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Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 6-26-13

Chicago, what are you up to tomorrow (Thursday) night? Nothing, you say? You’re still on a massive bender after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup? You’re camping out all night to try and get a good spot for that huge victory parade set for Friday morning? Ah, whatever it is, it can wait. There’s a pretty great show going down at the Empty Bottle, and I want you to be aware of it. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper and Torres are currently on a co-headlining tour, and the Bottle is where the whole thing ends. Actually, it wasn’t initially announced that way if you watch the YouTube clip I just linked to. They don’t even mention Chicago. That’s because even though it immediately follows the Iowa City date that was originally announced, the Chicago show was supposed to be Torres only. Don’t ask me why. I mean, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper did just play a Chicago show a couple months ago, but what was stopping her from coming back? Nothing I suppose, which is why she was added to the bill a couple weeks ago. So why exactly should you drop everything and go to this show? Well, both Torres and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper have put out excellent albums this year. Torres’ self-titled debut has gotten great critical praise, as has Lady Lamb’s Ripely Pine. Both acts are fronted by strong female singer-songwriters, with Mackenzie Scott using the Torres name and Aly Spaltro using the Lady Lamb the Beekeeper name. Check out the Torres track “Honey” for a taste of what that project has to offer. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper’s “Bird Balloons” is absolutely incredible too, and you can understand why this is a co-headlining tour. By the way, Chicago’s own Judson Claiborne is opening the show, and I think frontman Chris Salveter is performing solo for this one. Just another reason to get tickets if you haven’t already. They’re only $10 too, which is a bargain if you ask me. The show is 21+ in case you didn’t know, and starts at 9. Here’s a ticket buy link for you if you’re so inclined. I hope to see you at the show! Now then, let’s wrangle up a mid-week edition of Pick Your Poison. Key tracks today come from A.S., Back Back Forward Punch, Dead Boots, Jacuzzi Boys, Leftover Cuties, Manzanita Falls, Natureboy and Tedo Stone. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Andrew Cedermark, My Gold Mask and TRAAMS, plus Cadence Weapon’s remix of Doldrums and Tiger & Woods’ remix of Escort.

2AM Club ft. A1 – Black Liquor (Bassy Remix)

Adam F – Circles (Moduloktopus Remix)

A.S. – Do What You Want

Back Back Forward Punch – Tipsy

Dead Boots – I See You Coming

The High Wire – LNOE (Ghost Loft Remix)

Jacuzzi Boys – Domino Moon

Join the Riot – Queen Marmalade

Leftover Cuties – What’s the Matter?

Manzanita Falls – Fortnight

Natureboy – Lexies

Picture Me Broken – Nothing Further From the Truth

Tedo Stone – Taste

Xela Zaid – Twelve

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 6-25-13

Can you believe that we’re already halfway through 2013 already? This is the last Tuesday of June, meaning that six months of new albums have been released so far this year. There’s been some truly great ones, more than most other years in my recent memory. It feels kind of like we’re blessed to have so much great music coming out this year, and there’s another six months to go that’s going to be hopefully equally as good. Anyways, here’s a list of artists putting out new stuff this week to help round out the first half of the year: Bass Drum of Death, Bosnian Rainbows, Candy Claws, David Yow, Dessa, Femi Kuti, Her Royal Harness, Lightning Dust, Mavis Staples, Middle Class Rut, oOoOO, Palms, Rose Windows, Scott Lucas and the Married Men, Smith Westerns, Statistics (featured below!), Wale and Wise Blood. Pick something out and buy it at your favorite retailer this week, physical or digital, whatever your preference. Support music, because if we don’t then the artists we love might just go away, and nobody wants that. But hey, there’s always new artists and bands in the pipeline to learn about as well. That’s what Pick Your Poison is all about. Don’t miss tracks today from Angel Haze, The Blunt Sinatras, Filligar, Mission Dorado, Toy Soldiers, Weird Womb and White Dove. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Boat Club, Diarrhea Planet, NGHBRS, and Typhoon.

8th Grader – Diamonds, Silver and Gold (Strangeheart Remix)

Angel Haze – Initiation

The Blunt Sinatras – Drink in My Cup

Elisapie – The Love You Gave (Bridge & Law Remix)

Filligar – Photos of Madrid

Mission Dorado – On the Range

Paul White – Find A Way (ft. Homeboy Sandman)

She Speaks in Tongues – Gloria G-U-I-T-A-R!

