Author: Faronheit Page 103 of 192

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 10-23-13

On 10/23/2013

Back in 2011, Braids’ debut album Native Speaker took me completely by surprise. It was the first couple weeks in January of that year, and I was still in a coma from the holidays and year-end listmaking season. Suddenly this record landed in my lap and snapped me out of the haze in an instant. The reaction was severe enough that once December rolled around, the album wound up in the upper 30s on my year-end list, in which I called it “one of the most underrated records of the year.” I stand by that statement, and with two years having passed since then, I still play Native Speaker on occasion because it remains an enjoyable listen. This past August, Braids released their sophomore record Flourish // Perish. I was unable to review it at the time, and likely won’t get around to it ever (my list of pending album reviews is astronomical), but let me offer a couple of quick thoughts on it now. In short, it’s not as effective of a record as their debut. The general ditching of guitars feels like it has hurt them slightly, but as a result they’re more epic yet also more fragile. The lack of warmth in many of the melodies makes it a little more impenetrable, and the second half of the album gets a little worn out and boring, but repeat listens continue to reveal new rewards. The new album is ultimately worth your time, and this band continues to be underrated and underappreciated. I’d advise you to give “Amends” and “In Kind” a try to find out if Braids are for you. If so, maybe you’d like to check them out when they play at Schubas in Chicago this Tuesday, October 29th. The 21+ show starts at 8 p.m. and also features Kodak to Graph and Hundred Waters on the bill. You can buy $15 tickets in advance from here. It’ll be one of the best decisions you’ll make over the next 7 days. Beyond talking about the show, we’ve got a Wednesday edition of Pick Your Poison to take care of. Tracks that get a thumbs up from me today come from Holy Ghost! (covering Drake), Gemini Club, Holyoak, KNTRLR, Meanest Man Contest and Starlings, TN. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from The 1975, Beach Day, Gatekeeper and Kevin Morby (of Woods/The Babies fame).

Access Royale – Planet Earth

Holy Ghost! – Hold One We’re Going Home (Drake cover)

Duke Dumont ft. AME – Need U (100%) (AMTRAC Remix)

FIGHTs – In Spades

Gemini Club – Preacher

Holyoak – Silver Boys

Jay Kila – Dream Big

KNTRLR – CCA

Meanest Man Contest – Throwing Away Broken Electronics

Saint Motel – My Type (Tonnesen Remix)

Starlings, TN – Burnt Ends

Times Neue Roman – Sade Is In My Tape Deck, Pt. 2 (ft. Don Will and The Airplane Boys)
Times Neue Roman – Sade Is In My Tape Deck, Pt. 3 (ft. Rich Kidd, Shaun Boothe and Zaki Ibrahim

Titanics – Low Frames

Until the Ribbon Breaks – 2025 (Holy Other Remix)

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 10-22-13

By Faronheit

On 10/22/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

We’ve hit another Tuesday, where I’m once again pleased to bring you a quick rundown of artists with brand new music coming out this week. The hope is to either inform you about what’s out there, but also to maybe even remind you if one of your favorite artists is putting out something new and you simply forgot about it. So without further ado, here’s your list for this week: Active Child, Adrian and The Sunsets, AFI, Best Coast, Brett Dennen, Dead Gaze, Dresses, Greg Brown, Is Tropical, Jungle, Katy Perry, Kiev, Linda Thompson, Matthew E. White, Omar Souleyman, Pearl Jam, Polica, Radical Face, Ryan Hemsworth, Sainthood Reps, and Veronica Falls. There’s a couple of really strong records in this stack for this week, so please make some purchases via your favorite digital or physical retailer! Now let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison, where you can discover even more hot new music. Some key tracks you’ll want to give attention to today come from Botany, Calhoun, Lee Bannon, Raccoon Fighter, Snowflake, Southside American and The Villars. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Blank Realm, Chromeo, Cut Copy, James Vincent McMorrow and Say Lou Lou.

