From the category archives:

New Sounds

Superchunk Neopolitan Aural Delights.

09.23.2009

A Grave With No Name Forgive Me [mp3] – Le Loup. Now you can buy Le Loup’s album, Family , (Hardly Art, 9/22/09). Not only is the cover art kaleidoscopically vibrant and Magic Eye-like, but also included in the package is a darling little pin for your jean jacket or tote. You can always count [...]

Odds, Ends and Recommendations for listening luxury

09.19.2009

Max Tundra No More Pirates [mp3] from Chris Garneau‘s recent El Radio, haunting and elegant. Garneau’s voice, similarly quirky to Ryan Guldemond’s (Mother Mother), betrays his gender and age, at times forming stylized pop bubbles ala Ingrid Michaelson – only playfully dark and weighty, sometimes dramatically broadway, often sounding like a doe-eyed child. Garneau plays [...]

Good morning (or whatever). It’s Big Pink Monday…

09.14.2009

Velvet [mp3] Dominos [mp3] UK’s The Big Pink releases their album, A Brief History of Love, in the US next week. (9/22/09, 4AD Records). Listening will make you feel like you’ve been injected with whatever it is the guys in the picture at left were hit with. Minus injuries. Trust me, The Big Pink’s good [...]

Serengeti and Polyphonic: Terradactyl; My Patriotism (mp3)

09.12.2009

Jayme Joyce © Anticon RecordsMy Patriotism [mp3] The eagle’s scream grabs perfectly in this unconventional rap/hip-hop from Chicago collaborators, Serengeti and Polyphonic. Their bio describes Serengeti’s fascinating backstory: “Rapper Serengeti and producer Polyphonic are Illinois natives with three very distinct upbringings. While Polyphonic, born Will Freyman, was raised amongst corn fields and college kids in [...]

Lake: Let’s Build a Roof; Tour, Don’t Give Up (mp3)

09.11.2009

Don’t Give Up [mp3] The six in Lake employ a palette of horns, crisp drums and serenely dreamy vocals to paint a luscious, slightly jazzy, musical popscape that feels like walking through the door of a warm, dry apartment and shedding your cloak from the drizzly outdoor cold on Don’t Give Up from Lake’s upcoming [...]

Deer Tick extends tour and rocks out in general + mp3s and groovy video

09.10.2009

Easy [mp3] Art Isn’t Real (City of Sin) [mp3] (from War Elephant) Deer Tick’s tearing it up out on the road. Their newest album, Born On Flag Day , came out in July on Partisan Records. They’ve toured with and made friends with just about every up-and-coming indie great out there. Recently, Deer Tick hung [...]

Vivian Girls Everything Goes Wrong out now; When I’m Gone (mp3); Tour

09.10.2009

When I’m Gone [mp3] New York’s Vivan Girls let their second album loose, Everything Goes Wrong, a couple days ago (9/8/09, In The Red). An assembly of thirteen speedy, blurry, grinding punk songs pulled lyrically with vocal syrup by a folk-ringing, early-rock-innocence-sounding, sentimental undertow, the girls sing teenage beauts about boys and ennui. Particular favorites: [...]

DD/MM/YYYY: Black Square Album Review, Cassette Release Tour, Digital Haircut (mp3)

09.08.2009
Thumbnail image for DD/MM/YYYY: Black Square Album Review, Cassette Release Tour, Digital Haircut (mp3)

Digital Haircut [mp3] Punk-pop-metal, laden with hues of Metallica and even Jane’s Addiction, this song is a hard, alternately cacophonic and harmonic, adrenalin spiking, heart-stopping, jagged jumping, spraying, thumping aural assault. We like it. We’re stoked to have the Toronto bunch, DD/MM/YYYY, in the studio to slay and play in early October when they visit [...]

