorsrud (Smashing Pumpkins, Dandy Warhols, Billy Corgan) recording their first full length album.  “She Never Wants to Dance” is a taste of it.  Enjoy.

Aussie Week: Tame Impala

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Tame Impala – “Runway, Houses, City, Clouds”

Well, hello boys.  Where have you been hiding? This 3 piece outfit from Perth, Australia has been music to my ears since hitting my inbox.  Their psychedelic grooves harken the hippie hey days of Haight Ashbury in the late 60s.  And it’s not much of a stretch to imagine this crew wandering barefoot in Golden Gate Park either. The look, the sound, it’s all so…Hipstamatic. Their second album, Innerspeaker, is due out on May 21 in Australia and June 8 internationally.  Dig it.

Aussie Week: Oh Mercy

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Oh Mercy – “Lay Everything On Me”

By way of Melbourne, this duo is yet unsigned in the US but currently residing in NY to write the follow up to their debut “Privileged Woes” – which is a great album title, by the way.  With a pop vibe very reminiscent to Belle & Sebastian, they seem to be destined for success.  Already they’ve been deemed a ‘Breakout Artist’ in their land and are currently on tour in Australia supporting The Temper Trap.  Lay Everything On Me indeed.

Tobacco – “Fresh Hex” (feat. Beck) [Free MP3]

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Tobacco – “Fresh Hex”

“Sweatmother”

The frontman for Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tobacco, has another album on the horizon called Maniac Meat, due out May 25 on Anticon and the track “Fresh Hex” features a collaboration with none other than the master himself….Beck.  Happy Friday.

Ty Segall – “Caesar”

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Artist: Ty Segall
Album: Melted
Release Date: May 25, 2010
Track: “Ceasar”

Speaking of lo-fi love, Ty is getting ready to release a new album “Melted” on Nashville’s Goner Records next month.  He’s been trying out his new tunes on the road and, no surprise, I like what I hear.  Lucky for me (and you) he’ll be back in town at Bottom of the Hill 6/27 with Grass Widow and one of my new favs, The Baths. Feel the love.

Lo-Fi Love: Burnt Ones – “Gonna Listen to T-Rex (All Night Long)”

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Burnt Ones – “Gonna Listen to T-Rex All Night Long”

Yay! One of my favorite bloggers, Dodge of My Old Kentucky Blog, has a new label called Roaring Colonel and has released his first 7″ for a local Indianapolis band called Burnt Ones – whose fuzzed out, lo-fi sound is right up my alley. Lo-fi love. Check it out. And be sure to give Dodge some love too.  He needs it after Google shut down his site last week. The tech company that once was the Silicon Valley ‘can do no wrong’ darling, is fast becoming the new evil empire.  Larry Ellison, move over.

Little Fish – “Darling Dear”

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Little Fish – “Darling Dear”

In case you haven’t figured out by now, I have a soft spot for Brit rock and have been keeping and eye on this UK duo called Little Fish for quite some time.  I like their stripped down, bluesy rock vibe and the raw energy Juju brings to the vocals – like Heartless Bastards on Red Bull. They’re in the states for a limited US tour, supporting Hole for much of it.  Lucky for us, they’ll be hitting Cafe du Nord this week for a headline appearance. Get it while it’s hot!

Little Fish US Tour Dates (* w/ HOLE)
April 20, 2010 Cafe du Nord, San Francisco
April 21, 2010 Viper Room, Los Angeles
*April 22, 2010 Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles
*April 23, 2010 Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles
*April 27, 2010 Terminal 5, New York City
*April 28, 2010 Terminal 5, New York City


Olney Clark – “Tea and Thunderstorms”

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Artist: Olney Clark
Album: Olney Clark
Release Date: April 13, 2010
For Fans Of: The Magnetic Fields, Rufus Wainwright, Nick Drake, Sondre Lerche
Featured Track: “Tea and Thunderstorms”

The past few months have been so rainy, grey and gloomy here in San Francisco. Much more so than any other year I can remember.  So when the good folks at Goldest Egg sent me this lovely debut album by Olney Clark during the peak of it, I wrapped myself in it like a warm blanket. Their soothing, orchestral sounds were the perfect remedy for this weather that ailed me. Upon discovering the band was from Scotland it made perfect sense. After all, they should know what it feels like to be wrapped in a continual grey mist and how best to remedy it – like with “Tea and Thunderstorms”. Good medicine it is, this album.

New Music: Trans Am – “Apparent Horizon”

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Trans Am – “Apparent Horizon”

Trans Am, man these guys have been at it for a long time – 15 years. And they’re back with more to add to their catalog.  This one, entitled Thing, is due out April 20.  The interesting story behind it is that the project started as commissioned soundtrack for a sci-fi film.  While they didn’t know the details, it was reportedly for James Cameron and suspected to be the soundtrack for Avatar.

Well, that never happened.  But the lavish budget remained and through the wreckage was born….Thing. A labor of love that takes the band on a journey to strip themselves from not only indie rock, but music itself. One of Thing’s requirements was that each track contain a completely non-musical element, preferably something with a sonic signature that was not even necessarily a sound. They utilized a recording/composition strategy known as “Zombification.” Once a song was recorded, each of the band members would record multiple additional tracks without any reference to the previous ones. The song then forgot itself – becoming almost unlistenable. Upon which they would begin to peel back the layers of the song to arrive at something completely different. Take a listen.