Basketball Shorts – Peter Venkman

Big Bill – Temporarily Happy

Botany – Laughtrack (ft. Father John Misty)

Calhoun – Fatal Flaws

David Bronson – Incompetent Assassin

Hello Phones – Candy Love

Lee Bannon – 216

Qtfcks – Jump

Raccoon Fighter – Wolf at Your Window

Radioactivity – Locked in My Head

Snowflake – Hurricane

Southside American – In the Dust

Tom Appleman – I’d Forgive You

The Villars – Take Control

Pick Your Poison: Monday 10-21-13

By Faronheit

On 10/21/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Exactly one week from tonight, I hope if you’re in Chicago that you’ll join me at Lincoln Hall for what’s set to be a great double bill that’s worth your time and money. The two bands performing are City States and Au Revoir Simone. If you’ve never heard of either of them, let me provide you with a quick primer. City States are a fascinating Chicago band who describe their sound as art-pop, which feels like a really apt descriptor when you listen to their songs. Starting from a synth base but not content to let that be the only weapon in their arsenal, their songs consistently evolve to make unexpected and experimental turns that keep you on your toes and fully engaged. They strive to achieve a similar level of off-kilter brilliance as heroes like Brian Eno, Radiohead and Talking Heads. Their debut EP Resolution showed a lot of promise in that regard, and you can download the whole thing for free over at Bandcamp. They’re currently finishing up recording and mixing their debut album with John McEntire of Tortoise/The Sea and Cake fame. Expect to hear a lot of new material as they play Lincoln Hall for the first time ever. With any luck, by this time next year they’ll be performing at even larger venues on a national scale. But headlining the night is the nationally touring, decidedly not-French-but-Brooklyn-based band Au Revoir Simone. Where did the all female trio come up with their name? Why it’s a quote from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, of course. These are girls after my own heart, especially after the recent release of the music video for their song “Crazy”, which re-enacts the plot to the often overlooked 1985 Martin Scorsese film After Hours. In terms of sound, Au Revoir Simone skirt the line between synth pop and dream pop. So while they don’t use guitars or even have a live drummer, they love their keyboards and vocal harmonies, which often leads to either fun and catchy songs or otherwordly psychedelic ones. Their new album Move In Spectrums is definitely one of their best to date, and owes quite a bit to Stereolab. Have a listen to their song “Somebody Who” to get a pretty good idea of where they’re at sonically these days. All that said, these two bands are playing a 21+ show at Lincoln Hall next Monday, October 28th. Tickets are $15 in advance, and can be purchased via this link. Come on out to the show. It promises to be a great time. Speaking of which, let’s get to the great time that is your Monday edition of Pick Your Poison. Don’t miss tracks from Drop Electric, Englishman, Floating Compass, Maya Vic, New Regulars and Tape Deck Mountain. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream tracks from Baio (of Vampire Weekend), Deep Sea Arcade, Kelela, Sufjan Stevens and Rustie remixing Pusha-T’s latest.

CVNT – Ding

Dante – No Original Art

Drop Electric – Higgs Boson

Englishman – More Than Insects

Floating Compass – Travel

Howard Ivans – Red Face Boy

Invasions – Ballad of the Faithful

Jackson Fishauf – Mystery Books

London Future & Djemba Djemba – Look At Me Now (ft. Ifa Sayo)

Maya Vic – Dynamite

New Regulars – Stolen Honey

Rvan Hall – Modal

Tape Deck Mountain – Slow Hell

Will Buck – Muscle Memory

Album Review: AlunaGeorge – Body Music [Vagrant/Island]

By Faronheit

On 10/21/2013

In album review, class of 2013, music

Some artists just really like to make you wait. You’ll hear an incredible single from them one week, a second single six months later, and then the debut full length finally arrives after about two long years of being patient. One of the more recent examples of this can be seen in Purity Ring, who released a couple of songs at the start of 2011 but didn’t get around to an album until a record deal was firmly in place more than a year and a half later. The most recent victims of this extended period of limbo are London duo AlunaGeorge. Aluna Francis and George Reed first got together and unleashed the single “You Know You Like It” in August of 2011, yet after a long period of label negotiations and stopgap singles it took until July 2013 to get their debut Body Music out into the world. There’s that initial wave of relief if you’ve had your patience tested from the beginning, followed by the inevitable question, “Was it really worth the wait?” It’s one thing to be a band like My Bloody Valentine with an established career and heightened expectations that allow you to delay your next album for 20+ years, but when you’re a brand new act without much more than a couple songs attached to your name, time is never on your side no matter how long you want to take perfecting that first big statement.

At their core, AlunaGeorge are essentially a nostalgia act with a modern-day twist. Both Francis and Reed grew up in the ’90s, and are now taking the pop and R&B stylings from their formative years and warping them ever so slightly for a modern audience. But that’s been a cycle for a long time now, and the popularity of these acts is often dependent on what the cultural zeitgeist happens to be at the time. Perhaps AlunaGeorge were right to wait a couple years before releasing Body Music, since their sound is much more in vogue now than it was when they first started. Still, you’ve also got to think that any group that displays the sort of talent that they do on their debut would attract attention no matter when it was released.

