Category: music Page 100 of 188

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: Adrian Utley, The Beatles, Cate Le Bon, Chase and Status, Chris Garneau, Daedelus, David Lynch, Doug Benson, ERAAS, Erasure, Graph Rabbit, Grizzly Bear, Heidecker and Wood, Hollow Sunshine, The Hunt, ILLLS, Jensen Sportag, Josephine Foster, Keane, The Killers, Kiln, Lady Gaga, Los Campesinos!, Mark Pritchard, Mason Jennings, Matt Pryor, Nat Baldwin, Phish, Rhys Chatham, State Faults, Tindersticks, Troum, Vex Ruffin, Weekend Nachos, Wooden Shjips and Yeasayer. 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 Aaron Cohen, Barnaby, Crushed Stars, Frog Eyes, Jack Name and Old Monk. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Doc Daneeka, Heatsick, Marissa Nadler, The Minx and Raum.

Aaron Cohen – True

Barnaby – Bored

Crushed Stars – Flowerbomb

Formes – Inside I’ve Flown

Frog Eyes – I Won’t Dime

Ghost Beach – Miracle (DallasK Remix)

H A R T E B E E S T – death.

Jack Name – Pure Terror

Jensen Sportag – Rain Code (Fennesz Remix)

Jesse Koolhaas – Fly By

Kurt Von Stetten – Those That Know

Old Monk – Volcanic Prisons

One Unique Signal – The Under Side

What Model Citizens – Felony Heights

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It’s my sincere hope that you’ve been paying close attention to the band Cut Copy these last several years. If you like dance music, in particular the kind that’s laced with psychedelia and references to the past, they’re simply the sort of artist you can’t pass up. I’ve never known them to write anything less than impressive, catchy as all hell beat-driven anthems with a good dose of spaced-out electro-pop for good measure. Their new record Free Your Mind was unleashed about a week ago, and it continues the band’s trend of mining from history. This time the target appears to be both the hippie love fest that was the late ’60s and the neon glow of the coked-up ’80s club scene. The results are decidedly more mixed than their previous efforts, however if you take a step back from close analysis and just go with the flow, the flaws magically disappear and you’re left with another collection of really fun songs. In the live setting those issues are even less prevalent, mostly because that’s the area where the band truly excels, and people are there with one mission in mind: to dance their asses off. Cut Copy are currently in the middle of an international tour in support of the new album, and they’ll be in Chicago this Thursday night at the Riviera for an 18+ show. Tickets are a modest $27.50, and you can purchase them in advance here. Having seen the band a few times before, I can tell you this isn’t something you want to miss should you be available to go. If you’re not from Chicago, or simply feel like Cut Copy isn’t up your alley, let me help you out with today’s Pick Your Poison. There’s some strong tracks in this set from Andrew St. James, Bass Science, Foolish Atoms, Fossil Collective (covering The Flaming Lips), The Harmed Brothers, A Million Billion Dying Suns and Suddenly Sunshine. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Art Decade, Cassie, Diane Coffee, Emily Jane White, Juliette Commagere and Metronomy.

Andrew St. James – Visions

Bass Science – Swerve

Bodhi – No More (Charles Murdoch Remix)

Cancellieri – Storyteller

Foolish Atoms – How to Remains Solid Under a Sky of Gas

Fossil Collective – Do You Realize? (The Flaming Lips cover)

The Harmed Brothers – Better Days

Heaven – Colors in the Whites of Your Eyes (Computer Magic Remix)

Little Racer – Vanessa

Michael Persall – Waves

A Million Billion Dying Suns – Plush

Ryan VanDordrecht – Great American Life

Suddenly Sunshine – The Farm

Terminal Gods – The Wheels of Love

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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: Autre Ne Veut + Fennesz – Alive

A kitchen table once owned by former Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis’ is up for auction

Read Annie Clark’s (St. Vincent) smart & funny “review” of the new Arcade Fire album