Sioux Falls – Big Krackel

Statistics – Menu Screen

Toy Soldiers – Throw Me Down

Vondelpark – Always Forever (Tuesday Born Remix)

Weird Womb – Pale Piss

White Dove – Sister

Pick Your Poison: Monday 6-24-13

I’m fully committed to attending this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival. It’s one of, if not THE weekend I most look forward to every year. But this year, I was slightly disheartened to learn that one of my favorite bands would be playing a show in Chicago during, but not at, this year’s fest. Of course they’re also a little too big and expensive to hold court over Union Park, which is why they’re going to be at Wrigley Field instead. A classic band playing a show at a classic ballpark. Eddie Vedder (or as I call him, Ed Ved), is an Evanston native and devoted Cubs fan, so this show must be like a dream come true for him. He even wrote a song about the Cubs called “(Someday We’ll Go) All the Way”. Clearly this isn’t the season for the Cubs this year, and their 100+ year drought from a World Series win certainly weighs heavy on a lot of people. Yet you can put down a million dollar bet that Pearl Jam will play the song at Wrigley that night of June 19th, and I’ll be kicking myself for not being there to see it. But maybe you’re a Chicagoan and a Pearl Jam fan and would love to see the band play the show but you don’t have tickets and the show is sold out. Scalpers or “ticket resellers” are an option, but nobody wants to pay those inflated costs. How’d you like to go for free instead? I don’t have any tickets to give away, but I know where you can win some. Jim Beam’s Devil’s Cut Bourbon and WXRT are hosting a mini bar crawl (or “bar tour” as some might say) in downtown Chicago on the evening of Tuesday, July 2nd. They’ll be giving away tickets to the Pearl Jam at Wrigley show at each of the three stops made in three hours. If you want to show up, the stops are Blue Frog Local 22 from 6-7 p.m., Untitled from 7-8 p.m. and American Junkie from 8-9 p.m. Yes, all three bars are close enough to one another that you can walk between them. Don’t know where they’re at? It’s called a map, and I encourage you to use it. So maybe you get off work that Tuesday, cab it or walk it over to Blue Frog at 6 and see where the night takes you. Even if you don’t win Pearl Jam tickets, you’ll likely win the prize of getting drunk on Devil’s Cut Bourbon, which has its own rewards. Hahaha. Which reminds me, you’ve got to be 21+ to get in on this, in case you somehow thought otherwise. That said, let’s get to today’s edition of Pick Your Poison. There’s some delicious tracks today from Acquaintances, Coloured Clocks, Georgia’s Horse, His Electro Blue Voice, Liam Singer, Joey Bada$$, The Oarsman, Porcelain Raft and Royal Forest. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Black Joe Lewis, Bloc Party, Dent May, Medicine, Queens of the Stone Age (covering Mark Lanegan) and Groundislava’s remix of CHVRCHES.

Acquaintances – Skin

Buffalo Tales – Amsterdam

Coloured Clocks – Orion

Dark Age – First Rate People (Challenger Remix)

Drake – Jodeci Freestyle (ft. J. Cole)

Georgia’s Horse – Thistlebomb

His Electro Blue Voice – Sea Bug

Joey Bada$$ – Amethyst Rockstar (ft. Kirk Knight)

Liam Singer – Nine Ten

M83 – Steve McQueen (Freak You Remix)

The Oarsman – First Flight

The Pedaljets – Conversations

Porcelain Raft – Think of the Ocean

Royal Forest – John Denver

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 6-20-13

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:

Third Man Records is releasing a vinyl box set featuring exclusive live sets from The Shins, The Kills and Seasick Steve

Watch DIIV perform a demo of a new song called “Dust”

Check out the set times for this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival

Music Video: Majical Cloudz – Bugs Don’t Buzz

Learn more about the “Station to Station” public art project train tour coming up this September, featuring Savages, No Age, Eleanor Friedberger, Dan Deacon and many more

Lyric Video: Okkervil River – It Was My Season

Music Video: Wavves – That’s On Me

Music Video: The Postal Servce – A Tattered Line of String

Music Video: Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?