One of the odder things about Body Music is it’s opening track “Outlines.” The song itself isn’t odd or even bad by any means, but its placement is what’s striking about it. It’s a slow and rather emotional ballad in a spot typically reserved for an energetic hook-filled track that engages with the listener and provides incentive to keep going. After all, in R&B the blues always gets second billing next to rhythm. In this case though, rhythm arrives on track two thanks to the bouncy beats and memorable chorus of their very first single, “You Know You Like It.” The album quickly shifts into overdrive by backing that up with two more insanely good singles in “Attracting Flies” and “Your Drums, Your Love.” In fact, one of the biggest problems this record has is an overabundance of bouncy, fun and catchy tracks. With so many hooks and dynamic moments, it becomes difficult to let anything sink in because the next thing hits just as hard. But while it can feel like one whitewashed groove after another, particularly towards the end of the record, perhaps that lends it some great replay value. In that sense, you can learn to better appreciate the racing “Lost and Found” or the helium-synth on “Just A Touch.”

While the idea of giving fans the most for their money (and long wait) might make sense to a degree, Body Music actually suffers due to a little bit of overindulgence and bloating. At 14 tracks and just over 50 minutes, you wind up worn down and have to drag yourself through those last 10 minutes. There is nothing particularly worthwhile or great about the ballad “Friends to Lovers,” and the “bonus track” cover of Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” serves mainly as a reminder of how well done the original version is. Both could have been chopped off the album like a diseased limb, and we would have been better off for it. Yet other than that relatively minor issue of excess, there’s not a whole lot else wrong with the album. Francis and Reed both prove their worth and have rendered a slick (occasionally to a fault) debut that’s almost exactly what you’d want from them. The problem with giving people what they want though is that an increased set of expectations goes along with it. They stick to the formula and prove to be especially adept with it, but next time had better include some innovation, experimentation and a general evolution beyond where they’re currently at. It’s only through that approach that they’ll be able to prove themselves to be more than just a momentary flash in the pan.

Buy Body Music from Amazon

Stream 90 second clips of the entire album after the jump!

Pick Your Poison: Friday 10-18-13

By Faronheit

On 10/18/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Today’s special Friday edition of Pick Your Poison is brought to you by CMJ. Because when artists, labels and promoters have a big music event going on in one of the most populated cities in the world, they hand out new music and mp3s like they’re candy. Speaking of handing out candy, we’re just under 2 weeks until Halloween! I hope you’ve come up with a good costume idea by now. But I’ll talk about that later. I try to keep things short and sweet whenever I’m able to do a Friday Pick Your Poison, so let’s get right down to business. Top tracks today come from Liam Singer, Liquid Sunshine, Nathan Angelo, Perfume Advert, Radioactivity and Soho Riots. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Bars of Gold, Crusades, Museum of Love, Passafire, Rainy Milo and Weatherbird.

Basketball Shorts – The Reaper

Big Bill – Juice U

Cosmo’s Midnight – Surge (Willow Beats Wizard Remix)

Dominic Lord – Real (Remix ft. Gorgon City & Yasmin)

How to Dress Well – & It Was You (Chuck Wild Bootleg Remix)

Liam Singer – Unhand Me (You Horrid Thing)

Liquid Sunshine – Breathe In

Mali Michael – Wild Things (Visionist Remix)

Nathan Angelo ft. Micah Dalton – I Second That Emotion (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles cover)

Perfume Advert – Rotted Out

Radioactivity – World of Pleasure

Sage the Gemini – Gas Pedal (Stubbs Remix)

Soho Riots – Who’s Your Man

Volcano Choir – Comrade (All Tiny Creatures Remix)

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 10-17-13

By Faronheit

On 10/17/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for another weekly dip into the pool of music news, interviews and videos that I like to call This Week In Music! Yes, in addition to the normal Pick Your Poison mp3s and Soundcloud streams, I like to toss out links to a bunch of other music-related content that I’ve found interesting or worthwhile over the course of the week. I encourage you to check some, if not all of these things out, particularly if you’re looking to waste some time. There’s plenty to see, read and hear:

Music Video: Atoms For Peace – Before Your Very Eyes

Have a look at the 25 Best Morrissey Quotes From His Autobiography

Check out this album trailer for Arcade Fire’s Reflektor

Music Video: Jorge Elbrecht ft. Caroline Polachek of Chairlift – I.V. Aided Dreams

Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy sentenced to 3 years probation for methamphetamine possession

Watch Chvrches perform a few songs at Boiler Room

Music Video: James Blake & Chance the Rapper – Life Round Here

Watch Phoenix’s hour-long set on Austin City Limits

Watch/Listen as Phosphorescent covers Vampire Weekend’s “Ya Hey”

Watch Atoms For Peace’s full make-up set for ACL Festival

Once you’re done with that set of distractions, let me offer up another set via some song downloads and streams. Don’t miss tracks from Barton Carroll, Botany, Dust Engineers, High Water, Louis London and Pony Boy. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Audacity, Dead Times, Junior Prom, Milosh and The Thing.

