DON'T WAKE THE DEAD by guards

here's another band pointed out to me by my new neighbor.  currently its only release is a self-titled EP with contributors that include caroline polachek of chairlift, james richardson of MGMT, loren shane humphrey of the willowz and madeline follin of cults.  you can grab the EP for free at the band's bandcamp, or pick up a physical copy on limited edition (500 pressings) vinyl through 3 syllables records.

don't wake the dead

resolution of one
by guards - (bandcamp | 3 syllables records)

TAKE YOU WITH ME by french films

some fun pop from this finland band a la the sound of drums and stellastarr*.  weird, combo? yeah, i thought so too, but it still seems to work and i wouldn't be surprised if it catches on very soon.  they have a 4-track EP titled, golden sea, available now on itunes and here.  two of the tracks, including the title track are below.

take you with me

golden sea
by french films- (myspace | itunes)

FUNERAL SONG by minks

minks released a couple 7'' singles earlier this year on captured tracks including the very catchy 'funeral song' (buy) that has been playing here regularly via the radio stream.  well, the band has just announced that its debut lp, by the hedge, will come out january 12th on the same label and will feature both songs below.  also announced is a tour featuring dum dum girls and minks, which will span both coasts of the u.s. and canada.

p.s. happy 48th birthday john squire.  you had an indelible effect on my 20's (did i just date myself?)

everyone have a safe and joyous thanksgiving holiday.  see ya monday!

funeral song

cemetary rain
by minks - (myspace | captured tracks)

WHALE by yellow ostrich

alex schaaf is yellow ostrich.  he is from new york via wisconsin and has crafted some masterful songs with just his voice, loops, and a drum machine for some EPs.  he's recruited others (notably the drummer from we are scientists) for his new collection of songs called the mistress.  the vocal harmonies are still front and center, but now they are backed by an equally intriguing and dense soundtrack.  it's definitely worth a listen.  two tracks are below, and the entire album is available as a pay-what-you-want download...so...download it. he has also put together a kickstarter campaign to raise funds to get the album pressed on vinyl so if you find yourself enjoying the tunes, you really ought to give a little. he's a talent.

you can also catch yellow ostrich play a live studio set on KEXP radio on tuesday, 11/30 at noon eastern time. you can listen in via KEXP's website.  

whale

hold on
by yellow ostrich - (official | kickstarter)

[on repeat] DYSTOPIC VISION by fungi girls

with the great couple of singles that came out from this texas trio earlier this year, i revisited their 2009 LP seafaring pyramids, on play pinball! records and felt obliged to post about it.  the record is loaded with garage, shoegaze, and surf elements, and has some of the best controlled feedback i've ever heard. here are two highlights that don't feature the feedback i'm referring too (check out the tune kowloon walled city), but you can also listen at their myspace or pick up the record here. 

dystopic vision

into the cosmos
by fungi girls - (myspace | play pinball!)

[on repeat] THERE'S NO SKY (OH MY MY) by jaill

jaill's LP, that's how we burn, is easily one of my favorites from the past year, as evidenced by being highlighted here upon the record's release, consistently holding a space in the 'on repeat' feature for a while, and even earning a spot on the summerset mixtape, so you can imagine how happy i was to see a post yesterday on styrofoam drone regarding a re-issue of another record.  the band's previous LP, there's no sky (oh my my), was recorded in 2008 in the basement of a funeral home (before the band had to add an 'L' to their name), and was released in 2009 as a small-press hand made vinyl copy. burger records later released it as a cassette and has now reissued it on 12" vinyl.  the LP is 12-tracks long and clocks in at just over 30 minutes of catchy, witty, and powerful songs that are definitely worth a listen. the band has been together for over 8 years and it was this record that caught the attention of sub pop!, thus leading to making the release of that's how we burn possible. it's nice to see a band work toward success rather than much of the one-hit, one-record stuff that seems to be everywhere these days.

it also doesn't hurt (and isn't surprising) to hear the milwaukee band say that they're good friends with thomas function, wheels on fire, and the strange boys, which are all favorites here.  the reissue of there's no sky (oh my my) is limited to only 1,000 copies so grab it while you can here or here.   

there's no sky (oh my my)

always wrong
by jaill  (myspace | sub pop!)

DREAM ON (LITTLE DREAMER) by hunx and his punx

hunx and his punx have recently signed to hardly art records and are expecting to release their new album in spring of 2011. the debut record, gay singles (buy), was released last year on true panther and consisted of a compilation of singles.  'dream on' is from a free download of a split 7″ with kid congo powers and the pink monkey birds (lead by a member of the gun club, the cramps, and nick cave and the bad seeds). listen to the hunx song below and go download the 7″ from the scion AV site.  grab it here or here.

dream on (little dreamer)

hey rocky 
by hunx and his punx (myspace | hardly art )

HAUNTED by grave babies

here's seattle's grave babies.  they're goth sounding (surprised?), and i haven't found an uplifting song title in their catalog yet, but i'm not letting that stop me.  i can't seem to find much info about anything on these guys, but these tunes are great.  hopefully we'll get something from them sooner rather than later. 
haunted

eating babies 
by grave babies (myspace)

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG by hosannas

portland's experimental noisers hosannas recently released their first official studio album, together (buy) on hush records.  here are a couple of highlights.  earlier this year found them releasing a compilation, then and now and then, derived from two short-run CD-R EP releases plus three previously unreleased songs (buy). 

when we were young

the people i know 
by hosannas (official | bandcamp | hush)