Glass Ghost: Idol Omen; Like a Diamond (mp3) and The Same (mp3)

09.08.2009

Like A Diamond [mp3] The Same [mp3] Super clear, Glass Ghost’s Like A Diamond is striking, chilling, profound, empty, beautiful. I’m equally blown away and solidly hooked. Eliot Krimsky’s natural-fit falsetto juxtaposed with Mike Johnson’s deep, tribal rhythm/percussion emphasizes the haunting feeling of beautiful spaciousness. Glass Ghost is Brooklyn’s Eliot Krimsky singing and playing keys [...]

Headlights: Wildlife out soon, Get Going (mp3)

09.07.2009

Get Going [mp3] Cherry Tulips [mp3] Get Going is the first track from Headlights’ upcoming 3rd album,  Wildlife (Polyvinyl Records, October 6th, 2009). Cherry Tulips comes from Some Racing, Some Stopping (Polyvinyl Records, 2008). Folk-pop with an itch, Headlights could be grouped near The Pains of Being Pure at Heart with a bent toward My [...]

Tom Brosseau, You Don’t Know My Friends (mp3) + Video

09.03.2009

You Don’t Know My Friends [mp3] We’re excited to have killer songwriter/singer, Tom Brosseau, in for a live Luxury Wafers Session in a couple of weeks. Satisfyingly wry, Brosseau keeps listeners on edge, rousing mild discomfort with strong and captivating lyrics, musical flow tinged with distortion and just enough dissonance – slightly twisted, stimulating and [...]

Roman Candle – They Say (mp3) from Oh Tall Tree In The Ear

09.03.2009

They Say [mp3] Earthy and Wilco-esque, Roman Candle rocks poetically inspired, Southern-soaked Americana as a family affair. Lead singer/guitar player, Skip Matheny and keys player, Timshel Matheny, are married (with 2 adorable boys). Skip and drummer, Logan Matheny, are brothers. Discovering Roman Candle is like uncovering treasure while digging in the ground. Immediately pleasing and [...]

Air Waves, EP. Knockout (mp3) plus Shine On (mp3)

09.02.2009

Nicole, Scott and Dan with some local basketball stars Knockout [mp3] Shine On [mp3] Busting out modestly in authentic expression, Nicole Schneit – who sounds like a teenage boy with her Harvest-influenced, hoarse vocals – does it, good. Kinda sad, her songs dig in and don’t let go. Knockout is exactly that. Especially warm, the [...]

The Very Best: Warm Heart of Africa feat. Ezra Koenig, Rain Dance feat. M.I.A.

08.29.2009

Rain Dance featuring M.I.A. [mp3] Warm Heart of Africa featuring Ezra Koenig [mp3] The Very Best is a project of European production duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya. This stuff is so fantastically refreshing. The super saucy Rain Dance – a kitchen sink of natural sounds, African rhythms, whistles and bells, party beat plus [...]

San Francisco’s Outside Lands 2009… Haps, mp3s plus a Tenacious D treat

08.29.2009

Outside Lands 2009… so far good weather, more than 100,000 people and around 100 bands lined up for the 3 day music fest in San Francisco’s stunningly large, green Golden Gate Park. Day one (Friday) brought Pearl Jam, Incubus, Thievery Corporation, Tom Jones, Silversun Pickups, The National, Q-Tip, Built To Spill, Midnite, Kinky, Tea Leaf [...]

Ola Podrida’s Belly of the Lion, Your Father’s Basement (mp3)

08.29.2009

Your Father’s Basement [mp3] David Wingo’s 2nd album as Ola Podrida, Belly of the Lion, is coming to us soon, not soon enough, via Western Vinyl (11/10/09). This is Love with a capital L. I can hardly wait for the whole affair. Your Father’s Basement enthralls sonically and vibes with warmth from a fair distance. [...]