Once you’re through with the many distractions I’ve passed along above, there’s a bunch more below in the form of your dose of Pick Your Poison. That includes highlights from A Grave With No Name, Grant Olney, Jake Bellows, Motorama, Psychic Twin and Vial of Sound. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream some good tunes from Bitchin’ Bajas, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, NOVI and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

A Grave With No Name – The Steps

Dufvan – Fly

Extended Days – Deep Magic (Brighter Days Remix)

Futurecop! – Maladaptive Daydreaming

Grant Olney – Who You Are For Me

Jake Bellows – I Know You

Kanye West – On Sight (Its Overture Bootleg)

Miguel – Sure Thing (Quasimo Remix)

Motorama – To the South

Movement – Feel Real (Morgan Geist Remix)

Plump DJs – Son of a Gun

Psychic Twin – Unlock Yr Heart

Speedwell – Calling On Columbia Pike

Vial of Sound – A Lifetime Passed

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 6-19-13

Have you ever had to deal with the unfortunate tragedy of spilling a beverage on your laptop? Unfortunately, for the first time in my life, I’m learning that lesson right now. My normal laptop is out of commission for at least 24 hours, meaning that I’m going to do my best to continue to operate the site like normal, but if things get a little slow, delayed or nonexistent for a couple days please bear with me. I’m typing this on a borrowed laptop, so I should probably be quick about it. I don’t think the hard drive on my now waterlogged laptop is fried, but I may have a couple of smaller problems to deal with once things have dried out. I may have more details on that in the coming days, we’ll see. For now, please enjoy this Wednesday edition of Pick Your Poison. Key tracks today come from About group, Frank Lenz, Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas, Metals, The Toxic Avenger and Yassou Benedict. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new stuff from Blouse, Brendan Benson, Drake, Duck Sauce, MY BODY and Sophie.

360 – Killer

About Group – Walk On By

The Bangerz – Legends Never Die

Cameron the Public – Apple Pie

Frank Lenz – Pentasynth

Gentlemen Hall – Sail Into the Sun (RAC Remix)

Havilah Tower – Out to Sea

Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas – Gone in Two Seconds

Kill the Captains – Disco Nazi

Metals – That Ain’t Real Love

Niv Ast – Goodbye

Sinden Presents the Crystal System – Step Back

The Toxic Avenger – Romance & Cigarettes (Edit)

Yassou Benedict – The Cloisters

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 6-18-13

Two of my favorite albums from 2013 so far get released today. I’m not going to mention which ones specifically, and instead I’m just going to give you a full list of artists and you can make your own assumptions/decisions on what to pick up this week based on that. So then, here’s what artists are releasing new records this week: Austra, Hospital Ships, Kanye West, The Mantles, Midnight Faces, The Mowgli’s, Primal Scream, Quasimoto, Saint Motel, Sigur Ros, Spectrals, Tunng, and Valient Thorr. So yeah, there’s definitely something out there for everyone this week, including, as I mentioned, a couple of key releases. Shouldn’t be too hard to figure out which ones. Should full albums not be your thing, or perhaps just none of this appeals to you, there’s always some single songs via the mp3s below as part of today’s Pick Your Poison. Allow me to recommend cuts from Admirers, A Grave With No Name, Bells Atlas, Emperors, Garrett Kato and Lust for Youth. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Deer Tick, DeLooze, Glass Animals, Lolo, Pond and Ski Lodge.

Admirers – Spirit Lamp

A Grave With No Name – Dig Me Out

Aleos – Frogs

Atlas Genius – If So (TheFatRat Remix)

Bells Atlas – Kazoo

Casey Black – Dig Together (ft. Inara George)

Emperors – Be Ready When I Say Go

Frida Sundemo – A Million Years

Garrett Kato – Hipster Kids

Ghostpoet – Meltdown (Squarepusher vs. Ghostpoet Remix)

