Thursday, June 30, 2011

Tennis Cover Brenda Lee's Is It True



Earlier this year Tennis made their debut with the dreampop wonder Cape Dory. Now the band has decided to release a non album track as a free gift for you: a cover of the Brenda Lee's "Is It True?," just in time for the Fourth of July weekend. Tennis' version froths with the swimming sounds of the 60's and is an honest cover that hold Lee in high regards. You can either stream the song via youtube or you can enter your email address into the widget below for a free download. Also below is Brenda Lee's version for comparison.















Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ryan Adams- Empty Room/Nutshell 7"


Singer-song writer Ryan Adams recently completed his first tour in two years this past week. During the tour fans were given the opportunity to purchase Empty Room/Nutshell a tour only 7”. The A-side "Empty Room" features Adams’ wife singer Mandy Moore on backing vocals and is the first official song that the couple has recorded together (lets hope there is more in the future), and sounds as though it could have been written during the Cold Roses era. The singles B-side "Nutshell" is an Alice in Chains cover. Adams must be an Alice and Chains fan considering this is the second song by them that he has covered for an album the first being "Down in a Hole" on 2007’s Follow the Lights. With this being his second release this year one can only hope that we'll finally get to hear the infamous Black Hole by the end of the year.





Zola Jesus- "Vessel"


"Vessel" is the latest single from Zola Jesus' forthcoming album Conatus which hits stores in September. The song sounds similar to the David Bowie's "I'm afraid of Americans (Nine Inch Nails remix)."


Zola Jesus - Vessel by souterraintransmissions

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Givers- In Light


About a year ago I was stumbling through the lists of artists that were currently being blogged about on Hype machine and one band in particular struck a chord with me. That band being Givers which has generated a lot of buzz considering their sound is a mix between Dirty Projectors, Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot. The five-piece Lafayette- based band is known for their explosive on stage performances that feature a mixture of shimmering guitars, and their ambitious execution with instrumentation. Their official debut In Light, pay homage to these bands but in a different direction that is entirely their own.


In Light is clearly a summer 2k11 album, and Givers wants you to know this right from the get-go. The albums opener “Up Up Up” which made its debut on their self-titled and self-released 2009 EP has been re-recorded and this particular version has a more lively and energetic feel. With its sunny guitars, pulsating drum kicks, hand claps that highlight the broad flavors that Givers puts into their music. “Ceiling of Plankton” which was also present on their self-released EP has been re-recorded as well, the overall tempo has been slowed down just a tiny bit, but the overall sound is more direct and uplifting. The percussion is focused, the Glockenspiel is more prominent and the synths have been cleaned up. The emotions that it brings out are ones that leave the listener feeling warm and bubbly and yearning for more.


For the most part In Light retains the exuberant giddy emotions similar to that of a ten-year-old at Christmas, with the exception of the albums 7:25 minute ballad “Go Out all Night” that’s as though it would be the closer if it were performed live, but then concludes with what you could call an encore with “words” that gives the album it’s final burst of energy. What Givers does is stick to what they know their audience wants which is music that is upbeat, joyous and booty shaking which isn’t entirely bad especially for a band that has so much potential to grow.




Wilco- "I Might" B/W "I love My Label"


On July 19, Wilco will be releasing their new single “I Might.” However if you were fortunate to attend their second annual Solid Sounds Music Festival you had the opportunity to pick of the 7” before it’s official street release date. “I Might” has the potential of becoming the anthem to back yard barbecues and features the b-side cover of Nick Lowe’s “I love My Label.”




Wilco - I Might by weallwantsome1



Wilco - I Love My Label by The Line Of Best Fit

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Apparently Kanye West's Mama's Boy is illegitimate


In a press release from Universal Music, The Kanye West track Mama's Boy is completely not what West had intended. Universal Music made the following statement in an email:

Statement re: illegitimate Kanye West track “Mama’s Boy”

"The version of the Kanye West recording “Mama’s Boy” that arrived on blog sites earlier this week is entirely bogus and unsanctioned, and violates the artist’s creative intentions. As is often the unfortunate case, an unknown party or parties got a hold of Kanye West’s vocal track and added their own soundbed to it, effectively and falsely releasing it as a Kanye West track from the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy sessions. The result in no way resembles the final song Kanye West intended his fans to hear, and he is deeply disappointed that one of the most personal, meaningful and special songs he has ever written would reach people in this way. Needless to say, measures are being taken to identify and prosecute the persons responsible for leaking this material."

Well now that we know the soundbed is a fake, it now has us guessing what the real version actually sounds like. Maybe we'll see a release of it in the coming week/months.

Three Brand New Morrissey Tracks



Possibly one of the most exciting bits of news this week, Morrissey the legendary frontman of the Smiths debuted three new songs on Janie Long’s BBC 2 radio program.

The following songs “Action is My Middle Name,” “The Kids a Looker” and “People are the Same Everywhere,” are just a sneak peak of what’s to come on his highly anticipated unnamed tenth studio album. Apparently Morrissey has already finished recording the album and is currently in the process of finding a label to distribute it.


In a statement distributed to the fansite “True to You,” Morrissey said, “The follow-up to Years of Refusal is ready and fluttering wildly against the bars. There is still no record label and the years shuffle like cards. My talents do not lie in DIY.” After hearing the intensity within each of these songs, it’s safe to say this is Morrissey’s finest hour.