Emily Neveu – double, triple the pleasure, plus Lefse

08.27.2009

Oh, no, no, no. I don’t believe she’s a twin. I don’t mean she’s a stripper or hermaphrodite or anything weird like that. Heavens no. I mean here are Two, two! amazing tracks from Emily Neveu. Swallowing A Swallow [mp3] – a beautifully simple, old-style round of piano, accordian and Neveu’s velvety soporific voice. I [...]

New from The Dutchess & The Duke – Hands (mp3)

08.27.2009

Hands [mp3] Here’s the first song from The Dutchess & The Duke‘s upcoming sophomore album, Sunset/Sunrise (Hardly Art, 10/6/09). Off the cuff, I’d say Hands has the feel of The Doors in a Spanish Western. Their voices are totally yummy – his cognac, hers suede. The Seattle duo, Jesse Lortz and Kimberly Morrison, recorded Sunset [...]

múm from Iceland, Illuminated [mp3] and Moon Pulls video

08.26.2009

Illuminated [mp3] With a gentle touch, Icelandic band, múm paints an epic soundscape fit for a fantasy movie scene with Illuminated from their new album, Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know(2009/on groovy German label, Morr Music). Their name sounds like this – “miooyyuujm” – maybe not what you’d think, but the sound of their [...]

For the Kids or Just the Kid in You – They Might Be Giants, Video and Mp3

08.25.2009

Paleontologist [mp3] Okay, you decide on this one. It’s cute and educational. They have a new video for Electric Car HERE. I can’t post it because it’s not appropriate for this site. Maybe the mp3 is already crossing that boundary. I’m all for cute and educational. Lord knows there’s money to be made in the [...]

Nurses: Apple’s Acre out now, Technicolor (mp3)

08.25.2009

Technicolor [mp3] Apple’s Acre from Portland group, Nurses, has arrived, and it’s available for your listening pleasure in its entirety, courtesy of Dead Oceans – 10 titillating tracks for less than a pair of socks at the department store, less than a round of Starbucks. Whatever, it’s worth it. An aural gift that will keep [...]

Ooh, Timber Timbre from Toronto. Listen.

08.25.2009

Demon Host [mp3] We’ll Find Out [mp3] Just heard 4 of the 8 songs from Timber Timbre’s self-titled record (Arts&Crafts, 6/30/09). He’s consistently resonant, extending eerie invitations through hauntingly velvet vocals and sparse yet large sound. Timber Timbre (aka Taylor Kirk) sings kinda creepy songs full of descriptive scenes focusing on the theme of death. [...]

John Vanderslice visits LA, free shows; outrageously adorable cats hold down the fort at home (and other news + mp3s)

08.24.2009

Fetal Horses [mp3] Too Much Time [mp3] Click HERE for a message from the cats. John Vanderslice is visiting Los Angeles. Yay. Tomorrow (Tuesday, 8/25/09) he’ll be on KCRW at 11:15 am. Should be a warm listen – those live spots are tops. He’s making two Free, intimate instore appearances, too: Origami Vinyl 7pm 8/25 [...]

Fun with Flight of the Conchords: Hurt Feelings + Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

08.23.2009

Hurt Feelings [mp3] Sometimes it takes humor to get people to take you seriously. Certainly works for New Zealanders Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, the phenomenal Flight of the Conchords duo. Their newest album, I Told You I Was Freaky drops 10/20/2009 from SubPop.

UUVVWWZ – C’mon and say it with me! Jap Dad, Shark Suit mp3s

08.21.2009

Jap Dad [mp3] Shark Suit [mp3] Another fantastically kooky Nebraska band, UUVVWWZ (yes, go over there, to the left, that’s right, click on the picture and, step-by-step, virtually leaf through the pronunciation guide) just does it, crisp and clear. At first the bouncy energy and Teal’s attractive voice suggest the character of songs that could [...]