Barton Carroll – The Straight Mile

Botany – Quatic

Calliope Musicals – Dancing Shoes

Dent May – Let Them Talk (Teengirl Fantasy Remix)

DNKL – Hunt

Dust Engineers – Pb [Lead]

Fiig – Bass Drum

High Water – Someday

Jay Arner – Don’t Remind Me (Teen Daze Remix)

London Grammar – If You Wait (Budo Remix)

Louis London – Old L.A.

Metzop – Not Defective

Pony Boy – If Only He Were You

Son Lux – Easy (Son Lux Remix ft. Busdriver)

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 10-16-13

By Faronheit

On 10/16/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

With the fall concert season in full swing, if you live in a large enough city it can seem like there’s a great show going on every single night over the course of a couple months. That’s certainly the case in Chicago, and on occasion I like to take a moment to promote something that’s going to be worth your time and hard-earned money to buy tickets to in the weeks ahead. This week I’d like to talk about Halloween. It’s on a Thursday night this year, and if you’re not going to a party or basically just drinking the night away on your own, you should come out and raise a little havoc with FIDLAR and The Orwells. They’re playing at Subterranean, in an early evening all ages show that’s sure to be absolutely nuts. As you may or may not be aware, FIDLAR are members of my elite Class of 2013, and their no frills brand of wake, bake and skate punk rock is designed for the stage more than anything else. I have yet to see them perform live, but between videos I’ve seen and testimony from friends I trust, their live show is not one to be missed. The real question is whether or not you’ll be able to handle all the stage diving and jumping around. It’s certainly something for young people to enjoy, which is why I suppose it’s an all ages affair. Anyways, from what I understand there’s not many tickets left for the show, but it’s $15 and you can purchase them online by going here. Sound good? Maybe I’ll see you there. In the meantime, let’s talk about today’s Pick Your Poison. Things you won’t want to miss today come from Circle Into Square, The Dirty Names, Gallant, Sharkmuffin and Sluggers. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Bear Hands, Flume, ILLLS, Jungle, Maps and an early unfinished demo from Sufjan Stevens.

AAA Battery – Tea Time

Barcelone – Cassie

Circle Into Square – The Lonely Fox

deadCAT – Glossolalia

The Dirty Names – I Get By

Ducky – U Turn Me Up (Suzi Analogue Remix)

Elephant 12 – Love Knock On Wood

Gallant – Sirens

Gentlemen Hall – Sail Into the Sun (Lenno Remix)

Music You Can Swim To – Rainbow Kick

RÁJ – Ghost (Ghost Loft Remix)

RII – Pyramid Lake

Sharkmuffin – Foul Play

Sluggers – Bloodsport

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 10-15-13

By Faronheit

On 10/15/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

We’ve hit another Tuesday, where I’m once again pleased to bring you a quick rundown of artists with brand new music coming out this week. The hope is to either inform you about what’s out there, but also to maybe even remind you if one of your favorite artists is putting out something new and you simply forgot about it. So without further ado, here’s your list for this week: Aaron Parks, Arthur Channel, The Avett Brothers, Beats Antique, The Beets, Black Milk, Bloc Party, Blue October, Boardwalk, The Body, Boldy James, Cameron McGill, Cass McCombs, Cave, Crystal Antlers, Cults, Dean Wareham, The Dismemberment Plan, Doomriders, Elsinore, Four Tet, The Head and The Heart (featured below!), Heavenly Beat, Imbogodom, Kevin Devine, kwes., La Luz, Lucius, Luke Temple, Mirror Travel, Molly Drake, Morcheeba, Nobunny, Oozing Wound, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Red Fang, Saintseneca, Shine 2009, Tancred, Tim Hecker, Tristen, Trivium, Weird Owl, Will Hoge and Wymond Miles. There’s a couple of really strong records in this stack for this week, so please make some purchases via your favorite digital or physical retailer! Now let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison, where you can discover even more hot new music. Some key tracks you’ll want to give attention to today come from Big Tree, The Cloud Room, Dark Colour, The Head and The Heart, High On Fire, Norwegian Arms and SCRNS. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from GEMS, Screaming Females, Tycho, Spiritualized remixing Cut Copy and Lee Gamble remixing Mount Kimbie.