You can stream all three songs below thanks to paste magazine and TheNJUnderground





Morrissey - Action Is My Middle Name (BBC Session) by TheNJUnderground




Morrissey - The Kid's a Looker (BBC Session) by TheNJUnderground




Morrissey - People Are The Same Everywhere (BBC Session) by TheNJUnderground

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Kanye West- "Mama's Boyfriend"


The first encounter that Kanye West gave us with Mama’s Boyfriend was last summer when West delivered it in a conference room in the facebook office, in a stunning a cappella performance. Now for the first time we are finally able to hear the finished studio product, which differs greatly from the material that was released on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and it is evident why West didn't include it onto the album, the song has an upbeat piano beat. Below is the studio version as well as the a cappella version






Thursday, June 9, 2011

New Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks - "Senator"


In approximately two months (August 23nd to be exact), Mirror Traffic, the Beck produced upcoming album of former pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks hit stores. The albums first single “Senator”, which seems highly fitting due to it’s subject matter within the refrain “What the senator wants is a blow job,” given the recent political scandals in the United States. The Pavementesque single is highly engaging, and probably one of the best songs that has been released so this summer.



Monday, June 6, 2011

Cults- S/T


Last year when I first heard Cults’ Go Outside, on the web it struck a particular chord with me; it was catchy and sweet, but it was also one of those songs that just made you feel really good inside. It was an escape from the dribble of classes and work that evoked a sentimental longing for relaxation. On their debut album Go Outside once again makes an appearance, and it lives up to the emotions that it struck up a year ago, giving off the necessary vitamins that are needed to feel fully energized, with dream like qualities that show how one element can make a band versatile in their songwriting abilities in developing an album that is both memorable and loaded with variety.

Cults’ rise to success is one that needs to be commended in that their debut is being released by Columbia, while this isn’t the first time something like this has happened to a band before it is something that should be noted. Singer Madeline Follin youthful alto pays homage to the female teen pop vocal groups that were made popular by legendary producer Phil Spector. The 60’s pop sound is heard throughout the album and is noticeable on You Know What I mean, orchestral arrangements are recreated using synths and guitars with a minimal degree of sampling while Follin’s vocals deliver an intensity that is similar to that of The Supremes.

Oh My God, which was unveiled last summer as apart of adult swim’s single series, is slightly remixed but delivers a crisper sound both instrumentally and vocally. Bumper once again embellishes the 60’s pop sound this time as a duet between Follin and her partner in crime Brian Oblivion. Together these two give off a balanced dynamic that captures the essence of 60’s pop music with a 21st century twist, while the la-da-da-da-da shares similarities with the chorus of Elton John’s Crocodile Rock.

Cults clocks in at roughly over 30 minutes, which makes it the perfect album for your morning or evening, commute and an essential album that defines what summer is. However what is more important is the fact that this is a band that executes what they’ve intended to do which is make a feel good album, while allowing themselves to grow and mature over time. Having only released four tracks in 2010, to spark an interest (three of which made it onto their debut) clearly shows that this is a band that knows how to attract an audience.











Saturday, June 4, 2011

Beirut - "East Harlem"


On Monday June 6th Beirut will be releasing the single East Harlem b/w Goshen on frontman Zack Condon's Pompeii label. Below is the track East Harlem, which I personally enjoy a lot, it has the right qualities that represent summer including a beautiful orchestral strings section that I can't get enough of.


Beirut - East Harlem by Revolver USA

Cold Play- Every Teardrop is a Waterfall



While I'm not a huge fan of Cold Play, there were elements on their last album Viva La Vida that were pretty solid due to producer Brian Eno. Yesterday the world got a first hand listen to what the band, had been working on since Viva La Vida, with the song Every Teardrop is a Waterfall which samples Peter Allen's "I Go to Rio." I will say that I do love what the band has done with Eno and who knows maybe their next record could be the one that defines their career.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Death Cab For Cutie- Codes and Keys


In order to gain personal growth there becomes a point in every band/artists career when the same old - same old just doesn’t seem to cut it anymore. This happens to be the case for Seattle Indie – Rockers Death Cab for Cutie on their seventh studio release Codes and Keys. This time around Death Cab abandons their signature crisp guitar driven sound, for something that is a bit more mature and less guitar driven.

Guitarist and Producer Chris Walla’s production style for the album has more technological leniencies finding inspiration by LCD Soundsystem, New Order along with the David Bowie Brian Eno collaboration on the infamous Berlin Trilogy. Creating a more raw distant and detached feeling that was recorded in eight different studios in two weeks periods. Lyrically the album differentiates from previous Death Cab releases in that they drift away from the personal anthems for the lonely broken hearted college student, as they spread out into a wider audience which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering Death Cab is one of those bands that has the ability to generate mass appeal.

Codes and Keys offers a sound that is different from the previous entries in their catalog that requires a keen sense to picking up on details. The soft steps of beats whispering through a sparse field of melodies, to the layers of busy instrumentation that interchange between complex arrangements. While a majority of the songs on Codes and Keys run under five minutes with the exception of Doors unlocked and Open and Unobstructed Views, fans looking for something that is highly engaging will be left empty handed due to the swaths of sounds that come crashing in rippling waves.

While Death Cab still sounds like Death Cab, they’ve departed from the pop sound they’ve been riding since they broke out into the mainstream with 2003’s Transatlanticism. The feelings of isolation clearly come out not only lyrically but musically as well. You’re A Tourist, delivers this isolation in its purest form while musically sounding similar to David Bowie’s Heroes, and chilling lyrics “When There’s a burning in your heart and you think it’ll burst apart oh, there’s nothing to fear save the tears.” What Death cab has done over the past decade is astonishing in that they changed the way indie music sounds but also they’ve done something that most bands dream of doing and that is breaking into the mainstream without losing their loyal fan base. While Codes and Keys moves away from what got them to where they are today, it shows that this is still a band that is even closer to making the one album that will further define who they are.