Japandroids: Post-Nothing; Heart Sweats & Young Hearts Spark Fire (mp3s) + KEXP BBQ Video

08.19.2009

Heart Sweats [mp3] Young Hearts Spark Fire [mp3] “Japandroids (JPNDRDS) is a two piece band from Vancouver, BC. This ‘band’ started in 2006 as a creative outlet for the post-teenage angst of Brian King and David Prowse” Their bio succinctly wraps up what the pair, who met at University of Victoria, is up to. Of [...]

AU is Golden; New EP Versions, Ida Walked Away (mp3)

08.18.2009

Ida Walked Away [mp3] Buttery smooth, kaleidoscopic in a mellow-gold groove set-off by slippery slide guitar, high pitched wails and tickety percussives, Ida Walked Away comes from Portland band, Au. Awesome. Stellar. Don your shades and make space inside for expansion – the end of the song blinds with a brilliant build to explosion followed [...]

The Antlers, Hospice (remastered) Available Today, Plus a Cool Review on ABC with Pitchfork’s Brian Howe and Luxury Wafers Video Footage!

08.18.2009

Just got a sweet note from Peter Silberman of the Antlers reminding me that his album, Hospice has been remastered and it’s out TODAY on French Kiss. Yip! Luxury Wafers hearts The Antlers. Here’s a link to The Antlers‘ Luxury Wafers Session, with Exclusive Video and Audio. So nice. Here’s a link to a post [...]

Fruit Bats: The Ruminant Band; Title Track mp3 + My Unusual Friend mp3

08.17.2009

photo by Annie Beedy My Unusual Friend [mp3] The Ruminant Band [mp3] Spreading a grand, warm, happy full-band vibe, Fruit Bats make reveling in joy attractive and satisfying. Not sappy. Leading Fruit Bats, now a group of 5, Eric D. Johnson makes a practice of sonically looking to the good. It totally works. My Unusual [...]

Le Loup to tour with Nurses, New Album: Family; Beach Town mp3

08.15.2009

Beach Town [mp3] – Le Loup Caterpillar Playground [mp3] – Nurses Le Loup is out and about, on tour with Portland’s Nurses and promoting their new album, Family, which will be available 9/22 from Hardly Art. Floral artwork that may double as a Magic Eye Hidden 3D Stereogram adorns the cover. And, best case scenario, [...]

Lefse Records Free Compilation: Neon Indian, Tape Deck Mountain, A Grave With No Name, Friend, Emily Neveu, The Traditionist and a Whole Bunch More

08.14.2009

Lefse Badass Compilation [zip] Our buddies over at Lefse Records have generously offered up a Free digital compilation for your listening pleasure. They’re calling it Fall/Winter 2009. As I’m reluctant to give over to cold gusts and gray skies, I’d rather think of it as a badass collection of songs that will continue to deliver [...]

Dawes visits Luxury Wafers, Releases North Hills on ATO, Tours with Langhorne and Generally Melts the Studio with Rich Americana Soul

08.13.2009

When My Time Comes [mp3] I’m sitting in the studio right now with Dawes. They’re recording Western Skyline at the moment for their Live Luxury Wafers Session. A liitle ragged from last night’s show at the Echo, Dawes’ lead singer, Taylor Goldsmith, is about to lose the right-arm sleeve on his ripped button down and [...]

Shuta Hasunuma, Pop Ooga Plus, Power Osci (mp3)

08.12.2009

Power Osci [mp3] Happy and bright, like cherry blossoms in springtime and a friendly breeze, or the way sunlight feels in the afternoon when seasons change, Shuta Hasunuma’s Pop Ooga (Plus) songs float along wondrously happy, brightly embodying and evoking childlike awe. Bonus: Every month through December 2009, Shuta Hasunuma is offering one new track, [...]

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, 40 Day Dream (Mp3)

08.12.2009

40 Day Dream [mp3] It feels like acid’s just been invented. We are one, united in truth and goodness. Rolling like Jesus – the man, with his family of a dozen or so, Edward Sharpe (formerly Ima Robot’s Alex Ebert) is being watched, and he seems to be comfortable with that. His group re-embarks on [...]

