Category: mp3 Page 63 of 120

When you really think about it, David Byrne and Trent Reznor are two very different artists from two very different worlds. Yet they also are very independently-minded artists who are rigorously respected by their peers. So just because Reznor made his name via the industrial metal of Nine Inch Nails and Byrne earned his fame via ’80s pop icons the Talking Heads doesn’t mean they can’t sit down for a friendly chat to discuss their experiences in the music business. That’s actually exactly what happened on Sunday night, when they met up in L.A. to speak about trying to create and distribute music in an increasingly digital world where the traditional record label model may no longer be viable. Byrne was also promoting his new book How Music Works, which is an excellent diagnosis of the music industry as a whole these days. Reznor’s new band How to destroy angels will also be releasing the An omen EP next month via major label Columbia, in case you weren’t already aware of that. In the discussion, Reznor talks a bit about why he felt the need to return to a record label after putting out the last few Nine Inch Nails releases on his own. His main point, I suppose, is that being responsible for your own exposure and marketing as a tiny enterprise brings its own set of challenges that he didn’t want to have to deal with anymore. A good 11 minute chunk of that video with Reznor talking can be watched here. It comes recommended obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t even have mentioned it. But while I’m recommending things, let’s talk about today’s Pick Your Poison. Good tracks today come from Golden Bloom, Iko, Lemonade’s remix of Lindstrom, Markus Mehr, Pearl and the Beard, Sufjan Stevens and Young Dreams. In the Soundcloud section I’m also recommending two Twin Shadow-affiliated songs: one from Chad Valley and the other a remix of Solange’s “Sleep in the Park.”

Arc in Round – Spirit (King Britt Remix)

Calvin Love – Gut Feeling (Devo cover)

Daniel Romano – She Was the World to Me

Deluka – Never Alone

Dikta – What Are You Waiting For

Golden Bloom – Flying Mountain

Iko – Kites

Lindstrom – Eg-ged-osis (Lemonade Remix)

Lisa Richards – Beating of the Sun

Markus Mehr – Duck Became Swan

NO CEREMONY/// – FEELSOLOW

Pearl and the Beard – 40K

Photek – Pyramid

Reuben and the Dark – Shoulderblade

Sufjan Stevens – Ding-a-ling-a-ring-a-ling

Young Dreams – Fog of War

SOUNDCLOUD

All Eyes – All I Want

Chad Valley – I Owe You This (ft. Twin Shadow)

Marika Hackman – Lithium (Nirvana cover)

Solange – Sleep In The Park (Twin Shadow Remodel ft. D’Angelo Lacy)

Terraplane Sun – Ya Never Know

Trixie Whitley – Breathe You In My Dreams

I’ve been a bit of a bad boy. That is to say I promised the world when I started a Facebook page for this site. Exclusive content, music videos, and links to every single post that appears on this site. Sadly, while I still do keep that page up and running, I’ve become a bit lazy when it comes to updating it. There will often be 2 or 3 posts collected and backed up in the hopper waiting for me to put them up on Facebook. I shared a few music videos and exclusive content (such as Spotify playlists) over the summer, but that’s pretty well dropped off too. It’s not a ghost town over there, but it’s far less active than I’d like it to be. Blame it on a busy schedule (which is actually quite accurate). But I promise I’m going to do my best to keep it up-to-date and reinfused with exciting new content. While I work on that, I kind of want to encourage you to get over there and press the “Like” button if you have yet to do so. I’d appreciate it. I’d also appreciate you looking at this weekend-starting edition of Pick Your Poison. Thumbs up today for tracks from Bogan Via, Book Club, Empresarios, Mist Glider, MMOSS and Sean Bones. The entirety of the Soundcloud section today is great stuff available for streaming should you be so inspired, and I hope you will be. Have a great weekend everybody!