Watch Washed Out perform the song “Paracosm” and talk about the new album

Music Video: These New Puritans – V (Island Song)

Watch The National perform “Sea of Love” on “Later…With Jools Holland

Music Video: Destroyer – Bye Bye

YouTube Audio Stream: Andrew Bird – Pulaski at Night

Music Video: CHVRCHES – Lies

Watch Arcade Fire perform Devo’s “Uncontrollable Urge” live in concert

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 Ballerina Black, The Black and White Years, BNLX, Message to Bears, The Pharmacy, Tei Shi, Van Anders and Vikesh Kapoor. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Bombay Bicycle Club, A Lily, The National and Sonny & the Sunsets.

Ballerina Black – Sauves Grey

The Black and White Years – Little One

BNLX – Opposites Attract

Close, Soft – Black & Blonde

Dan Bodan – Hunger Games (Great Skin Remix)

Ivan de Ru – Barbarians

Message to Bears – Moonlight

The Pharmacy – Ripped Weeds

Punks Jump Up – Fairlight (Club Mix)

Sabi – Love Sounds

Tei Shi – Nature vs Nurture

Van Anders – Out All Night

Vikesh Kapoor – Bottom of the Ladder

What Model Citizens – Too Late

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The middle of the week is the time I usually like to start thinking about the future – specifically the weekend and what show or shows I’m going to go and see. It doesn’t always work out – particularly if there aren’t any bands I like coming through town or I’ve got lots of other things going on – but in the fall I try to catch a concert at least once a week, even if it falls on a weekday. Which brings me to this upcoming weekend in Chicago. On Sunday night, the Sleigh Bells and Doldrums tour rolls through town for a show at Metro. First and foremost, if you’ve never seen Sleigh Bells perform live, they’re one of the best and most exciting acts on stage today. I’ve seen them three times now, and each has been a highly memorable and super fun experience. Actually, watch this clip of the band performing “Crown on the Ground” at SXSW 2012, which is a show I witnessed from up against the barricade. I haven’t been able to spot myself in the video, but I also didn’t bother pausing it to try and find out for sure. The point is, if you’re going to see Sleigh Bells live, be prepared for something high energy and loud. Unfortunately the band’s latest record Bitter Rivals is by far their weakest, and I’m sure a majority of their show these days is devoted to helping promote that album. Still, even with the so-so material I promise you that this band is worth the price of admission alone. That you get Doldrums opening up the evening is a really great bonus. If you’re not familiar with Doldrums, it’s the project of Canadian Airick Woodhead. After releasing a couple of EPs over the last few years, he finally put out his debut full length Lesser Evil in early 2013. The critics loved it, as did I, with an art-damaged DIY electro-based sound that’s drawn comparisons from Grimes (who’s a close friend) to Animal Collective. It’s very glitchy, often weird, but beat dominant and surprisingly catchy. Stream the full album on Soundcloud. Considering the lack of guitars, Doldrums might seem a little bit of an odd fit to be touring with the very guitar-heavy Sleigh Bells, but there’s enough white noise compositions between the two of them to make the pairing feel more apt than you might expect. I’ve never seen Doldrums perform live, but I’ve heard great things to the point where it’s worth showing up on time to experience it. Things kick off on Sunday at 9pm, the show is 18+, and tickets are $26. From what I understand, it’s really, really close to selling out, so buy your tickets in advance here. Now let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison. Key tracks you’ll want to pay attention to today come from Ben Fuller, Delay Trees, Dovetail, Laurel, SWF and Weather Music. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from CYMBALS, Hospitality, Juan Wauters, No Joy, Say Lou Lou and Snowbird (Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde).

