Category Archives: Spanking New Music

Everything Will Be Alright. Be Cool.

Posted on by

Golden Ages – “Everything Will Be Alright”

“Be Cool”

Philadelphia-based Golden Ages seems to have the making for success.  His ethereal, experimental soundscapes evoke references to the icons of his genre – Deerhunter, Panda Bear and Animal Collective. Both “Be Cool” and “Everything Will Be Alright” are two singles coming from his full length called Tradition, releasing this Spring. Rarely do I like to plagiarize a musician’s artist statement or press release, but this one was too good not to.

“Everything Will Be Alright” is about those tough times in life when you feel like you have no control over anything but you have to realize that things will work out, and even if they don’t, things will look up in time. “Be Cool” is about taking it easy, not being frustrated or impatient, and just enjoying life instead of worrying about the little things. The record’s describes that phase in life where you find yourself maturing both mentally and emotionally. “It’s about the transition from the aimlessness of youth into the difficult task of determining your own place in the world. The way growing up changes your relationships with those who are close to you, for better or for worse, and the need to leave in search of something better.”

The Joy Formidable – “Austere”

Posted on by

The Joy Formidable – “Austere”

The best part of the year end ‘Best Of’ hullaballoo is discovering new music you may have missed, like The Joy Formidable. Thanks to Dany and his ‘Best Of’ contribution to The OCMD, I now have this North Wales trio on heavy rotation. “Austere” is off their 8 track called A Balloon Called Moaning.  Speaking of moaning, their video for the track, featuring les facettes de la petite mort, was recently banned on YouTube.  But don’t fear, you can watch the banned version on their website here.

Alcoholic Faith Mission – “We All Have Our Shortcomings”

Posted on by

Alcoholic Faith Mission – “We All Have Our Shortcomings”

Pay attention to this quartet from Denmark calling themselves Alcoholic Faith Mission. Their soft, woozy, dreamlike sound is true to their moniker and just the kind of album you want to get lost in on a sleepy Sunday morning after a long night of boozing. “We All Have Our Shortcomings” is off their latest album, 421 Wyeth Avenue, named after the factory loft in Brooklyn they holed themselves up in to record the album.

Stuck In My Head: Flaming Lips – “Money (Pink Floyd Cover)”

Posted on by

The Flaming Lips – “Money (feat. Henry Rollins)”

Leave it to The Flaming Lips to take one of my least favorite Pink Floyd songs and turn it into an obsession. The Flaming Lips reinterpretation of Pink Floyd’s legendary Dark Side of The Moon is out now.

The Besnard Lakes – New Album, “Albatross” MP3

Posted on by

Artist: The Besnard Lakes
Album: The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night
Release Date: March 9
Featured Track: “Albatross”

The Besnard Lakes, the Montreal collective fronted by husband-and-wife duo Olga Goreas and Jace Lasek, are back with the much anticipated follow up to their acclaimed 2007 release The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse.  The new album entitled, The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, is due out March 9th on Jagjaguwar and will be unleashed on fans attending Austin’s SXSW fest this spring. Enjoy the free MP3 of “Albatross” in the meantime.

The Black Knights – “Roots”

Posted on by

The Black Knights – “Roots”

I just love how my penchant for Brit rock has made it across the pond and into my inbox. This unsigned UK duo’s brand of shameless, trashy garage rock is right up my alley. The comparisons to The White Stripes will be obvious but a full spin of their EP, Parade of Piranhas, also evokes influences like Queen of the Stone Age and Jon Spencer. Rock on.

Massive Attack: New Album & “Paradise Circus” Video [Caution: NSFW]

Posted on by

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Artist: Massive Attack
Album: Heligoland
Release Date: February 9, 2010

The new year is just underway and the countdown has already begun- to NoisePop, SXSW and a bevy of highly anticipated albums, like Massive Attack’s 5th studio album, Heligoland, due out February 9. The album will feature guest vocals from the likes of Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) to Martina Topley-Bird and Elbow’s Guy Garvey. The prelude to Heligoland, the Splitting the Atom EP, is available now.

The group recently released their new video for “Paradise Circus” (ft. Hope Sandoval) off Heligoland. In what runs more like a documentary than a music video, the Toby Dye directed piece features former porn star, Georgina Spelvin, and her candid look on filming the infamous adult film, The Devil in Miss Jones. Original shots of the ’73 hit are interlaced with Spelvin’s honest take on her physical and emotional state during the production of the film nearly forty years ago. An interesting and entertaining concept, but definitely NSFW.

Girl Crush: Charlotte Gainsbourg

Posted on by

Charlotte Gainsbourg – “IRM”

Typically I loathe the actor turned singer/songwriter schtick. But Charlotte Gainsbourg is the exception. The arbiter of everything cool and indie, the woman can do no wrong.  At least in my eyes, but I admittedly have a crush. So let me break it down for you and see if you agree.

She’s the daughter of British actress, singer and style icon Jane Birkin and French actor/singer Serge Gainsbourg. (That pedigree alone is enough cool quotient to last a lifetime.) Is a critically acclaimed, award winning actress in her own right with an impressive roster of cool indie films under her belt – like La Bûche, Jane Eyre, Lemming. This year she won Cannes Film Festival Best Actress for her role in Antichrist. Musically, she’s turned out two albums and has worked with the likes of her father Serge, Madonna and French pop star Etienne Daho. And her upcoming album, IRM, was produced by non other than Beck himself.

Due out January 26, the minimalist album title, IRM, (French for MRI) was inspired by Gainsbourg’s frequent MRI’s she endured after suffering a brain hemorrhage from a water-skiing accident in 2007. “I had to do so many [MRIs] and every time I was in that tube I was thinking it would make great music,” she’s quoted as saying. And great music it did make. Her lyrics on the album’s single, “IRM”, offer a detailed, psychedelic journey into her experience and sets the tone for the album. Which, you can hear, is amazing.

Only Charlotte can make an MRI cool and straddle the realms of indie film and music with credibility and aplomb.  She’s effing rad. If I could be half as cool as her I’d be so happy.

Stuck in My Head: Bear in Heaven – “Beast In Peace”

Posted on by

Bear In Heaven – “Beast In Peace”

Gah, I cannot get this song outta my head.  Every time I put on this album I just hit the repeat button for this track and listen to it over and over and over again.  And I’m still not sick of it. “Beast in Peace” is a track off the Brooklyn-based band’s third album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, and is a study in electronic experimental rock.  It’s a great album with that kind of textural, atmospheric sound you just want to wrap yourself up and get lost in. Pitchfork compared the album to be on par with Caribou’s Andorra and for once I agree with them.  Love that album and love this one too.