Algernon Doll – Spiral Sounds

Bogan Via – TES

Book Club – Oh! You Lied

The Broken Needles – Saltflat Baby

Challenger – I Am Switches

Cracked Latin – My Miami

Empresarios – Rompan Fila

Hot Hot Hawk – Rise and Down (ft. Ksenia Popova)

Kairo Kingdom – One Two (No Big Deal Remix)

Kendrick Lamar – The Recipe (Its Overture Remix)

Landerim – The Black Swarm

Mist Glider – Just Us

MMOSS – Another Dream

Saturday, Monday – Headshake (ft. Julia Spada)

Sculpt – Deece

Sean Bones – United

SOUNDCLOUD

Avicii – Summerburst ID (Shoe Scene Symphony Bootleg/Unofficial Remix)

GRMLN – Patio

HAERTS – Wings

Mr MFN eXquire – Telephuck (ft. Gucci Mane)

Popstrangers – Heaven

Teen Daze – Divided Loyalties

Oh, let’s have a rather pointless discussion for today’s Pick Your Poison intro. Glancing at the calendar, I can’t help but notice that it’s 10/11/12. These sequential date things have been going on once a year since 1/2/03, and after 2014 there won’t be any more of them for close to another 100 years. In that regard, we should make the most of such moments and create some new memories. The date is easy enough to remember, so you’ll never forget that time you did that thing on 10/11/12. It’s National Coming Out day as well, which can be a monumental event in a person’s life, telling family and friends about your sexual orientation. If that describes you and it’s something you’re ready for, I encourage you to do that today. Really you can do that any day though, and it’ll still be a very special occasion. Or things could go horribly wrong and your family disowns you. That’d actually be special too, but for all the wrong reasons. For the rest of us, I’m sure that if we can’t come up with something exciting to do on a Thursday night besides go to work or sit at home watching the Vice Presidential debate, we’ll still have until November 12, 2013 to figure out something wild to do then. You know what though? Maybe today is the day you discover your new favorite band via Pick Your Poison. Let me recommend a few tracks for you from Andy Burrows, Fake Blood, Hank & Cupcakes, Purity Ring (ft. Danny Brown) and Torkelsen. In the Soundcloud section don’t miss audio streams from Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Ducktails and Yellow Ostrich.

Amicus – Sometimes I Miss You

Andy Burrows – Company

Black Lizard – Dead Light

Fake Blood – Bionic

Hank & Cupcakes – Sweet Potion

KIDCITY – Call Mom

Lovely Little Girls – Massive Vulva Cantaloupe

Metal Mother – Mind_Off

Purity Ring – Belispeak II (ft. Danny Brown)

SLDGHMR – Deviate (ft. La Felix)

Squarehead – More Quickly

Torkelsen – Havet

Van She – Jamaica (Mad Professor Dub)

VBZ – Quasicrystals (Grand Atrium Remix)

SOUNDCLOUD

Benjamin Francis Leftwich – In The Open

Cities Aviv – G A L L E R Y G U R L Z

Ducktails – The Flower Lane

LCMDF – I Go Insane

Menahan Street Band – Lights Out

Yellow Ostrich – Ghost

Okay, let’s spend another Wednesday talking about another band coming through Chicago soon. This time it’s Vancouver foursome Yukon Blonde, who will be at Lincoln Hall this Sunday, October 14th. Their second album Tiger Talk came out earlier this year and was filled with hook-heavy rock songs that have the ability to stick in your head for days. One of the things that makes Yukon Blonde such a great band is their incessant touring schedule. Honestly, I can’t really recall many bands that seem to tour more than these guys. Sure, there’s the possibility of becoming road weary, but the more shows you play the better you get at it. From what I’ve heard, Yukon Blonde have become incredibly good in their performances, so make sure you show up right at 8pm for their opening set. Please enjoy the song “Stairway” as inspiration to pick up a $15 ticket to this 21+ show. I’m also pleased to say The Jezabels will be headlining the show, touring in support of their new album Prisoner, which is also pretty good. So to sum up, 2 excellent bands playing 1 excellent Chicago venue this Sunday night. Buy advance tickets here. Let’s talk about today’s Pick Your Poison now, shall we? I’ll hand out gold stars in today’s edition to songs from Ace Reporter, The Delta Routine, Exquisite Corps, Free Energy, Mean Lady and Meshell Ndegeocello. In the Soundcloud section, you won’t want to miss streaming songs from The Babies, Young Volcanoes and Com Truise’s remix of The Twilight Sad.