BROKEN UP by wheels on fire

you've probably noticed by now that i have a certain affinity for garage rock.  i try to not dwell on it too much here, but it's hard not to want to share when i come across a great song/band.  wheels on fire and their tune 'broken up' fall into this category.  they are a 4-piece from athens, OH who play the stuff straight up and it's catchy, filled with hooks, and crazy addictive.  they’ve released three albums and a handful of singles, and their new single 'broken up' is off a new 7-inch cherry bomb on kind turkey records (buy).  give 'em a listen.  

broken up 

black wave 
by wheels on fire (myspace | kind turkey records)

CARRYING THE TORCH by generationals

ok, i think it's official...i have a thing for these guys.  first, this new orleans 3-piece released the title track off their upcoming trust ep, which was featured here previously, and i could not stop listening to it. now after listening to the record i have another track that just keeps getting played over and over. they are simply just good, fun pop music. you can hear this other track below as well as a tune from their debut album con law that came out july '09, and is somewhat of an unknown gem. the ep was released on 11/9 exclusively on itunes for $1.99 and physically it will be released on 11/16 through park the van records (buy). catch the video for 'trust' after the jump.

carrying the torch 

our time 2 shine 
by generationals (official | park the van)

Generationals - Trust

HEART IN YOUR HEARTBREAK by the pains of being pure at heart

ny indie darlings, the pains of being pure at heart, are continuing to provide their joyous pop on the wave of success from their self-titled first album released last year.  a new single, 'heart in your heartbreak' will be released on 12/4 (pre-order), and is from an upcoming new lp, belong, that comes out in march, 2011 on slumberland records.  'say no to love' is a single that's not available on their first lp, but was released as a single earlier this year.

you can catch them live tomorrow at echoplex with chrome waves radio favorite weekend, and along other parts of california with stars, glasser, and sonny and the sunsets.  tour dates after the jump

heart in your heartbreak 

say no to love 
by the pains of being pure at heart (official | slumberland records)


nov 9 – the independent san francisco, ca (with weekend)
nov 10 – soho santa barbara, ca (with weekend)
nov 11 – the loft UCSD la jolla, ca (with weekend)
nov 12 – echoplex los angeles, ca (with weekend and sonny and the sunsets)
nov 14 – glasshouse pomona ca  (with stars)

GHOST IN MY HEAD by niva

i just recently moved and now have a new neighbor that is seemingly as fanatical about new music as i am.  this is something that he turned me on to recently and it's very good.  christian niva (aka niva, get it?) is from stockholm.  he used to go by the name of 'the quiet boy' and is behind remixes of other bands stuff while also putting together his own songs.  check out the tunes below and be sure to visit his bandcamp. 

ghost in my head 

the boy from the sun 
by niva (bandcamp | myspace) 

hawaii (niva remix) 
by blackbird blackbird (bandcamp | myspace)

WEEKEND by smith westerns

great new track from the upcoming smith westerns lp titled dye it blonde out on fat possum on 1/18 (pre-order).  they've ditched the fuzz of their previous album released last year for a more poppy sound on this tune with wonderful results.  the second tune below is from a split single with magic kids' 'superball' released this past march (buy).

weekend

imagine, pt. 3
by smith westerns (fat possum | myspace)

TIP OF YOUR TONGUE by porcelain raft

mauro femiddi is from italy and now calls london home.  he is also the one-man behind everything that is porcelain raft.  he made a splash at this year's cmj fest in new york, and this song is one of the key reasons.  the 7" for 'tip of your tongue' b/w 'despite everything' is out 11/8 on acéphale (buy).

tip of your tongue

dragonfly
by porcelain raft (official | acéphale)

and...in a bad way to start the week, i have come across the news that one of the better music blogs on the interweb has called it quits after a year and a half of shedding light on some great music.  i'll miss delicious scopitone. 

DREAMING by seapony

seapony are a three piece from seattle who are continuing the popular sounds of the 50′s/60′s that seem to keep popping up everywhere you look.  their debut 4-track ep is available on bandcamp and features the songs 'dreaming' and 'i really do' below.  they are also releasing a 7″ single for 'dreaming' with two new songs on november 15th via double denim records that is limited to 300 copies, with the first 150 on colour vinyl (pre-order).

dreaming

i really do
by seapony (bandcamp | double denim records)

[on repeat] TINY SPIDERS by the soft moon

luis vasques (aka the soft moon) has released a couple of previous singles, but a new self-tited debut album on captured tracks comes out on 11/16.  a little late for halloween, but does dark, sinister synth in the vain of 80's era post-punk via bauhaus and the chills with a little new order ever get old?  i didn't think so...

tiny spiders

parallels
by the soft moon (myspace | captured tracks)

THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY BRAIN by veronica falls

london's veronica falls are beginning to catch traction and they're sharing their new single for free on their website.  the track is called 'the right side of my brain' and it's from their upcoming debut lp next year.  you can grab their previous singles (such as the other tune featured below) over at insound or stream some of their tunes at the band's website or their myspace. they take the familiar UK fuzz sound and throw in some surf to make it all their own.  i'm looking forward to more.

the right side of my brain

found love in a graveyard
by veronica falls (official | captured tracks)

GAGDAD by the soft pack

san diego's soft pack released their exceptional self-titled lp earlier this year, and now we have a relatively new tune from them called 'gagdad.'  the track is featured on the mexican summer records compilation that is available entirely for free on amazon.

gagdad

mexico
by the soft pack (official | mexican summer)

I'M GONNA TRY by shimmering stars

out of british columbia, shimmering stars have a new cassette release, it's just as well, out on trivial pursuit.  here are two highlights.  a split 7" 'east van girls' w/ 'i'm gonna try' is available 11/15 on almost musique.

i'm gonna try

east van girls
by shimmering stars (myspace | trivial pursuit)