Lust for Youth – Vibrant Brother

M + A – When

TECHNICULT – Ghosts

Walking Shapes – Pusher

Pick Your Poison: Monday 6-17-13

What a weekend for Kanye West. I’m not the sort of person that soaks up gossip and reports it to people like it’s news, but when you had as crazy of a weekend as Kanye did, it’s basically reported everywhere. First, in advance of its Tuesday release date, Kanye’s new album Yeezus leaked, and people freaked out. Prior to it leaking, nobody had heard a single proper studio version of any of the songs set to appear on the album. In fact, the track listing wasn’t even officially revealed until last week. It was a project shrouded in mystery, only truly gaining interest and traction because Kanye kept performing songs from it in various live settings, be it at a festival show or on Saturday Night Live. Then there were video projections at cities all around the world that showed different Kanye videos and played different songs depending on the location and such. That happened again over the weekend in addition to the album leaking. Some musicians say that each new album or new song is like a brand new baby birthed into this world, and you want to love and protect it until the day you die. Funny then that the day after his album leaks, Kim Kardashian has her baby. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Kanye is the father of that baby. There’s been no word on a name yet, but most everyone suspects it’s going to start with the letter “K”. Personally I think that at least part of that baby girl’s name is going to be Donda, as a tribute to Kanye’s somewhat recently deceased mother. Needless to say, Father’s Day on Sunday held extra special meaning for Kanye West. He probably went out and bought himself a “World’s Greatest Dad” mug, upon observing that it was clearly intended for him. So yeah, I wish him all the luck in the world with fatherhood and I suppose with his music career. The guy may be completely full of himself and the farthest thing from a good father and role model, but he’s got undeniable talent, which I guess…makes it okay to overlook his faults? I don’t know. Let’s just get to today’s Pick Your Poison. I’m happy to recommend tracks from BEACH, Brian Irving, Esmerine, Irontom, Junior Astronomers, Kitty, Kyle Andrews and The Mallard. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Bendik, Dornik, M.I.A., Schoolboy Q (ft. Kendrick Lamar) and Soft Metals.

The Bangerz – Beam

BEACH – Love Was A River

Brian Irving – Eyes Wide

Esmerine – Translator’s Clos Part II (Edit)

Frank Rabeyrolles – Poets and Walls (Demo)

Irontom – What Will Happen to All the Indie Stars

Junior Astronomers – Touching War

Kitty – Barbie Jeep

Kyle Andrews – Crystal Ball

Lana Del Rey – Young & Beautiful (Unlike Pluto Remix)

Love Inks – Skeleton Key (RUN DMT Remix)

The Mallard – Crystals & Candles

MASS:LIGHT – Motherfuckers

Selebrities – Temporary Touch (Rush Midnight Remix)

Warships – Heater

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 6-13-13

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:

YouTube Audio Stream: No Age – C’mon Stimmung

The long list of Canadian artists nominated for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize has been unveiled

Music Video: These New Puritans – Fragment Two

The band Fucked Up has been given two special breakfast platters on the menu of the Toronto restaurant Sneaky Dees

Music Video: AlunaGeorge – You Know You Like It

Read Kanye West’s extended interview with the NY Times

Music Video: Polica – Tiff (ft. Justin Vernon)

Lyric Video: Washed Out – It All Feels Right

Music Video: The Lonely Island – Go Kindergarten (ft. Robyn, Diddy and Paul Rudd)

YouTube Audio Stream: Neko Case – Man

Once you’ve made it through that pile of distraction, let me offer another pile of them. Today’s key songs to watch out for come from Belladonna, Deadstring Brothers, Elusive Parallelograms, The Pharmacy and Solblomma. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Celestial Shore, Hooded Fang, Lone, Maps and Painted Palms.

Back Back Forward Punch – Don’t Stop Now

Belladonna – In My Demons’ Name

Bingo Players – Devotion (Stanton Sessions 4 Re-Thump)

BRTSH KNIGHTS – Hazed (Mono Poly Remix)

Cadien – A Million Little Pieces (Futurizm Remix)

Deadstring Brothers – Like A California Wildfire

Ducky – Air (Day Version)

Elusive Parallelograms – 8-Bit

Marika Hackman – Bath Is Black (Hackman Remix)

Mortar and Pestle – Lighthouse (Kraddy Remix)

The Pharmacy – Baby Be

Sixfingerz – Rhode Island

Smash the Box – Addicted (Darc Marc Remix Dub)

Solblomma – (COme Count The) SHEEP (With Me)