Ace Reporter – Untouched and Arrived

Alt-j – Tessellate (SARM Acoustic Version)

Dancing Heals – Live and Learn

The Delta Routine – Don’t Wanna Let You Down

Exquisite Corps – I Want What I Want

Fantasy Rainbow – Condominium

Free Energy – Dance All Night

Legendary Wings – Nachos

Leon the Professional – The Real

Main Attrakionz – Cloud Body

Mean Lady – Bop Bop

Meshell Ndegeocello – To Be Young, Gifted and Black (ft. Cody ChestnuTT)

Palmbomen – Black Safari

Ronnie Fauss – This Year

Staygold – Wallpaper (ft. Style of Eye and Pow)

SOUNDCLOUD

The Babies – Get Lost

Enfant – Border of Mexico

From the Airport – Colors

Stockers! – Times Before

The Twilight Sad – Sick (Com Truise Remix)

Young Volcanoes – Traffic

It’s a surprisingly strong week for new albums, but then again when we get into the fall like this, almost every week is strong. Be on the lookout for new stuff from AC Newman, Black Marble, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Callers, Can, Caviare Days, Chrome Canyon, Citizens!, Coheed and Cambria, Converge, Dana Falconberry, Django Django, Electric Six, Ellie Goulding, Freelance Whales, Kaki King, John Cale, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Lord Huron, Mark Mallman, Martin Eden, Matt and Kim, Metz, Paws, Portugal. The Man, Royal Trux, Tame Impala, Trash Talk, Ty Segall and The Wallflowers. If that’s not good enough for you, or perhaps you’re in the mood for something a little bit different or fresher, enjoy the mp3s in today’s Pick Your Poison. Good stuff I’ll advise you to check out from Bear Colony, Daymoths, Departures, Fat Goth, How to destroy angels, Left Boy and Silkies. In the Soundcloud section, don’t miss streaming songs from Generationals, Mac DeMarco, MØ and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

Adele – Skyfall (Theatre of Delays Remix)

Bear Colony – Flask Retort

Bronx Science – The Light Behind Your Light Is Changing

Crash and the ‘Coot – Brian Fury Wins! (Alternate Version)

Daymoths – Terrible Beauty

Departures – Being There

Elim Bolt – Farm Kid

Fat Goth – Debbie’s Dirty Harry

Glimmermen – Travellin’ Men

Great Caesar – Tuned to Break

How to destroy angels – Keep it together

Humphrey Milles – Breathe

Left Boy – Sweet Dreams

Little Dragon – Little Man (Clancy’s Deep Haze Remix)

Quixotism – Sooner

Silkies – Red

SOUNDCLOUD

Generationals – Sale City

Mac DeMarco – Ode to Viceroy

MØ – Pilgrim

Morgan D – Feel Like Singin (The La La Song)

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Jeremy

Scorpio Loon – Things I Like To Do

Happy Columbus Day to you and yours. I hope you got the day off work to celebrate. If not, just know that Christopher Columbus wasn’t exactly the greatest of people. He basically discovered America by accident, then proceeded to drive out the Native Americans that already lived there. If such a thing were to happen today, the media would relentlessly criticize such a move. Instead we call the man enough of a hero to get a holiday named after him. If he wouldn’t have gotten lost on his way to India, somebody else would have discovered North America, and from there who knows what direction the country might have taken. I’m happy about the freedoms I have today, and hope that in spite of his shady deeds it was the right move for the country. Okay, let’s do some Monday edition of Pick Your Poison. Don’t miss some good tracks today from Jenee Halstead, King of Spain, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Peculiar Pretzelmen, Qurious, and Village. Remixes from DISCOFORGIA and Justin K. Broadrick also make for some excellent work. In the Soundcloud section, stream good stuff from Girls Names, Martin Eden (aka Eluvium) and SURES.

Bon Iver – Minnesota, WI (Lovely Extended Remix)

Caveman the Wise – Harold of the Moon

David Guetta ft. Taped Rai – Just One Last Time (Fareoh Remix)

Diva Dompe – Inverted Image

Gallons to Ounces – It Kills Me

Jenee Halstead – Rodeo of Sadness

King of Spain – Green Eyes

Letting Up Despite Great Faults – Bulletproof Girl

Mogwai – George Square Thatcher Death Party (Justin K. Broadrick Reshape)

Mykus – Pressing Flowers

Neil Nathan – Sweep the Nation

Nerd Revolt – Breaking Free

Oreaganomics – Happy Yet True

Peculiar Pretzelmen – Hammer/Nails

Qurious – Rubies

Tame Impala – Elephant (DISCOFORGIA Remix)

Village – Nowhere

SOUNDCLOUD

Arkells – Thinkin Bout You (Frank Ocean Cover)

Childhood – Blue Velvet

Girls Names – The New Life

Legs Like Tree Trunks – Snowflake

Martin Eden – Short Cut

SURES – L.A.

