It’s been about three years since we’ve heard anything from Sweden’s Shout Out Louds, and while they’ve been missed, I’m pleased to inform you they’re back with some new music. You can stream their new song “Blue Ice” in the Soundcloud section at the bottom of this post. That’s all well and good, but what really caught my eye (and in some respects, my ear) was the unconventional way they unveiled this song to the world. See, they put together 10 special “kits” that were distributed to friends and special people in the music community. These kits contained two things: a bottle of water and a hollowed out circular tray about the size of a 7″ record. According to the instructions, which are explained in this video, you’re supposed to pour the water into the circular tray and then stick it in the freezer. After a few hours, it should have hardened into a block of ice, which you can then place on your turntable and listen to the new song that way. Have you ever heard what a record made of ice sounds like when the needle goes down? The video lets you hear the song as played on ice. In short, it’s a really cool thing to do, and part of me wants one of those special kits. If that interests you too, the band’s label Merge Records is giving away one of the ten kits to a fan. Send an email to merge@mergerecords.com with your mailing address and the subject line “Blue Ice Giveaway” by December 3rd for your chance to win. Good luck! Other tracks you’re going to want to hear as part of today’s Pick Your Poison include gems from Die Mason Die, The Easton Ellises, Elephant 12, The Emperors of Wyoming, Rice Cultivation Society and Touche’s cover of Prefab Sprout. Besides the new Shout Out Louds track, in the Soundcloud section you can stream good new music from Bleeding Rainbow and Madrid too.

[The] Caseworker – Hold On to the Road (Makee Remix)

Christian McNeill & Sea Monsters – Zero

Daniel Badeie – Moments

DEJA – Luststruck

Die Mason Die – Gerald

Doctor Folkman – Our Might

The Easton Ellises – Dance It, Dance All

Elephant 12 – Renegades

The Emperors of Wyoming – The Pinery Boy

Faulkner – Triumph of the Underdogs

Mavado – Caribbean Girls (Ackeejuice Rockers Remix)

Rice Cultivation Society – King Midas

Simian Mobile Disco – Wooden (Live in Belfast)

Tight Silk – Like A Feather (Jon’s Hooked on Midi Mix)

Touché – Wild Horses (Prefab Sprout cover)

SOUNDCLOUD

Bleeding Rainbow – Waking Dream

Companion – 20th Century Crime

Madrid – Let Go of Me

Nosaj Thing – Eclipse/Blue (ft. Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead)

Prince Rama – So Destroyed (Mark McGuire’s Road Chief Destroyed Soul Mix)

Shout Out Louds – Blue Ice