Angela Perley and the Howlin’ Moons – Hurricane

Ben Fuller – Love Song for the People

Delay Trees – Perfect Heartache

DJ Scene & Jayceeoh – Damn

Dovetail – Big City

d.smithsucks – Fuck and Run (Liz Phair cover)

Grigori – Immune

Laurel – Fire Breather

Pet – Talk to You (Jack Tennis Remix)

Say Yes Dog – A Friend

SWF – Warrior

Tei Shi – Nevermind the End

Tic Tic Boom! – These Motions (Tapioca and the Flea Remix)

Weather Music – Incredible

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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: Bob Dylan, Cut Copy, Damon, David Bowie, Drag the River, Ducktails, Howe Gelb, Kronos Quartet with Bryce Dessner, M.I.A., Mat Zo, Midlake and The New York Dolls. 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 The Aikiu (ft. JD Samson), Brother Dege, Cameron McGill, The Delay in the Universal Loop, Kinetics and Take Berlin. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Audion (aka Matthew Dear), Broken Bells (aka James Mercer of The Shins + Danger Mouse), Jeremy Jay, Lyla Foy, Morgan Delt and Raekwon’s remix of Lorde’s Royals.

The 1975 – Girls (The Knocks Remix)

The Aikiu ft. JD Samson – Win

Brother Dege – The Darker Side of Me

Calliope Musicals – The Adventurers

Cameron McGill – Canyonlands

Congo Sanchez – Vibrations (ft. Ini Kimoze)

The Delay in the Universal Loop – Flumen

HeadShy – Coma

Iggy Azalea – Work (Stubbs Remix)

Kinetics – Empty Lanes

Kristin Hoffman – Let Go (Rise of Troy Remix)

Take Berlin – Vermona

Victory – Soothing Me So

Wolf Catcher – Lost

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Did anyone watch the first ever YouTube Music Awards on Sunday afternoon? In case you missed them, you can watch the entire 1:20 show by going here. The awards show took place at Pier 36 in New York, and was hosted by Jason Schwartzman and Reggie Watts. There were performances from Arcade Fire, M.I.A., Lady Gaga, Tyler, the Creator with Earl Sweatshirt, Eminem and Avicii, among others. Sounds like a good show and a good time, right? Well, in my opinion it was unlike any other music awards show I’ve ever seen. There were some positives and some negatives, but for the most part the whole thing was an exercise in oddity and occasional stupidity. There was a distinct aim for the insanity and unpredictability of some of MTV’s early VMA efforts, but all too often producers forgot the one essential component to really making it work – it has to be entertaining. Having the hosts announce the winner of an award by having them dig through multiple cakes to find it might have seemed like a creative idea in theory, but the execution was messy. Similarly, there wasn’t much to root for in the case of nominees, unless you’re a serious YouTube devotee and watch everything that goes even remotely viral. Girls’ Generation won “Video of the Year,” and I’ve never even heard of them. Granted, their sound isn’t right up my alley, but I wondered how many people who actively listen to pop radio know who they are. Similarly, Lindsey Stirling and Penatonix won “Response of the Year” for their video cover of an Imagine Dragons song. Um, okay? For me, the highlights were the performances. Arcade Fire’s “live music video” for their song “Afterlife” featured some stellar dancing from actress Greta Gerwig. Similarly, M.I.A.’s live video for “Come Walk With Me” was better than most of her new album. There was a video with a script written by Lena Dunham and directed by Spike Jonze and Chris Milk which featured music by Avicii and acting from Michael Shannon, Vanessa Hudgens and more. That had a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style ending to it, which was wholly engaging and fun. Then Win Butler from Arcade Fire had to have his own Kanye West/Taylor Swift moment by interrupting an acceptance speech. Those were some of the things the YouTube Music Awards did right. So there’s definitely room for improvement if they decide to try it again next year, which is 50-50 since not a lot of people watched the live broadcast online. What did you think? Let me know in the comments. Meanwhile, there’s a Monday edition of Pick Your Poison to get to. Let me recommend tracks today from Evan & the Brave, The Golden Furs, No Coda, Nyteowl, Wooden Peak and Xela Zaid. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Dum Dum Girls, Emily Jane White (ft. Marissa Nadler), The Naked and Famous, Superchunk (covering Misfits) and Worriers.