It’s Friday, I’m out of town for the weekend, so I’m going to keep this very short and very sweet. Have fun and try not to do anything I wouldn’t do. What wouldn’t I do? The short answer is not much. I think my upcoming weekend away will more than prove that. But in my stead, please enjoy this Friday edition of Pick Your Poison. Good stuff today from David Bronson, La Chansons, The Modern Airline, Pretty & Nice and Sunglasses. In the Soundcloud section there’s delightful tracks to stream from Those Darlins, Vitalic, The Walkmen and Joe Goddard’s (of Hot Chip) remix of Jessie Ware. Have a great weekend!

Buffalo Killers – It’s a Shame (Live)

The Cast of Cheers – Human Elevator (Errors Remix)

Misfits ft. Lazy Habits – Coda

Coves – Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)

Danny Brown – Grown Up (Nubbz Remix)

Danny Switchblade – Ordinary Neighborhood SuperStar

David Bronson – Times

Kat Webb – Waver

La Chansons – Treasure Trove

The Modern Airline – Vee Haf Veys (of Making You Rock)

Pretty & Nice – Capsules

Rainy Milo – The Other Way

Starkey ft. Trim – Solar Flare (Freestyle)

Sunglasses – Cold Shoulder

The Trashed Romeos – I Sit and Cry

Wiz Khalifa ft. The Weeknd – Remember You (VOODOO FARM Club Remix)

SOUNDCLOUD

Casablanca – Journey

Jessie Ware – Night Light (Joe Goddard Remix)

The Mouth Of Ghosts – When The Sun Sets

Those Darlins – Summer’s Dead

Vitalic – Stamina

The Walkmen – Dance with Your Partner

Okay, let me point out something that’s really weird and really cool. So “magician” David Blaine is never one to avoid a publicity stunt for the sake of doing something dangerous, which is why he’s now choosing to spend three days and three nights inside a metal suit where he will endure constant metal shocks. You’ll be able to watch the whole thing online, and I’m sure curious people will check in on him to see how things are going. Where this whole thing gets weirder and cooler though is with the involvement of Mr. Andrew W.K. See, the man who gave us “Party Hard” and plenty of other party anthems will be stepping in front of a keyboard this Sunday at 7:30pm EST and using it to hit Blaine with one million volts of electricity. The keyboard will be powered by a Tesla coil, which is how the electrical charge will be delivered to Blaine. That’s going to be one shocking (and probably painful) keyboard solo. Will you tune in? Will you be amused? Here is the spot on YouTube where you can watch it. I’ll be out of town, but somebody let me know how it goes. Equally electrifying is today’s edition of Pick Your Poison, which features some great songs from Bambi Lee Savage, Dawn Hunger, Rain Over St. Ambrose, Wooden Wand and Young Fathers. In the Soundcloud section there’s great stuff to stream from Black Moth Super Rainbow, Electric Guest and Saturday Looks Good to Me as well.

A.Chal – Roses on Your Silhouette

Arima Ederra – Prototype

Bambi Lee Savage – Oh Loneliness

City Reign – Ahead of Ideas

Dawn Hunger – Stumbling Room

DiMi Marc – Cup Full of XO

Frank Ocean – Pyramids (DJ Apt One Disco Dub)

Mind’s Hideaway – X-Ray Skin

Rain Over St. Ambrose – Walking Home

Southern Shores – New Love (Beat Connection Remix)

Victor Talking Machine – Penny Arcade (Live)

VIVA – Like Heaven

Wooden Wand – Southern Colorado Song

Young Fathers – Deadline

SOUNDCLOUD

Black Moth Super Rainbow – Gangs in the Garden

Electric Guest – Holiday

Laura Welsh – Hollow Drum

Limbo Kids – Heartshots

Mister Lies – Waveny

Saturday Looks Good To Me – Sunglasses

Okay, let’s do our usual thing on Wednesdays and talk about a couple upcoming shows happening in Chicago soon. The first I’d like to get to today is The Dig, who will be playing at The Tonic Room next Friday, October 12th. By the way, if you’ve never been to The Tonic Room, let me say that it’s one of the cooler small venues in town. Great place to see a show. But as for The Dig, they’ve been making a name for themselves these last few years, playing shows around the country with bands like The Walkmen and The Antlers. Their 2010 debut album Electric Toys earned them early respect, but their new album Midnight Flowers really brought them into their own. Stream the whole record here. They’ve got just the right mixture a good modern indie rock band should have these days, from guitars to synths and strong vocal harmonies. The energy is there too, which the band channels into their dynamic live performances. Don’t miss seeing them if you’ve got the chance. Tickets are $10 for this 21+ show and are available for purchase here.