Volcano Choir (Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon + Collections of Colonies of Bees) releases Unmap on Jagjaguwar 9/22; Island, IS (mp3)

08.11.2009

Island, IS [mp3] Volcano Choir is a collaborative effort between Wisconsinites Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Jon Mueller, Chris Rosenau, Jim Schoenecker, Daniel Spack and Thomas Wincek (Collections of Colonies of Bees). As everybody’s been busy with their main gigs, the band is just now getting around to releasing their debut album, Unmap, a group [...]

Luxury Wafers Exclusive: Interview with Oliver Ackermann of A Place To Bury Strangers; Exploding Head & In Your Heart (mp3s)

08.11.2009

I just got off the phone with Oliver Ackermann, singer and guitarist for Brooklyn-based, notoriously loud, dark and hard ambient experimental rockers, A Place To Bury Strangers, who recently signed to Mute Records. In addition to leading APTBS, Oliver is a former member of Skywave and the inventor of Total Sonic Annihilation, his first effects [...]

Junk Culture signed to Illegal Art, tours NW with Girl Talk; West Coast EP and mp3

08.11.2009

West Coast [mp3] Deepak Mantena is Junk Culture, recently relocated to Portland, OR, signed to Illegal Art (Girl Talk, Steinski, Bran Flakes), and playing some NW shows with Girl Talk. Although these tracks are samples, loops, electronica, there’s a warm, humanly personal vibe about them that I find inviting. Junk Culture’s debut EP, West Coast, [...]

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour debuts FRUIT, Around The Bend (mp3) + video for The Golden Age

08.11.2009

Around The Bend [mp3] The Sun Ain’t Shining No More [mp3] Flowing a high-energy, eye-popping blend of Scandinavian down-to-earth with over-the-top, friendly cosmic fantasy, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour is finally out with their syrup-soul, pop-psych, groovy album, FRUIT (Small Giants, 10/13/09). Although they’ve been busy getting instantly huge, TAGT offers FRUIT as their debut. As [...]

The Chinese Stars, Rabbit Face (mp3) and Butthole Surfers, Cough Syrup, B-B-Q Pope (mp3s)

08.09.2009

Photo By Ashleigh Carraway Rabbit Face [mp3] – The Chinese Stars Ah-Ha [mp3], Cough Syrup [mp3], BBQ Pope [mp3] – Butthole Surfers Though Pronto‘s instrumental Cheetah lullaby soothed my nerves a bit, I was still sinking deeper down into a Black Sunday mood….UNTIL ——-> Rabbit Face [mp3] from The Chinese Stars (off Heaven On Speed [...]

The Cheetah (mp3), an instrumental lullaby from PRONTO (Wilco’s Mikael Jorgensen and friends)

08.09.2009

The Cheetah [mp3] The Monster [mp3] *PRONTO’s PR firm just emailed asking me to post The Monster, not The Cheetah…so here you go!* A dozen tracks snuggle in on this blurry, easy-going, instrumental release, The Cheetah (Contraphonic, 9/8/09), from PRONTO (the side project of Wilco keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen). The Cheetah is a complete departure from [...]

Black Sunday Black Tracks Black Remixes Black

08.09.2009

Rats [mp3] – The Black Heart Procession The Drop I Hold (Feat. GZA) [mp3] – Black Lips The Drop I Hold Afghan Raiders Remix [mp3] – Black Lips Afghan Raiders Remix I Wish Remix [mp3] – Helado Negro Monoliths [mp3] – Maserati The Black Heart Procession’s SIX (Temporary Residence, 9/21/09) is apparently deeper, darker and [...]