Dark Bells – Want (Nudes Remix)

Evan & the Brave – Rescuer

The Golden Furs – Run Back

Malka – Mirame

Mumblr – Ape

Nathaniel Rateliff – Nothing to Show For

No Coda – Numbers

Nyteowl – Get In It

PolyEmory – HydraFauna (Blood Diamonds Remix)

Run DMT ft. Betty Black – Starlight (Kodak to Graph Remix)

Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger! – Broken

Wooden Peak – Polar

Xela Zaid – Soft Sleep

You Win Again Gravity – Written Off As Fiction

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It’s Thursday (and Halloween!), 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:

Watch Odd Future (including Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt) in a short Halloween-related film “The Ghost of the Hotel”

Music Video: A$AP Rocky – Angels

Read Laurie Anderson’s obituary of her husband, Lou Reed

Music Video: MGMT – Alien Days

Watch “Little Duck,” a short film by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem

James Blake has won the 2013 Barclaycard Mercury Prize

Watch Julianna Barwick perform new song “Ash Day” with the help of some kids in Iceland

Music Video: Best Coast – I Don’t Know How

Watch Broken Bells’ short film “After the Disco,” starring Kate Mara and Anton Yelchin

Music Video: Savages – Marshall Dear

Once you’re done with that set of distractions, let me offer up another set via some spooooky song downloads and streams. Don’t miss tracks from The Appleseed Collective, The Fratellis, Killing Fields of Ontario, My Darling Fury, perth and Stanton Warriors. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Grizzly Bear, Katy B, LIZ, Magic Trick, Mutual Benefit and Painted Palms.

The Appleseed Collective – The Inability to Feel

The Aquaducks – This Far

Fast Romantics – Friends

The Fratellis – Halloween Blues

The Julie Ruin – Right Home (YACHT Remix)

Killing Fields of Ontario – Nothing to Be Frightened Of

Manicanparty – Bow Through My Heart

My Darling Fury – Blots in the Margins

Parkington Sisters – In the Pines

perth – Greasy Moon

Slick Shoota – F Dat (ft. Purple)

Smokey Robotic – Lady’s Scream

Stanton Warriors – Twilight

Until the Ribbon Breaks – 2025 (Alfi Remix)

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What are you up to next Wednesday, November 6th? If you’re in Chicago and want to see a great psychedelic rock show, I strongly encourage you to come out to the Empty Bottle for Secret Colours, Elephant Stone and The Besnard Lakes. Almost one year ago, Chicago’s own Secret Colours also played a show with Montreal’s Elephant Stone at Beat Kitchen, and the results were nothing short of mindblowing. The difference between then and now? Well, Secret Colours released their second album Peach this past summer, taking their psychedelic sound to a whole new level that eclipses their previous work. Stream that entire record if you don’t believe me. Elephant Stone has been plenty busy in 2013 too, and unleashed their self-titled second record upon an unsuspecting public this past February, and touring almost nonstop to support it. In case you’re not familiar, the band is led by bassist/sitarist Rishi Dhir, and their sound has been compared to the Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Black Angels, both of which Dhir has been a member of (officially or unofficially) at one time or another. Perhaps the best way to get introduced to Elephant Stone though is through this free compilation they’ve put together via Noisetrade. Give that a try and then tell me you’re still not on board with the band. I won’t believe you. In part because the Montreal music scene is so supportive of one another (shout out to Arcade Fire), Elephant Stone actually cancelled/changed some of their tour dates this fall in order to spend more time on the road with their friends The Besnard Lakes, who also put out an album this past spring called Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO. That’s a heady title, but The Besnard Lakes are a heady band. Their previous records The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse and The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night are downright heroic pieces of carefully orchestrated and epic psych-rock, which has earned them more praise and a greater spotlight than you might expect. The main duo of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas have proven truly masterful in their craft, and as their new record shows, they aren’t afraid to take some risks either. While things have gotten a little more subdued and a little less commercially viable, the spirit of their past efforts stays true. Check out the videos for their tracks “Colour Yr Lights In” and “People of the Sticks” to get a good idea of what the band has been up to these days. All that said, all three bands are going to destroy the Bottle next Wednesday, and you should be there. It’s a 21+ show, starts at 9, and tickets are $12 in advance. Buy them here. Now then, onto today’s Pick Your Poison business. Don’t miss tracks from Chad Kichula, CUSCINO, Mount Pressmore, Psapp, Way Yes and Weathered. After the jump, the Soundcloud section has audio streams of songs from Beachwood Sparks, Vex Ruffin, and White Fence, as well as Matthew Dear’s remix of Jagwar Ma, and Twin Shadow’s remix of SKATERS.