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 6-12-13

Chicago is great. I love my city, probably in the same way that you’re passionate about a place that you’ve lived for the majority of your life. You probably wouldn’t have lived there for so long unless you liked it…or your parents forced you into it during your childhood. Anyways, What I was getting at about Chicago is how incredible it is when one of our sports teams does well and suddenly “fans” start to come out of the woodwork and claiming they’ve been supporting the team all along. Sure you have, just because you watched a part of that game that one time because the bar you were at had it on. But yes, it seems the fairweather fans have descended for the rest of the NHL season now that the Blackhawks are in the running for the Stanley Cup. Nevermind the fact that I’ve spent quite a bit of time cheering for the team this season straight from its abbreviated post-strike start at the beginning of 2013. But this also isn’t a sports blog, and I don’t like using this time to complain. But I bring this up because in the middle of one of the longest games in Stanley Cup history earlier tonight, something amazing was announced that relates to music in Chicago. Okay, and Denver and Toronto too. What is this amazingness I speak of? Well, it seems that The Replacements are officially back, and have announced three shows that will be among their first in 22 years. All three of the currently announced shows will be in the form of headlining slots at all three Riot Fests taking place in 2013 in the cities I’ve just mentioned. The Toronto Riot Fest takes place August 24-25, the Chicago version takes place September 13-15 and the Denver ones goes from September 21-22. As a life-long Chicagoan, of course I’m most excited about that show. Chicago is also a notable place in the history of The Replacements, because the band officially broke up on July 4, 1991 in the middle of a show at the Taste of Chicago. So now they’ll be making a grand return, and suddenly my Twitter feed deviated from hockey commentary for a bit to report the exciting news. As for the lineup of The Replacements, at this point it’s going to be Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson, and the rest of the band will be announced later. Want to hear something even better? Before the festival kicks off in mid-September, I’ll be giving away a pair of 3-day passes to this year’s Riot Fest in Chicago. Beyond The Replacements you’ll be able to see the Violent Femmes, Blondie, Rancid, Public Enemy, Guided By Voices, The Dismemberment Plan, Dinosaur Jr. and many more. Tickets can currently be purchased for either $150 for a regular 3-day pass or $250 for a VIP 3-day pass. It wouldn’t surprise me if the festival sold out this year, and rumor has it single day ticket sales are on the way too. But yes, if going to this festival for 3 days in mid-September in Chicago sounds like a great plan to you, keep an eye on this site for your chance to win some free passes. Now then, let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison. There’s some strong tracks in the set today from Holley Maher, Inch Chua, Joey Bada$$, Leftover Cutues, Missing Monuments, Run the Jewels (Killer Mike + El-P) and Speedy Ortiz. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Arp, Freddie Gibbs, Smith Westerns and Zero 7’s remix of Ultraista.

Caged Animals – Cindy + Me (Billy Dub Remix)

Glitches – Only Time Will Tell (Tom of We Have Band Remix)

Havilah Tower – Out to Sea

Holley Maher – Whispered Words

Inch Chua – Artful Dodger

Joey Bada$$ – 95 Til Infinity

Kris Menace & Douze – Wall of Love

Leftover Cuties – One Heart

Maps – A.M.A. (Susanne Sundfor Remix)

Missing Monuments – Answer the Call

NOVI – Make A Scene

Run the Jewels – 36″ Chain

Shine 2009 – Eurozone (CFCF Remix)

Speedy Ortiz – No Below

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 6-11-13

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Er, I mean Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday! Yes, we’ve hit that magical day of the week where the new albums come out in America. As a service to those of you that might not pay so close attention to the release calendar, I’m pleased to provide you with a list of artists releasing new material this week. That said, be on the look out for new records from Black Sabbath, Boards of Canada, Braids, CSS, Date Palms, Dead Meadow, Disclosure, Giant Sand, Jan St. Werner, Jason Isbell, John Vanderslice, Joseph Arthur, The Lonely Island, Piano Magic, Sonny and the Sunsets, Strangers Family Band, Superhumanoids (featured in the Soundcloud section below!), Surfer Blood and WhoaBear. There’s a couple of solid contenders in there, Boards of Canada and Disclosure in particular among them. But if you want to go beyond what’s simply out this week and take a look at all the new songs you can pick up for free today, look no further than right below. I’m happy to recommend tracks from Blake Hazard, Detroit Rebellion, This Frontier Needs Heroes, Future Loves Past, Hunx & His Punx, Ursa Minor and You Me & Us. In the Soundcloud section, stream new songs from Gogol Bordello, Run the Jewels (El-P and Killer Mike), Ryan POwer and Serengeti.