Datarock – Red; True Stories (Mp3 + Video) and The Blog (Mp3s)

08.08.2009

True Stories [mp3] The Blog [link to an mp3 listen at i guess i'm floating]. I like Datarock. Norweigan, retrofuturistic, Devo-Heads du jour, the Bergen band, aided by Apple’s iPod Nano spots, has blasted off a bit. They are currently touring their pretty four-some with danceable tunes through Canada, down the coast and back to [...]

This is cool: Micachu & The Shapes Remix Fool’s Gold to make Eclectic Electronica Surprise Hotel (mp3) + Golden Phone (mp3)

08.04.2009

Surprise Hotel Micachu Remix [mp3] Surprise Hotel Fool’s Gold Original [mp3] Golden Phone [mp3] – Micachu & The Shapes Heavy on African pop with the surprise of a Hebrew weave, Surprise Hotel slides out steamy summer dance fun, whatever the version. The self-titled album, Fool’s Gold, drops 9/29/09 on IAMSOUND. More Fool’s Gold info HERE. [...]

New Blitzen Trapper, Black River Killer EP and Mp3

08.04.2009

Black River Killer [mp3] New track out from Blitzen Trapper. Well, not exactly new. It was on Furr, their previous album, but it also headlines their new EP, Black River Killer (Subpop,8/25/09), accompanied by 6 other savory songs you may have already grown to love from the band’s live performances. Blitzen Trapper will be over [...]

The Bloody Beetroots + The Cool Kids = Awesome (mp3)

08.03.2009

Awesome [mp3] from The Bloody Beetroots new release, Romborama (Dim Mak), featuring The Cool Kids here. I have to admit The Beetroots scare me a little, but The Cool Kids bring it down through the innercity Chicago/Detroit from Italy all the way to California with Awesome. By the way, The Cool Kids share their 21 [...]

If you’re stranded on a mountaintop with a limited selection of music, take Jake LaBotz…..you won’t be sorry, I promise.

07.31.2009

On a family trip, we’ve been tossing around worst-case scenarios (imagine being trapped on a desert island supplied only with a poor representation of your favorite genre of music) and best-case scenarios (aka, who’s your favorite all-time musician?). I find it really hard to peg a very favorite of all time. There are so many [...]

Lessons in the Woods…National Park Bingo and an Mp3 Mishmash

07.30.2009

Goth Star [mp3] – Pictureplane from Dark Rift (Lovepump United, 8/09) Pictureplane, the “24-year-old weirdo performance artist Travis Egedy,” plays the Troubadour September 9th in LA. His upcoming LP from Lovepump is super juicy. Go over to Lovepump and see what they’re up to. Lots of exciting news including a debut EP from DERADOORIAN. Traveling, [...]

As Tall As Lions: You Can’t Take It With You, Circles (mp3)

07.28.2009

Circles [mp3] Love Love Love Love Love [mp3] New Yorkers, As Tall As Lions, are out with a new record named for the same sentiment as the like-titled 1938 Jimmy Stewart movie, only a little faster and more in-your-face (albeit politely), like today’s fast-paced world. You Can’t Take It With You (EastWest /Triple Crown Records), [...]

Memory Cassette, Calls and Responses EP, Golden Remix-a-rama

07.24.2009

artwork by Chris Cantallini Surfin (Weird Tapes Remix) [mp3] Memory Cassette serves up more smooth, funky, fun grooving beats with another EP, Calls and Responses, (not to be confused with the Call and Response EP). Grab the new EP HERE. Calls and Responses is filled with remixes from friends Friend ,CFCF ,Weird Tapes ,Sail A [...]

Judgement Day – Out of the Abyss, Live on Tape (mp3)

07.24.2009

Out of the Abyss [mp3] Bay area string-metal brothers Anton (violin) and Lewis (cello) Patzner, joined by Jon Bush on Drums, make a refined sneak attack – a welcome assault – with dark, curious, charged instrumentals as Judgement Day. Well-educated and well-traveled as musicians, Judgement Day brings a torrent of intriguing and electrical juice. Full-on [...]

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