Afrolicious – Pleasure Time (Novalima Remix)

Big Tree – Like A Fool

Chris Zurich – The Sounds

The Cloud Room – Mrs. Marquis de Sade

Dark Colour – The Games Are Killing Us

Figaro – Queen Mary

The Head and The Heart – Shake

High On Fire – Slave the Hive

Howard Ivans – Red Face Boy

James Mauri – Got Your Love

Laser Background – Fantasy Zone

Norwegian Arms – Tired of Being Cold

OMN – Betwixt (Orikami Remix)

SCRNS – TTYN

Pick Your Poison: Monday 10-14-13

By Faronheit

On 10/14/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Every October, it arrives in force. Those who aren’t affiliated with the music industry or live outside of New York may not know about it, but rest assured it is a big deal. It is the CMJ Music Marathon. Starting tomorrow and running through Saturday, this annual gathering of industry professionals results in what amounts to the SXSW of the East Coast. The hordes flock to NYC, and in addition to all sorts of panel discussions and conferences, there’s plenty of showcases at bars and clubs all over the city featuring acts you’ve both heard of and ones you hopefully will hear about in the coming years. CMJ can go a long way towards making or breaking a band, and if you’re lucky enough to get a spot on a good bill with a number of other noteworthy artists, it could mean your shot at stardom. Last year’s breakout act was Savages, and look how far they’ve come one year later. Several years back, I was lucky enough to attend CMJ. I’m proud to say that I attended zero discussion panels or conference elements. I spent the entire few days going to see live music and enjoying free drinks when I could get them. During the daytime I slept, and once the sun started to set I found myself wandering all over Manhattan ducking in and out of shows all over the place until the sun was about to come up. One of the best, if not THE best live show I’ve ever witnessed happened around 3AM one night at the Bowery Ballroom when …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, still hot off their “perfect” Source Tags and Codes record, came out on stage drunk and played an incredible set that ended with smashed instruments everywhere and half the crowd climbing on stage to sing with the band. That was a once in a lifetime moment. And so, as my inbox overflows with emails from promoters and record labels telling me all about what they’re doing for CMJ and encouraging me to party with them, I can’t help but feel a little wistful every year around this time. A little voice in my head says that maybe I’ll go again someday…like next year. I don’t know that I have the same fortitude to walk literally miles around Manhattan (I never once took a cab or the subway except to and from the airport), but it’d be great to get back to the city and discover some great new music at some classic concert venues. You should go too. Learn more about the CMJ Music Marathon by going here. Now then, in lieu of discovering new music through CMJ live shows, there’s always a fresh edition of Pick Your Poison to help you uncover the next great artist or band. In today’s set, you’ll want to keep an ear out for tracks from Eureka Birds, Ing, Super Adventure Club, Tic Tic Boom! and Trentalange. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Ejecta, Jeffrey Novak, No Joy, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, plus James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) remixing David Bowie.

Around7 – Strictly Business

Black Mekon – Jonny Diamond’s Pink Flamingo Club

Chromeo – Over Your Shoulder (Mr. Oizo Remix)

Die Antwoord – Evil Boy (Niko Javan Remix)

Eureka Birds – Fastest

Grigori – What You Want, You Always Steal

Ing – Dogs Are Aliens

pr0files – Call Yourself A Lover

The Relays – You Invented Horror

Super Adventure Club – 9 Times

Tic Tic Boom! – How It Ends

Times Neue Roman – So Many Females

Trentalange – Reconnected

Victor Porfidio – Miami (Original Mix)

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 10-10-13

By Faronheit

On 10/10/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Music Video: Cut Copy – Free Your Mind

Watch Kanye West’s full interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Spanish dance pop band Delorean were victims of a “virtual kidnapping.” Here’s details on that.

Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig “reviews” Drake’s new album Nothing Was the Same

Read Passion Pit’s letter about why bands cancel shows (and why it sucks for everyone)

Music Video: Parquet Courts – You’ve Got Me Wonderin’ Now

Read David Byrne’s editorial on how New York’s creative scene is being crushed by the 1%

Music Video: Pixies – Andro Queen

Watch Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme perform “Knee Socks” live with Arctic Monkeys

Music Video: AlunaGeorge – Best Be Believing

Once you’re done with that set of distractions, let me offer up another set via some song downloads and streams. Don’t miss tracks from Cosmic Suckerpunch, DeltaFoxx, GRMLN, Juliette Commagere, Nervous Cloud, Silent Rider and Yes, I’m Leaving. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Mick Turner, Pattern Is Movement, SKATERS, and Kele Okereke’s remix of a Bloc Party track.