Chad Kichula – Me This Time

CUSCINO – Walking in the Garden

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – Life Is Hard (Teen Daze Remix)

Lady – Good Lovin’ (HyGrade Remix)

A Million Billion Dying Suns – Strawberry Letter 23 (Shuggie Otis cover)

Mount Pressmore – Dry Land

Phuture Doom – Doom Terror Corps

Ocean Liner – Swan Song

Psapp – Everything Belongs to the Sun

This Silent Forest – Root to the Seed

Thomas Azier – Ghostcity (Pyramid Remix)

Unlike Pluto – Plutonian MoonBrain

Way Yes – Holy Drop

Weathered – Coast

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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: 65DaysofStatic, Arcade Fire, Audacity, Autechre, Bad Religion, Bardo Pond, Body Parts, Botany, Boy and Bear, Brad Laner, The Chills, Chris Forsyth, The Devil Makes Three, Diane Coffee, DJ Rashad, Dovetail, Far-Out Fangtooth, Giant Squid, Hellogoodbye, Jonwayne, Juana Molina, Kid606, Los Lobos, Maria Taylor, Meanest Man Contest, Minor Alps, Miracle, Monster Rally, Moonface, Mount Kimbie, The Necks, New Alchemy, Painted Caves, Protest the Hero, Purling Hiss, Rickolus, Roy Harper, Russian Circles, Son Lux, The Sounds, This Will Destroy You, Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger!, Twin Peaks, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Upset, White Denim, Widowspeak, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, Yuna and Zodiac. 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 Ayer, The Bixby Knolls, Coastguard, Gem Club, Radstewart, Son of Stan, Tara Jane O’Neil and Yeah Saint Paul. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Fyfe, Sebastien Tellier, Sufjan Stevens, Vaadat Charigrim and Xiu Xiu.

Ayer – Circle Down

The Bixby Knolls – Runnin’ and Runnin’

Coastguard – Beach 3 (Ocean Blue)

The Dead Heads – Power Tripping

Drake – Come Thru (James Blake Version)

Gem Club – Polly

I’m In You – Tinnitus

Loves It – The Angels Sing

Mumblr – Puke

Radstewart – Arabesque Bedouin

Son of Stan – Noxeema

Tara Jane O’Neil – Wordless in Words

Torgny – Grønn Extra (Melkeveien Remix)