Next up, if you enjoy a good piano rock band now and then (who doesn’t?), you might want to be aware of the Jacob Jefferies Band. While the piano does play a big part in their sound, guitars play a large role too, hence the descriptors of both piano and rock. Think of them sort of like if Ben Folds had a musical baby with Tom Petty. Their latest single “Suffocate My Heart” earned them Buzzworthy status at MTV, which between you and me doesn’t mean that much these days, but any praise is a good thing. They have a tendency to be poppy and fun, which makes it seem like only a matter of time before they’ll be playing large venues and have multiple songs on the radio. Until they get there though, they’ve got a show at the Elbo Room on Thursday, October 11th. It starts at 8pm, is a 21+ show, and you can get tickets here.

Okay, now it’s onto today’s Pick Your Poison. Great set of tunes today to help you get over the hump that is mid-week. Don’t miss tracks from A.C. Newman (ft. Neko Case), Brainstorm, Ceremony, Mardeen, Steffaloo and WRITER’s cover of Santigold.

A.C. Newman – Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns (ft. Neko Case)

Andre Williams – But’n

Atlas Genius – Symptoms (Wild Cub Remix)

Brainstorm – Maybe a Memory

Ceremony – Everything Burns

City Brat – Savage Friends

Dishes – DAMP

Fenster – Oh Canyon (Slow Steve Remix)

Honey Mustard – Talk

Mardeen – Oh Dad

Silent Redemption – Chariots of Fire

Steffaloo – Would You Stay

Telephoned – Last Time (Krystal Klear Remix)

WRITER – Disparate Youth (Santigold cover)

Zhu – Solteria

SOUNDCLOUD

Daft Punk – Superheroes (Solidisco Remix)

Deaf Club – Break It Slow

DZ Deathrays – Dollar Chills (Cadence Weapon Remix)

Gypsy and the Cat – Sorry

Nu Sensae – Sleeping Blouse

Rhye – The Fall

It’s Tuesday, which means it’s new album release day. I’m pleased to bring you a list of artists that have new stuff out this week, so feel free to check some of these out if you’re so inclined: Balmorhea, Beth Orton, Dark Dark Dark, ERAAS, Flying Lotus, Frank Turner, How to Dress Well, Immigrant Union, John Cale, Joseph Arthur, Lightning Bolt, Maserati, Matt and Kim, Moon Duo, The Mountain Goats, Muse, Sun Airway, Taken By Trees, Tift Merritt, Tilly and the Wall, Tori Amos, Ultraista, The Vaccines and Why? I’m not going to say what I recommend out of that bunch, but there are definitely a few gems in that pile. There are also a few gems in this pile of mp3s below, all part of today’s Pick Your Poison. Don’t miss downloading tracks from Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters, Elliott BROOD (covering David Bowie), JAN, Kuky Tala, Lord HUron, Prince Rama and T.H. White. RAC’s remix of Mayer Hawthorne is pretty good too. In the Soundcloud section I’ll advise streaming tracks from The Joy Formidable, Lust for Youth, Madrid and WIN WIN.

Adian Coker – Airs & Graces

Alexx Foxx – Giving You Up

Beacon – Feeling’s Gone (Fort Romeau’s Shibuya Edit)

Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters – We Make Our Own Traditions, Homesick Blues

D.O.E. C.I.G.A.P.O.M. – Summertime Stroll

Elliott BROOD – Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie cover)

Ikil Oriion – Stup!d Retarded

JAN – How to Beast

Kuky Tala – Turi

Lord Huron – The Stranger

Los Jardines de Bruselas – On the Moon (Together)

Maus Haus – No More Girls

Mayer Hawthorne – No Strings (RAC Remix)