Cosmic Suckerpunch – City Love

Daft Punk – Giorgio By Moroder (Aerotronic Remix)

DeltaFoxx – Can’t Stop Loving You, Yeah!

Eddie Spaghetti – The Value of Nothing

GRMLN – Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover)

Juliette Commagere – Rebel

Nervous Cloud – Unbalanced Equation

Scary Cherry – Cut Off Your Head

Silent Rider – Ain’t No Sunshine (Bill Withers cover)

Snir Yamin – Stay

Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party – Colleen Harpe

White Prism – Fool (Daniel Hunt/Ladytron Remix)

Yes, I’m Leaving – Endless Mind

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 10-9-13

By Faronheit

On 10/09/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Do you have any plans for Halloween yet? I’m assuming you’re not going trick or treating, unless you happen to be a 12 year old reading this site or a parent forced to walk around with your small children from house to house. All Hallows Eve is also Friday Eve this year, given that it’s on a Thursday. Your typical parties will be either muted or pushed to the following day(s) when people can actually embrace the weekend in all of its drunken glory. So if you’re not dressing up in costume and participating in a contest at your local bar, allow me to suggest heading over to Schubas for a show. Actually, you know what? Schubas is hosting a costume contest during its show featuring Widowspeak and Pure Bathing Culture. So it’s a great way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. But getting more in depth on the bands, if you’ve never heard Widowspeak before, they’re the duo of Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas, who together make dreamy 70s-inspired rock and roll with a slight country tinge to it. Their latest album Almanac adds shades of Fleetwood Mac to add to their Mazzy Star-esque melodies/vocals, and it’s a delight. Have a listen to “The Dark Age” and “Thick As Thieves” to get a better idea of what I mean. Opening up the show will be Pure Bathing Culture, who certainly made their mark a couple months ago with the release of their debut album Moon Tides. The duo of Daniel Hindman and Sarah Vesprille both used to be part of Vetiver, and this new project takes the 60s pop sound of their former band and upgrades it with 70s and 80s touches, which is a nice way of saying they work with a lot more synths than before. Their single “Pendulum” is one of my favorites from 2013 so far, and you can also download the track “Dream the Dare” by clicking here. Anyways, these are both pretty cool bands, and I’m intrigued to hear how they play off one another stylistically. If you’re interested in going to the show on Halloween at Schubas, the fine details are that it starts at 9pm, is 21+ and tickets are $12. You can buy tickets via this link. Come on out for a scary good time. Ha ha ha. Okay, let’s talk Pick Your Poison for this Wednesday. Gold star tracks for today come from Cate Le Bon (ft. Perfume Genius), Clara May, Last Good Tooth, Lisa Papineau, Little Suns and The Noise FM. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream tracks from Kurt Vile and Sore Eros, Los Campesinos!, Saintseneca, Star Slinger, Giraffage’s remix of Movement and Lissvik’s remix of HAERTS.

Amy Lynn & The Gunshow – Can’t Put My Finger On It

Cate Le Bon – I Think I Knew (ft. Perfume Genius)

Clara May – American Desi

Gold Panda – Brazil (Slow Magic Remix)

Great Hare – Like Flowers

Johnny Rodgers – Let It Fill Your Whole Heart

Last Good Tooth – What’s What I Do

Le Trouble – Mission Bell

Lisa Papineau – Rainmaker

Little Suns – Sunboat

Mount Fabric – Books

The Noise FM – Crooked Smile

XOV – Lucifer

Young Mammals – Build A House

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 10-8-13

By Faronheit

On 10/08/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

We’ve hit another Tuesday, where I’m once again pleased to bring you a quick rundown of artists with brand new music coming out this week. The hope is to either inform you about what’s out there, but also to maybe even remind you if one of your favorite artists is putting out something new and you simply forgot about it. So without further ado, here’s your list for this week: Amos Lee, Anna Calvi, Cage the Elephant, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Darkside, Dave Hause, Deap Vally, Electric Six, Ezra Furman, The Fratellis, Glasser, His Clancyness, Iggy Azalea, Kodaline, Lee Ranaldo and the Dust, Lissie, Little Suns, of Montreal, Papa, Parquet Courts, Patty Griffin, Pusha T, RJD2, Robert Wyatt, Scott Miller, Sleigh Bells, St. Lucia, Turin Brakes, Tim Kasher, Wild Child and Zedd. There’s a couple of really strong records in this stack for this week, so please make some purchases via your favorite digital or physical retailer! Now let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison, where you can discover even more hot new music. Some key tracks you’ll want to give attention to today come from Evan Only, Fruit Bats, Matt Pryor, Mind Spiders, Oozing Wound and The visibles. In the Soundcloud section, stream new songs from Dead Gaze, Pusha-T (ft. Kendrick Lamar), Upset and We Are Scientists.