Yeah Saint Paul – Rendezvous

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There’s something about the way that Beck fits into my life that is strange. He’s never the sort of artist I jump to and can immediately pinpoint as one of my all-time favorites, yet a careful look at my music listening habits point to a liking of his music to the point of near obsession. Whenever I put my music player on shuffle, I may skip over a bunch of songs that don’t strike my fancy, yet inevitably play any Beck song that comes up from start to finish. I can’t tell you the last time I listened to one of his albums from start to finish (it’s been at least a couple years), and I’m hesitant to tell you which Beck album is my favorite, since the answer technically changes based on my mood at that particular moment. Sure, Odelay is the go-to response, but the non-stop party vibe of Midnite Vultures can grab me far more than most people, and Sea Change is perfect for those introspective days. Speaking of Sea Change, there’s been rumors floating around (more than a few perpetuated by Beck himself) that a new album has been in the works for awhile that’s largely acoustic and a “spiritual cousin” to that 2002 record. Yet the couple of singles he’s released so far this year in the form of “I Won’t Be Long,” “Defriended” and “Gimme” all sound a lot like the more electronic-based work he’s done on albums like Modern Guilt and The Information. Of course they were only singles, and were intended to be standalone tracks that simply didn’t work thematically with everything else Beck’s been working on recently. Well, the good news is that the long-awaited “acoustic” album now has a title, a label and a ballpark release date. Beck has signed to Capitol Records, which will release Morning Phase in February. Exactly what date in February remains to be determined, along with a final tracklisting and other pieces of information. But at least we now know SOMETHING, and can start building the excitement towards likely disappointment. Considering how beloved Sea Change is, it’s going to be tough to try and recapture that magic, though the fact that Beck is working with most of the same people he did back in 2002, it could well be easier to recapture than you might think. So now we wait. Hopefully we’ll have our first taste of a song from the album before the end of the year. In the meantime, maybe enjoy today’s edition of Pick Your Poison. There’s some strong tracks today from Callow, Carl Kruger, Fairchild, Gentlemen Hall (covering Kendrick Lamar), Jeremiah Jae, Midnite on Pearl Beach, Setting SUn and Yellow6. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Disclosure, Eminem, Mogwai and Weekender.

Callow – Philosophy

Carl Kruger – Venalize the Bold

Dundee – Still Breathe

Fairchild – Figure It Out

Gentlemen Hall – Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Kendrick Lamar cover)

Jeremiah Jae – Fun

Keep Shelly in Athens – Oostende (Postiljonen Remix)

Lo Fine – All We Need Is Hell

Midnite on Pearl Beach – Deep in Your Bones

Setting Sun – Selfish Love

Sincerely, Grizzly – Us; Or Optimism

Surecut Kids – Toke Dat (ft. MC Kitch)

Yell For Help – Love Will Keep Us Together

Yellow6 – 5.2

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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:

Stream Arcade Fire’s album Reflektor in full

Stream Cut Copy’s new album Free Your Mind in full

Music Video: Paul McCartney – Queenie Eye (guest appearances from Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and more)

Daft Punk is selling a deluxe box set of Random Access Memories for $275

Music Video: Arctic Monkeys – One for the Road

Watch Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold and Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen perform Pearl Jam’s “Corduroy” on “Fallon”

Music Video: Symmetry – The Hunt

Watch TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe give teen girls advice for Rookie Mag

Check out the full list of Record Store Day: Black Friday exclusives

YouTube Audio Stream: M.I.A. – Y.A.L.A.

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 Adrian Krygowski, The Black Watch, Fort Frances (covering Sufjan Stevens), Kallisti, Ki: Theory and TOTEM. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream tracks from Billie Joe Armstrong (of Green Day) with Norah Jones, Cut Copy, CYMBALS, Four Tet and White Lung.

Adrian Krygowski – Roam

A$AP Rocky, Kosha Dillz and Matisyahu – Freestylin 101

The Black Watch – I Don’t Feel the Same

Fort Frances – Chicago (Sufjan Stevens cover)

Haim – My Song 5 (Budo Remix)

High Rule – Portmanteau

Japanther & Cheeky Blakk – Donut Shop Bounce

Kallisti – Michael Douglas

Ki: Theory – Open Wound

Memory9 – The Dodecahedron

Ryle – Facedown

Scott Barkan – Flightless Bird

Sundays – World We Own

TOTEM – Sophomor(on)ic

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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)

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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

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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

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