Ganglians: “Still Living” and Headed to The Hemlock Tavern

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Artist: Ganglians
Album: “Still Living”
Homeland: Sacramento, CA
Release Date: August 23
Label: Lefse Records
Featured Track: “Jungle”– 
“Sleep” –

Who hasn’t been loving the first two singles from the Sacramento lo-fi psychedelic pop outfit, Ganglians? I sure have. So finally, after months of anticipation, their second album release is nigh. AND, they’ll be playing at The Hemlock Tavern, August 21 with the aforementioned Cuckoo Chaos before jaunting off for a European tour. Oh, life is rough.

Just Ride It….

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Artist: Cuckoo Chaos
Album: “Woman”
Homeland: San Diego, CA
Release Date: September 13, 2011
Label: Lefse
Featured Track: “Just Ride It”

Let’s just say, ’nuff said on the lead single from the debut album “Woman” by San Diego indie pop outfit, Cuckoo Chaos. They’ll be heading out on a West Coast tour this month supporting Ganglians. Can I get a “hell, yeah”?

8/10 – Sacramento, CA – Luigi’s
8/12 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
8/13 – Seattle, WA – The Vera Project
8/14 – Vancouver, BC – The Cobalt
8/17 – Fresno, CA – Audie’s Olympic
8/18 – Santa Barbara, CA – Muddy Waters
8/19 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
8/20 – Los Angeles, CA – Echo
8/21 – San Francisco, CA – Hemlock Tavern

Youth Lagoon – “Montana”

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Artist: Youth Lagoon
Album: “The Year of Hibernation”
Homeland: Boise, ID
Release Date: September 27
Label: Fat Possum (US); Lefse (Europe)
Featured Track: “Montana”

Mmmm, the title to the debut album from Boise-based Trevor Powers definitely does it justice. It resonates with a beautiful loneliness. A kind of solitude that’s palpable. Like when you heard Bon Iver for the first time and could actually feel the isolation of the snowy winter Wisconsin cabin that he wrote the album in. That kind of sound.

The debut “The Year of Hibernation” will be released on September 27. You can download two tracks “Cannons” + “July” here.

Best New Music: Young Circles – “Jungle Habits”

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Artist: Young Circles
Album: Jungle Habits
Release Date: August 23,2011
Homeland: Miami, FL
File Under: Psychedelic Garage
Featured Tracks: “2012”, “Love Hitch”

Fell in love with the gritty, psychedelic sounds from this Miami-based trio earlier this year. The upstart band release their first EP, Bones, just this year and has become one of my favorites for 2011. Now they’re back with their debut LP, Jungle Habits, which is already on heavy rotation and quickly becoming one of my favorite LPs for 2011. An EP and LP from the same band earning top honors in the same year?! Prolific. They’ll be touring around the East Coast with plans to head West soon, I hope!

Heavy Rotation: Unknown Mortal Orchestra

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Artist: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Album: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Homeland: Portland, OR (via New Zealand)
File Under: Psych Pop

Spooling endlessly on the self-titled Fat Possum debut from this Portland (by way of New Zealand) group. Listening to it feels like what a 70s era photograph would sound like if it came to life. Desaturated, lo-fi, vintage goodness. They’re currently on the road, supporting Yuck, and will be hitting The Independent in San Francisco on July 26.

Best New Music: Abbe May – “Design Desire”

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Artist: Abbe May
Album: Design Desire
Release Date: July 8, 2011
Homeland: Perth, Australia
Featured Tracks: “Mammalian Locomotion” (Remixed by Tame Impala)

“Taurus Chorus”

I’m having a love affair with Australian music scene of late and have been particularly obsessed with Perth-based blues rock goddess Abbe May. I’ve been anxiously awaiting her solo debut for…oh, about nine months now. Ever since I stumbled upon her smoking single “Mammalian Locomotion”. Then when I heard Tame Impala remix it shortly thereafter, I knew I was on to something. And so finally, it’s here. “Design Desire” was released today and as good as I hoped it would be. The kind of soul satisfying, ass kicking rock and roll that smacks you in the face and keeps you coming back for more.

James Brown….Turning Japanese

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Seems like no American celebrity can resist the lure of hawking Japanese products when the price is right. Even James Brown. Loved this footage of “The Godfather of Soul” pimping Miso soup to “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine”. One can only imagine the Lost in Translation like scenes of JB trying to dissect the tonalities of the Japanese language. Misoba? Misoba. Misoba!

Happy Friday!

[July 06] The Rumble SF: Hot Toddies, Luke Rathborne, White Cloud

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Hot Toddies

Luke Rathborne

White Cloud

I can hear the excuses already…I just got back home…holiday weekend…I’m tired. Wah wah wah. I’m having none of it. I say, what better excuse to keep the good times going than to run on over to Milk Bar July 6 for some all girl band action with Oakland’s surf pop princesses, The Hot Toddies. Not too shabby, right? Add to that the soulful sounds of Luke Rathborne and the psych pop sounds of San Francisco’s White Cloud, and you have yourself an eclectic evening of music for cheap or for free. For free if you RSVP on the Eventbrite page here. For cheap if you show up at the door – $5. It all goes down at 9PM.

San Cisco – “Golden Revolver”

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San Cisco – “Golden Revolver”

“Solitude is Bliss”

Don’t let the album cover art scare you. This new Australian group is full of sweet, summery pop goodness. The likes that Vampire Weekend or Foreign Born might deliver with the added bonus of a girl drummer. Their EP Golden Revolver is just out and already on the airwaves down under. And oh yeah, it also comes with a rippin’ cover of Tame Impala’s “Solitude is Bliss.” Nice.