Blake Hazard – Weekends Are For Amateurs

Bonnie Whitmore – Too Much Too Soon

Detroit Rebellion – Some of the Time (Some Other Time)

Escort – Barbarians (CSS Remix)

This Frontier Needs Heroes – George Clooney

Future Loves Past – Grow Up Tall

Hunx & His Punx – Bad Skin

Keep Shelly in Athens – Madmen Love (Braxton/Palmer Remix)

Lid Emba – Daniel’s Wired Mercy

The Noise Figures – A Black Dog

TOTEM. – In & Out

Trails and Ways – Tereza

Ursa Minor – Hurt

You Me & Us – Swim or Sink

Pick Your Poison: Monday 6-10-13

Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone. Many wise men have said that before, and I’m sure they will say it again as the years continue to pass. There’s another phrase that applies to this introduction as well, and that is, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Part of me suspects that’s why Broken Social Scene went on “indefinite hiatus” a couple years back. For many, the use of the “indefinite hiatus” tag effectively means the band has broken up but they won’t rule out reuniting sometime in the future. For BSS, I think that everyone still likes each other, they’d just like to spend some time working on other things. For band frontman Kevin Drew, that means putting out two solo records this year, one being a collaborative effort with songwriter Andy Kim. For guitarist and sometimes vocalist Brendan Canning, he’s re-formed his old band Cookie Duster, and is also working on scoring the soundtrack to the forthcoming Lindsay Lohan b-movie The Canyons. Most everyone else in the loose collection of friends they called a band could either be considered faceless or have other more main projects such as Apostle of Hustle and Do Make Say Think. That, and the main women of Broken Social Scene, who spent the last few years of the band’s existence tending to their own ever-expanding success in bands like Stars and Metric or simply Feist, are still going in remarkably impressive fashion. Perhaps the thing I’ll remember about BSS is the first time I saw them perform live, at Lollapalooza 2006. That was the only time (and one of the last times) that all members of the band were there, and their total numbers ranged somewhere around 20. The trio of Millan, Haines and Feist did “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl,” among others, and I had goosebumps. Then when the band was supposed to end their set due to time restrictions, they chose to continue onwards and keep playing in spite of that night’s headliner starting at a stage not very far away. At some point there was a rush of adrenaline and zealous enthusiasm when Kevin Drew asked the crowd to scream at the top of their lungs to express the joy we’re feeling simply at being alive and in that very moment. And it was one of my favorite shows that I’ve ever seen. Perhaps that’s why I just recounted it. A 2008 Lollapalooza attempt to recreate those moments with far fewer personnel was a nice effort but overall disappointing. Once you’ve seen the real deal full band, nothing else quite compares. But back to the hiatus. I think it was about time for the band to take a break, and perhaps to re-think their strategy moving forwards. Yet when BSS popped up for the first time in a couple years via a performance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” last week, I couldn’t help but feel that tingle in my spine once more thanks to the performance of classics like “Almost Crimes” and “7/4 Shoreline” with Feist. Then thanks to the Arts & Crafts label putting together the Field Trip Music & Arts Festival in Toronto over the weekend, the band performed their 2003 classic You Forgot It In People in full, along with some other key songs throughout the band’s existence. What I would have paid to have seen that. Thanks to the magic of the internet, we kind of can. Here’s the band performing “KC Accidental” and “Lover’s Spit” live at the festival. Great stuff, and I hope this brief reunion inspires the band to do a full You Forgot It In People tour in the next couple years. Come back, Broken Social Scene, and try to get everyone to come with you for at least one more memorial tour. I’d love it. Anyways, speaking of things to love, Pick Your Poison has you covered with some new tracks today. Don’t miss songs from The Blank Tapes, Can’t Dance, The Julie Ruin, Lake Isle, Potty Mouth and White Dove. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Coma Cinema, King Khan & the Shrines, Modern Hut, Owen, Thundercat and TOY with Natasha Khan (Bat for Lashes).

Ain’t No Love – Renegade (Penny Raider Remix)

The Blank Tapes – Don’t Ever Get Old

Can’t Dance – Trust Issues

Caravan Palace – Clash (Jupiter Remix)

Coastal Cities – Entropic (Dorian & the Dawn Riders Remix)

DoubleDownNation – Nico Said

Fenech-Soler – Magnetic (Sane Beats Remix)

Johansy – Castles

The Julie Ruin – Oh Come On

Lake Isle – Blue Angel

Potty Mouth – The Spins

Teenage Mothers – Mother Satan

We Are Temporary – Hurt

White Dove – Cold Mountain

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 6-6-13

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: Merchandise – Totale Nite

Music Video: Vampire Weekend – Diane Young

Watch Queens of the Stone Age perform an hour-long set for “Live on Letterman”