Mock & Toof – Sleeper

My Radio – Life is a Bitch Slap

Neonfaith – Mercury

Prince Rama – Those Who Live for Love Will Live Forever

T.H. White – Scene & Modify

The Tom Fun Orchestra – Animal Mask

Two for Flying – WTF

Yuzima – Vote for Obama, Yeah

SOUNDCLOUD

The Joy Formidable – This Ladder Is Ours

LexiconDon – City Lies

Lips – We Don’t Have Much Time

Lust for Youth – Behind Curtains

Madrid – Sad Song

WIN WIN – After the Wait

What a start to the week! I don’t know about you, but I’m not the biggest fan of Mondays. Today though, was pretty spectacular music-wise. First, Death Grips got into a fight with their label, Epic Records. See, they promised their fans they’d be releasing two records this year. The first was The Money Store, which came out in April. They completed their second record, “No Love Deep Web” a few days ago, and it was slated for an October 23rd release. Epic backed out of that release date though, and told the group they’d now like to release it “sometime in 2013.” Well, one of the things you probably shouldn’t do is piss off guys that call themselves Death Grips. In a series of angry tweets last night, they said they were just going to put the record up on their website starting at midnight PST on October 1st (today). As they said, the label people will be hearing the album at the same time as everyone else. Well, not only did it go up on the site for streaming, it was up for free download too. Of course since then their site has crashed and will probably take a few days to repair. In the meantime though, feel free to stream/download No Love Deep Web from Soundcloud, or just download the whole thing via Mediafire or DepositFiles. Nobody’s trying to stop them from giving it away, at least not yet. Once that genie is out of the bottle, there’s not really any way to put it back in anyways. The cover art, by the way, features the album title written in marker on an erect penis. I’m not going to link to that, and if you want to find it, do a search for it. So yeah, a new Death Grips album (which may or may not be your thing) being given away for free is great and worth it, in my opinion. Also great news: Godspeed You! Black Emperor have announced they will be releasing their first record of new material since 2002. Not only that, but it’ll be available for purchase in two weeks (Oct. 16th). The title of the new album is ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!. If you’re a fan of the post-rock collective, then start getting excited now. For more information on that, and to preorder, simply go here. Okay, now let’s do today’s Pick Your Poison. Don’t miss tracks from Beaten By Them, Broke For Free, Guards, Jemez Mountain Hawkz, Marine Electric and Peace. The Canyons Wooly Mammoth Remix of Tame Impala is worth a download too. In the Soundcloud section, stream new and interesting stuff from Example, Star Slinger, Teen Daze and Tennis (covering Television).

Beaten By Them – Jet Age

Broke For Free – The Gold Lining

Deison – Room 4

Dolfish – Grown Ups

Dream Boat – Sea to Sky

Frank Rabeyrolles – Listening to Tago Mago (Franklin Edit)

The Growl – With the Sharp End of a Trowel

Guards – Silver Lining

How to Dress Well – Cold Nites (Pete Swanson Remix)

Jaggery – Hostage Heart

Jemez Mountain Hawkz – California Sound

Kim Fai – Good Life (Paul Thomas Remix)

Legendary Wings – Paper Roses

Marine Electric – Murder Mile

Peace – Tattoo

Souldrop – Turn Back Time

Steffaloo – Would You Stay

Tame Impala – Elephant (Canyons Wooly Mammoth Remix)

Tony Resta – Into the Future

Trapped Mice – Mona Lisa

SOUNDCLOUD

Example – Close Enemies

Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch – Etimasia

Paul Buchanan – Wedding Party

Star Slinger – Ladies In The Back (Feat. Teki Latex)

Teen Daze – Spirit

Tennis – Guiding Light (Television Cover)

Happy Friday! Remember when that Rebecca Black song was popular because of how excruciatingly bad it was? I despised those that took the song seriously and used it as their theme song for days like today. These days we’ve got a far better option to get us pumped for the weekend. It’s far better, and best appreciated in video form, though only listening to the audio provides some inspiration if only because you recall the images and dancing while doing so. But this trend too shall pass. I’m reveling in the moment though, and am starting to wonder if there is a quintessential song that we can call the all-time weekend-starter. Like, if you had to pick a single song to listen to on Friday afternoon for the rest of your life, what would that song be? I don’t know if I could make that sort of commitment, though if I did it’d probably have to be something classic I’ve loved for years and wouldn’t ever get tired of. It’s a tough choice. Chew on that while you’re relaxing in front of the TV or something this weekend. In the meantime, please enjoy these fresh from the harvest mp3s in today’s Pick Your Poison. Highlights include tracks from Autumn Owls, Crystal Castles, Cultfever, dEUS, Dracula Lewis, The Glitch Mob, Midnight Magic, Naytronix, and Parade of Lights. In the Soundcloud section please keep an eye on streams from The 1975, Dinosaur Jr, Milano Sun and PAWS. Have a great weekend!