Atari Jones – Body Feelings

Belladonna – Wonderlust

Evan Ønly – No Matter What

Fruit Bats – When U Love Somebody

Ghost Wave – Kind of a Drag (The Buckinghams cover)

Gloom Balloon – She Was the One That Got Away

Matt Pryor – Kinda Go to Pieces

Mind Spiders – Inside You

Misun – Goodbye Sasha

Monster Rally – Palm Village

Oozing Wound – Call Your Guy

Shapeshifter – Gravity (Pacific Heights Remix)

The Visibles – Clarendon Hills

Wolf Catcher – Marijuana

Pick Your Poison: Monday 10-7-13

By Faronheit

On 10/07/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

If you ask me (you didn’t, but I’ll tell you anyways), Band of Horses have been heading downhill since their very first album, 2006’s Everything All the Time. That was their high watermark, and it seems like with each new release they dip a little further in quality. Apparently I’m not the only one who has noticed this, considering that if you look at a collection of reviews they pretty much all reflect that same sentiment. What seems to be the problem with the band? They remain moderately popular, and can still certainly sell out a decent sized venue, but are the rooms they’re playing in filled with people eager to hear “The Funeral,” or “Knock Knock”? Don’t get me wrong – all indications are via interviews and press materials that the guys in Band of Horses are super nice and a whole lot of fun. They’d be a lot easier band to hate if they weren’t good people. Hell, I’m still rooting for their recovery in spite of everything. As a result, there was a certain degree of happiness that washed over me upon finding out that Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell is officially launching a solo project under the pseudonym of Birdsmell. Of course that happiness is tempered with caution, because for all I know Bridwell is the weak link in that band, and his solo stuff could be the worst yet. The press release attached to the announcement of the solo project didn’t instill much hope either. “I enlisted those same musicians [from an earlier single recording] to record some songs of mine that had been sitting around for far too long, some of which could be said to be uncomfortably silly and devoid of all reasonable taste,” Bridwell said. “I wasn’t exactly in a rush to get them out to the discerning earholes of the public. Regardless, this project was pure enjoyment for me and it was nice to not give a damn about anything, but having fun recording these songs.” When you’re calling your solo songs “uncomfortably silly and devoid of all reasonable taste,” it seems to suggest that they’re terrible and probably shouldn’t be heard. Yet he went and recorded them anyways, and three of them can now be streamed via Soundcloud. All three songs will appear on a 7″ vinyl, which will only be available at the handful of Birdsmell shows taking place next month in the Deep South. Where the project will go from there is anybody’s guess. Listening to those solo songs, I’ll say this much: they’re better than I expected them to be. Have a listen for yourself, and maybe they’ll strike your fancy. If not, well, there’s a whole roundup of Pick Your Poison tracks to discover as well. Today’s specials include cuts from Emperors, The Golden Furs, Mansions, Midnight Faces, Teapots and Yo La Tengo. In the Soundcloud section (after the jump), stream new songs from Baio, Destroyer, Juana Molina and Russian Circles.

BASECAMP – Emmanuel (Blackedout Remix)

Emperors – Be Ready When I Say Go

The Golden Furs – Run Back

Honeymilk – Light Entertainment

Mansions – Flowers in My Teeth

Midnight Faces – Fornication

Pattern Is Movement – Untitled (How Does It Feel) [D’Angelo cover]

PET – Talk to You (Kina Remix)

The Royalties STHLM – Your Favourite Song (Secondary Rules Remix)

Schwarz Don’t Crack – Charade (Adana Twins On A Lonely Night Remix)

Spazzkid – Weird Girl

StaG – I Think I’ll Shout (Chakita Remix)

Teapots – Alley

Yo La Tengo – Super Kiwi

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 10-3-13

By Faronheit

On 10/03/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Watch Steve Albini on the cat talk show “Lil Bub’s Big Show”

Will Morrissey’s autobiography be released on October 17th?

Music Video: Cults – High Road

Watch Julianna Barwick perform “Crystal Lake” at Judson Church, with Sharon Van Etten and Prince Rama

YouTube Audio Stream: Iceage – Jackie (Sinead O’Connor cover)

Music Video: Angel Haze – Echelon (It’s My Way)

Watch Chvrches perform “The Mother We Share” on “Later… With Jools Holland”

Stream Disclosure’s BBC Essential Mix

What are David Bowie’s Top 100 Must Read Books?