Music Video: The xx – Fiction

The reissue of The Smashing Pumpkins’ The Aeroplane Flies High will feature 90 bonus tracks

Watch Divine Fits perform 2 new songs on “Conan”

Music Video: The Lonely Island – Spell It Out

Watch Savages’ intense performance of “She Will” on “Fallon”

Drummers Zach Hill (Hella/Death Grips), Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney/Wild Flag) and Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam/Soundgarden) have teamed up to form DRUMGASM

Stream a new Beck standalone single called “Defriended” via YouTube

Stream a new song from Charli XCX called “Interior” via YouTube

Watch Thom Yorke perform “Rabbit In Your Headlights” on solo piano at a rehearsal space in Los Angeles

Once you’re done exploring those distractions, there’s a bunch more below for you song-wise. Don’t miss tracks from The Delta Mirror, The Durian Brothers, GO/NO-GO, Royal Forest, Strangers Family Band, The Swiss and White Lies. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new stuff from Boys Noize, Editors, Forest Swords, Jenny Hval, Jonathan Radio (of Foxygen) and La Luz.

Barcelone – Stones

The Big Sun – PANTS!

Daft Punk – Doin’ It Right (Flirtphonic Remix)

The Delta Mirror – Undeveloped Unreturned

The Durian Brothers – Angstbirne

GO/NO-GO – Desperate Romantics

Hailer – Anyway I Can

Lake Island – Grindstone

Norman Bassey – El Fiebre

Royal Forest – Everyone Who Knows You

SLDGHMR & You Love Her Coz Shes Dead – I Just Want You To Know

Strangers Family Band – Hang Onto A Dream

The Swiss – Connect

What Model Citizens – Coming for Me

White Lies – Getting Even

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 6-5-13

I realize I’ve talked a bit about Nine Inch Nails practically once a week for the last 2-3 weeks, but I promise that today will be the last day I make any mention of the band for at least a month. See, because in spite of the fact that we were told a new NIN single “Came Back Haunted” would be coming down the pipeline on Thursday morning/afternoon, like so many things in the internet age it leaked a bit earlier than that. Okay, so like 12-14 hours earlier than expected. Tech savvy as the band are, once it was out there in relatively low quality streaming format, they immediately uploaded a high quality version of it to Soundcloud, and it is featured below as part of today’s Pick Your Poison. I’ve had the opportunity to listen to it a handful of times so far as I work to get a handle on exactly what is going on in the track and what it reminds me of. Way back before there was any sense that NIN would actually be coming back and recording new material, I recall Trent Reznor saying that if he were to bring the band back, he’d like to try something new and unlike anything he’d done before. In a sense, it’d be a new band under the same old name. Technically speaking he did that when it was announced that people like Adrian Belew (King Crimson) and Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction) would be part of the new touring lineup. Yet Avery has officially bowed out now, upon realizing that there was going to be a massive tour and he wouldn’t have time for other pursuits. Belew was part of the band during their recording sessions, though he’s decided to not go out on tour either. While I do think that we’ll be hearing some “different” versions of classic NIN songs on the upcoming tour, part of me was hoping that maybe any newly recorded material would also be different than anything the project has done before. “Came Back Haunted,” to me, feels like a retread of the old NIN, like what would happen if Pretty Hate Machine were recorded today. It has a good beat, is dancey and features synths, but thinking about it so did a single like “Only” off the With Teeth record from several years ago. Really after reflecting on it I think it collects elements from the band throughout the duration of those first 20 years and squeezes them into one song. For somebody like me, hoping to have something truly fresh and unique, it’s easy to chalk the new song up as a disappointment. Yet I also loved this band for the duration of its existence and have heard everything that Reznor has ever put together. Compared to that massive catalogue of songs, “Came Back Haunted” actually feels like it’s in the upper echelon already. Instantly likeable and a reminder of how great this band was and still can be. Reznor has said in a recent interview that the upcoming album Hesitation Marks (out on 9/3) is “fucking great.” If the rest of the songs on it are as good as this first taste, he’ll have told the truth. Now then, let’s take care of today’s Pick Your Poison business. Tracks earning my thumbs up today come from CFCF, Hourglass Sea, Metaform, Night Drive, The Petticoat Tearoom and Sun Rai. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, there’s the aforementioned new NIN song, along with some other great stuff from Angel Haze, The Dig, Lorde and The Silent Comedy.