Alex Vans – Chase the Night

Army of Freshmen – America, You’re Breaking My Heart

Autumn Owls – Patterns

Cave Painting – So Calm (Vondelpark Remix)

Crystal Castles – Wrath of God

Cultfever – Strangenecks

dEUS – Ghosts

Dracula Lewis – Permafrost

Electric Empire – Changin’

The Glitch Mob – We Can Make the World Stop

Kodaline – All I Want (Everything Everything Remix)

Marian Call – Highway Five

Matt Bauer – Tonight We Get to Sing Our Songs

Midnight Magic – Diamonds

Naytronix – In the Summer

Parade of Lights – Just Give It Up

Red Clover Ghost – Cowboy Killer (Days Fade Away)

TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb – Eyewitness On the Run

Tumble 4 Ya – Like Me

Two Door Cinema Club – Sleep Alone (The Golden Pony Remix)

SOUNDCLOUD

The 1975 – Sex

Bastille – Free Love (Original Mix)

Dinosaur Jr – Pierce The Morning Rain

Hammock – (Tonight) We Burn Like Stars That Never Die

Milano Sun – If You Go Home Alone

PAWS – Sore Tummy

I am what you would call a Beach Boys fan. The reason I word it that way is because I’m a bit selective in my fandom of the band. If you want to talk about Pet Sounds or Surfin’ USAr or even a greatest hits record, I’m on board. Most of the other stuff I could care less about, save for a handful of songs. I respect their legacy, but don’t really like some of the inter-band drama they’ve had over the years. To me, Brian Wilson’s return to the Beach Boys in the last couple years was a bit of a triumph, especially after his personal difficulties. For much of 2012, the band has been celebrating their 50th anniversary by reissuing some of their classic albums, recording a new one and touring around the world. I happened to see them when the tour came through Chicago last May, and it was a great time. They played all the hits, and to see all the remaining members together on stage was a genuine treat. Unfortunately all is not well with the Beach Boys. Mike Love, who owns the Beach Boys name, announced a couple days ago that following the band’s final UK tour dates coming up he was kicking Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks to the curb. Basically Love said he only got everyone back together to make a ton of money surrounding the 50th anniversary of the band, and now that they’re done with that he doesn’t want them around anymore. On the other end, Wilson said in an interview that he, Jardine and Marks had so much fun during this tour and can’t understand why Love wants them gone. Jardine has backed an online petition to try and keep the original Beach Boys intact. What’s ironic to me is that a guy with the last name Love could be so heartless. I’m just glad I got to see them together before this whole thing blew up. I wish them all the best and hope they can find a way to settle any differences there might be. Okay, let’s talk Pick Your Poison for today. Recommended tracks come from Cardio, Dazzletine, Immigrant Union, KOPPS, Night Moves, Paper Diamond and Undesirable People. In the Soundcloud section don’t miss streaming songs from Andrew Bird, The Weeknd and Woods.

Birds & Batteries – I Want You (DOOMbird Remix)

Calvin Love – Magic Hearts

Cardio – My Old$chool

Dazzletine – Plumage

Eleni Mandell – Bun in the Oven

Gus By Heart – Hideous Sounds

Idea the Artist – Sheep Jumping Fences

Immigrant Union – My Heart’s A Joke

Kjartan Blue – Old Woman

KOPPS – Digitalis

NEØV – Windvane
NEØV – Windvane (Korallreven Remix)

Night Moves – Headlights

Paper Diamond – The 40 Thieves

Parker & the Numberman – Farmer’s Heart

Silver Medallion – Money Can’t Buy

Tusks – In the Beginning / Give It Time

Two Door Cinema Club – What You Know (E-603 Remix)

Undesirable People – Eugenics

Ungdomskulen – Facemask (Stockhaus Horse Face Remix)