Music Video: Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener

Once you’re done sifting through that pile of this week’s many music-related media delights, be sure to keep scrolling downward for today’s edition of Pick Your Poison. There’s some great downloads in this set from The Bynars, Conveyor, Manicanparty, Saint Motel and Save Ends. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Lauryn Hill, Magik Markers, Paradise and Swearin, among others.

Aufgang – Ellenroutir (Anton Zap Remix)

Avis Norfleet – E.C.C.I. (ft. Mathew Lee Cothran)

BASECAMP – Rydia (Joe Hertz Remix)

The Bynars – Everyone Is Here

Carlton – Little Miss Sunshine

Champions League – My Dears

Conveyor – Pushups

Manicanparty – It’s In Her Eyes

Nathan Angelo – Thank You

New Navy – Regular Town (Baio Remix)

Saint Motel – Get Free (Major Lazer cover)

Satchmode – Old Fears

Save Ends – A Life They Wrote

Thief – Broken Boy (Césare Remix)

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 10-2-13

By Faronheit

On 10/02/2013

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Let’s talk upcoming Chicago shows for just a brief minute. Both of the ones I want to mention are already sold out, so if you don’t have a ticket than you may have to buy them off somebody if you really want to go. Still, these are worthwhile shows from worthwhile artists (clearly, if they’re sold out), and it gives me a chance to talk about them. LA’s Grouplove and Australia’s The Reubens are touring together, and their first stop in Chicago will be at Lincoln Hall next Wednesday, October 9th. That’s going to be a full electric set from both bands. The following night they’ll both be at SPACE in nearby Evanston, where they’ll both perform acoustic sets. If you pay much attention to radio these days, or are even calibrated to Internet buzz, than you’ve likely heard about Grouplove before. Their debut album Never Trust A Happy Song put them on a lot of radars, thanks largely to their hit indie pop song “Tongue Tied.” A couple weeks ago they put out their sophomore album Spreading Rumours, which is getting strong attention thanks to their latest single “Ways to Go.” Meanwhile, The Reubens are touring the U.S. for the first time in their young careers, in support of their self-titled debut album. Their sound might be best described as Jack White meets The Black Keys in terms of blues-inspired rock, though they’ve got something of a pop edge to them as well. Check out their single “My Gun” to get a feel for their sound. And as a nice spot of fun, the guys in The Reubens performed a cover of Grouplove’s “Ways to Go” and mixed in some bits of “My Gun,” for one singular fun track to celebrate their tour. Check that out here. So if you have the means to get into either of the two shows these two bands are playing in town next week, I highly recommend that you go. Now let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison. Highlights include cuts from A Beautiful Friend, Blank Maps, Cameron McGill, FMLYBND, The Parson Red Heads, SWF and Zeds Dead with Major Lazer. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream tracks from Flume (ft. Freddie Gibbs), Jensen Sportag, Kwes., Widowspeak and Fort Romeau’s remix of Cut Copy’s latest single.

A Beautiful Friend – Romeo

Blank Maps – Calm

Blue Sky Black Death – Keys (ft. Gucci Mane, Deniro Farrar, Nacho Picasso, and Mack Shine)

Cameron McGill – Good Love

Dream Shake – Buffy

FMLYBND – Come Alive

Hollow & Akimbo – Still Life

MondreM.A.N. – MC ILLIN

The Parson Red Heads – Every Mile

SWF – Turtle Brain

Todd and Erin – All I Can Think About Is You

The Union Electric – Day of the Dead

Unlike Pluto – Bollywood Summer

Zeds Dead & Major Lazer – Turn Around (ft. Elephant Man)

Hello, and welcome to Faronheit! I hope you enjoy your stay. Before you read onwards, let me quickly explain a couple things.

All mp3s hosted on this site are for sampling purposes only. If you are an artist or record label or somebody representing said artists or copyrights, I would appreciate it if you'd send me an email should you need me to remove any content.

If you would like to send me any music, links, press materials, and the like via the web, please email me with any attachments or links to where I can find out more. Please note that if you send me mp3 attachments as well as Bandcamp or YouTube links, I will not be able to post them on my site. I will still listen to the songs and watch the videos, just don't expect them to appear in a post. Soundcloud or direct download mp3 links only please and thank you,

Contact information: faronheit@gmail.com

Hello, and welcome to Faronheit! I hope you enjoy your stay. Before you read onwards, let me quickly explain a couple things.

Contact information: faronheit@gmail.com