CFCF – Camera

Dawn of Midi – Nix

Hourglass Sea – Another World

Kraak & Smaak – The Future Is Yours (Futurizm Remix)

Linda Draper – Shadow of a Coal Mine

Metaform – Letters to the Void

My Gold Mask – Some Secrets (California Wives Remix)

Night Drive – Drones

OURS – Pretty Pain

The Petticoat Tearoom – Love Isn’t Gone

Singleton – Drown

Strangeheart – Five Two

Sun Rai – San Francisco Street

Thumpers – Innocence (ft. Gaggle)

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 6-4-13

Oh hey! It’s Tuesday, which means another set of new releases are now available to pick up via your legal retailer of choice. Not sure if one of your favorite artists is putting something new out this week? Here’s a list of artists so you can check: Ben Folds Five, Big Black Delta, The Builders and the Butchers, Camera Obscura, Capital Cities, City and Colour, Eleanor Friedberger, Filter, Future Bible Heroes, GRMLN, Houndmouth, Jon Hopkins, Naam, The Olms, The Parson Red Heads, Portugal. The Man, Quadron, Queens of the Stone Age, Rogue Wave, The Spinto Band and The Torches. There’s some strong material in that bunch, so make sure you check into some of these albums. If none of that satisfies however, perhaps a new song in today’s Pick Your Poison will instead. Don’t miss tracks from Bells Atlas, Boldy James, Cancellieri, Hani Zahra, Johan Hedberg, Midnight Faces and We Are/She Is. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Ensemble Economique, Hey Champ, The Night VI and Pillar Point.

Banana Beach – Mobile Homes

Bells Atlas – Incessant Noise

Boldy James – Chirps

Cancellieri – Higher

Constables – Ludovico

Ebony Bones – Mystery Babylon Balloon

Hani Zahra – Roll Roll Roll

James Bay – Move Together

Johan Hedberg – Nackamasterna

Midnight Faces – Holding On

Monophona – Shades of Grey

Skyjelly – Julius

Steel Phantoms – Matt LeBlanc

We Are/She Is – And the World

Pick Your Poison: Monday 6-3-13

Oh, Boards of Canada, what will you do next? These last couple months have certainly been strange ones involving the Canadian electronica duo. Honestly, I had no idea they had such a following, but when a handful of people discovered random vinyl records placed in stores around the world this past Record Store Day, people flipped out. Sure, it’s been 7 years since they’ve released anything, and absence certainly can make the heart grow fonder, but arguably they haven’t released a great album since 2002’s Geogaddi. I mean, The Campfire Headphase was decent in 2005, and the EP that followed it a year later was even weaker, but I guess there’s always been the hope that they’ll finally find that sweet spot created on their 1998 debut Music Has the Right to Children. Anyways, the random vinyl records were really short and had some number sequencing with them, all of which eventually led to a password on the BoC website where we learned there was going to be a new album called Tomorrow’s Harvest, set for release on June 10/11. As we’ve crept closer to that release date, there’s been a music video unleashed, a listening party at an abandoned water park in the California desert, and earlier today they finally streamed the full album exactly once in a live broadcast on YouTube. I listened to most of it as it streamed live (I hope you did too) and thought that it’s largely been worth the hype and will satisfy long-time fans. If you’ve got a different opinion on it, I invite you to share that with me in the comments section. Okay, let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison, shall we? There’s some dynamite tracks today from The All-About, Casey Turner, Dirty Streets, Jack Wilson, Run the Jewels (Killer Mike and El-P) and No Ceremony’s remix of The 1975. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from AlunaGeorge, Arthur Beatrice, Icona Pop, Lone and Travis Bretzer.

The 1975 – The City (No Ceremony Remix)

The All-About – Whatever, Happy Birthday

Blåtime – Leave, Go

Casey Turner – More Than Gold

Dirty Streets – Stay Thirsty

The Dry Ones – The Harp

gHSTS & gUITARS – wATER

Honeyslide – Drippin’
Honeyslide – Sugar Routine

Jack Wilson – Masterplan

Leonard Friend – Gatorade & Tylenol

Moonrags – Down Days

Run the Jewels – Banana Clipper (ft. Big Boi)

Touché – Bad Dreams (Midnight Magic Remix)

Tropic of Cancer – The One Left (Von Haze Remix)

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