Zucchini Drive – Gospel Oak (ft. Elissa P)

SOUNDCLOUD

Andrew Bird – Three White Horses

The Bet – Bourne

Champs – St. Peters

People Get Ready – Windy Cindy

The Weeknd – Sirens (Rough Mix)

Woods – Give Your Light Off

I have a certain admiration for Prince, and it’s not just because of his basketball skills. I’d like to think that almost everyone in the world has at one point or another in their lives enjoyed a Prince song. Whether it’s the millennial staple “1999” or classics like “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Little Red Corvette,” the man has a catalogue most other artists would envy. More unfortunate is that the Purple One hasn’t had a legitimate hit in over a decade. People still love the guy, even if they don’t particularly care for what he’s been doing more recently. In that respect he’s more like a David Bowie, whose last few albums were mere footnotes. Prince has gotten a bit smarter these last couple years, and instead of going around trying to record and push new material, he’s simply touring because that’s one area of his life that’s still very lucrative. People still flock to see Prince in concert, and they’ll pay high prices for it too. Over the last few months he’s been playing around with touring structures too, holding down residencies in several U.S. cities. His biggest residency so far has been in Los Angeles, where he played 21 dates over the course of a month. Now he likes to claim that every show is unique, but I find it hard to believe that you’re not going to run into some similarities when you play 21 shows in the same place. Anyways, it got me really excited when at the start of this month, Prince announced a Chicago residency. No specifics were given, except that there was one show scheduled for September 24th at the United Center. Second and third shows would later be added as well, for the two days immediately after that. Now that they’re finally here, it seems like tonight will be Prince’s last show in Chicago for the foreseeable future. So L.A. gets 21 shows, and Chicago only gets 3? Unless he’s going to announce more Chicago shows, I’m upset. Here I avoided buying tickets to those shows, figuring that with at least 5-10 shows that still might be scheduled, it’d be easier to get tickets later on. Now on this last night, I’m kicking myself. Then again, reviews for the Prince shows in Chicago haven’t exactly been stellar, with most saying his band does most of the hard work, that he barely picks up a guitar, and when he does it’s only for a minute and doesn’t include an extended solo. Also, at the first show there was a debacle involving a second encore. Fans were left waiting for 30 minutes, then the house lights came up and most left. About 15 minutes after those house lights went up, Prince came back out and played a couple more songs. Almost everybody was gone by that point. Waiting 5 minutes for an encore is excruciating, so I can only imagine what 45 minutes feels like. I haven’t checked to see if he pulled the same stunt on Night 2. We’ll see about Night 3 later. Anyways, if Prince announces any more Chicago shows, I’ll be sure to let you know, as I’ll probably be getting tickets myself. So let’s tackle today’s Pick Your Poison. Recommended tracks come from Cold Showers, Communist Daughter, Departures, One Finger Riot, Sons of the West and Triad God. In the Soundcloud section, stream Passion Pit’s remix of Crystal Fighters, The Knocks remixing Two Door Cinema Club, and a brand new Tegan and Sara single.

The Amends – It’d Be Nice

Angels Heart – Under the Black Light

Cold Showers – Violent Cries

Communist Daughter – Ghosts

Crystal Shipsss – Burning Kingdom (Universal Fight Mix)

Decomposure – Black Snow

Departures – Pillars

Echoes de Luxe – Hold On
Echoes de Luxe – Don’t Change

Freelance Whales – Spitting Image (Little Daylight Remix)

Free Swim – Chumps Like Smee

hitRECord – Electric Loss

LI-ON GREVIER – Genevieu

Master Shortie ft. The Cataracts & Leaf – Thank You

Miike Snow – Pretender (Dem Slackers Remix)

Milk3y Microphone – Know You Love Me

The Ocean Floor – Big Screen TV

One Finger Riot – Miles

Privet – Don’t Chew With Your Mouth Full

Scott & Charlene’s Wedding – Footscray Station

Sons of the West – Call You Home

Triad God – Remand

SOUNDCLOUD

Crystal Fighters – At Home (Passion Pit Remix)

Johnny And The Giros – I Don’t Need A Lover

Neneh Cherry & The Thing – What Reason Could I Give (Kim Hiorthoy remix)

NZCA/Lines – Airlock

Tegan and Sara – Closer

Two Door Cinema Club – Sleep Alone (The Knocks Remix)