Category: pick your poison Page 81 of 141

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: A.J. Ellis, Band of Skulls, Black Pistol Fire, The Body, Cloud Nothings, Dan Croll, Dillon, Fairweather, Horace Andy, HTRK, Inventions, Jamaica, Joan As Police Woman, John Cage, Kaiser Chiefs, Mac DeMarco, Manchester Orchestra, Meyhem Lauren, Nathaniel Rateliff, Nickel Creek, Pure X, RAC, S. Carey, Saintseneca, Small Black, Thievery Corporation, Timber Timbre, The Used, White Hinterland and Wild Ones. If you’re so inspired please pick some of these records up 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 Black Girls, Drake, Fiance, The Honey Trees, Universal Thee and #XI. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Bob Mould, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (ft. Matt Berninger of The National), Courtney Barnett (covering The Lemonheads), Esben and the Witch, Icona Pop and Woman’s Hour.

Anastasia Markov – Sarah Won’t Cry

BeatauCue – Kyllan (Belarbi Remix)

Black Girls – Buyin’ Time

Drake – Draft Day

Fiancé – July

Glenn Jones – From a Forgotten Session

The Honey Trees – Siren

Join the Riot – Louis (Unplugged)

Lucky Once – Amnesia

Paris Carney – Run and Hide (ft. D-WHY)

Quick Quick Obey – Hold Your Breath

Ray & Remora – Gold Soundz (Pavement cover)

Universal Thee – Bear in the Hospital

#XI – Lovecraft (ft. Sundays)

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They may not have a flawless catalogue (though it is largely great), but at the very least The Flaming Lips are always doing something and it’s always interesting. They can record one-off songs with Ke$ha and other friends if they choose, then encase them in gigantic gummy skulls and other shapes. Frontman Wayne Coyne can travel to independent record stores around the country and just hang out for a couple hours at each, meeting fans and signing stuff. They can even cover Pink Floyd’s entire Dark Side of the Moon record, as they did in 2009, and nobody blinks an eye. Speaking of that though, the band has decided to return to that seminal piece of psychedelic rock by creating a companion record to be played at the exact same time as the original. They’re calling it Flaming Side of the Moon, and in addition to syncing up perfectly with the Pink Floyd album, it also apparently pairs well with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, in case you wanted to give that a try. Since the full thing is currently streaming on Soundcloud, I paired it with Dark Side of the Moon, and it was pretty much perfect. It doesn’t really change my perspective of the classic album, but at the very least adds some new wrinkles to old material. Once again, The Flaming Lips have done something interesting whose ultimate worth is moderately questionable. But if they don’t do it, who will? The whole thing is kind of fun. So is today’s Pick Your Poison, by the way. There’s some good tracks from 1,2,3, Emma Garrett, Jadeite, Sleepyhead, Sun Club and WOOL. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Glass Animals (ft. Tei Shi), Japanther, Jensen Sportag, Cerrone Funk’s remix of Haim’s latest single, and The Field’s remix of an I Break Horses track.

1,2,3 – Big Weather Pt. I

The 1975 – Settle Down (EMBRZ Remix)

Armand Margjeka – Hummingbird

Banks – Brain (TA-KU Remix)

Dana – Dear Love (Birthday Boy Remix)

Emma Garrett – This Is It

Jadeite – Frostbites

Sleepyhead – Liberation Theology

Static in Verona – White Knuckles

Sun Club – Cheeba Swiftkick

Suren Unka – 130

Thief – Closer (Akouo Remix)

WOOL – Stars

Xu Xu Fang – Noir State Beach

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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: EMA – 3Jane

Billboard will be creating new charts based on Twitter mentions/links of artists/songs

Music Video: Sisyphus – Booty Call

The soundtrack to the forthcoming Zach Braff film Wish I Was Here will feature music from Cat Power, Chris Martin, The Shins, Bon Iver and more

Wu-Tang Clan have recorded a secret double album and are only releasing one copy of it

Music Video: Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks – Strange Colores

Music Video: The Julie Ruin – Just My Kind

Read Owen Pallett’s essay on Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” and music theory

Music Video: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Simple and Sure

YouTube Audio Stream: The Black Keys – Fever

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 Blank Realm, Daisy Victoria, Malandros, Pacific Mean Time, Say Hi and The Wet Secrets. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Blood Brothers, Chance the Rapper, Hot Chip, Lolawolf, Popstrangers, VEDAS and Woods.

Black Prairie – Let It Out

Blank Realm – Bulldozer Love

Champagne Jerry – Apologies Detected

Chris Devotion & The Expectations – Don’t You Call On Me

Congi – Somnium

Daisy Victoria – MacBeth to My Lady

Gallant – Jupiter Grayscale

Malandros – Writer’s Block

Michael Rault – Too Bad So Sad

Pacific Mean Time – Minutes to Midnight

Programmable Animal – Please

Say Hi – Such A Drag

Till Death – Wasted Roses

The Wet Secrets – Sunshine

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Well, it’s finally happened. The lineup for Lollapalooza 2014 has officially been released. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Lolla’s reinvention from a traveling music festival to one that has a permanent home in Chicago’s Grant Park. I’ve attended all 10 years, this upcoming one included, and have watched how it’s evolved in that time to become the juggernaut it is today. With each new year, the tickets sell out faster and the lineup seems to get mainstream-ier. The headliners this year include Eminem, Outkast, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, Skrillex and Calvin Harris. While this is supposed to make me throw up in my mouth a little (for the record, it kinda does), part of me admires the strategy that the talent bookers have put together when developing this lineup. In short, they’re no longer targeting those of us who have been loyal Lollagoers over the last 10 years. We’ve gotten too old and apparently aren’t as willing to open our wallets compared to the youth of today. There’s a coveted 18-25 (more like 16-22) age demographic that’s a proverbial sweet spot, and these young adults LOVE this Lollapalooza lineup. They’re thrilled about attending this year, and even bought three day passes before the lineup was even announced. That’s how confident they were that it was going to be great. Others such as myself bought the three day passes sans lineup because we had to – they sold out after about an hour of going on sale, again with no acts officially announced. Earlier today when the lineup finally was unleashed, single day tickets went on sale and then those sold out too. It’s the fastest sell out in the history of the festival, and I’m sure promoters are licking their chops ready to crank out a similar lineup for 2015. Meanwhile I’m looking at the day-by-day breakdown hoping that there are going to be no schedule conflicts with the artists on the bill that I really like, since there aren’t a whole lot of them. Seems like fewer and fewer every year. But again, I’m “old” by this festival’s standards. Most of the people attending probably haven’t seen a majority of the bands before and are excited to learn more about them. If you’re one of them, good for you, have fun. For us more experienced attendees, things are starting to feel a little…let’s say stale. Of course I’ll still be covering the blow by blow here on the site this upcoming August 1-3. It’d be nice if I had a lot of positive things to say. Okay, on that upbeat note, let’s look at today’s Pick Your Poison. There’s some good tracks in this set from Arum Rae, Cathy, Honeymilk, Indianapolis JOnes, Jasia, Kaela Sinclair, Wildlife and Yumi Zouma. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Chance the Rapper, Haunted Hearts (Dum Dum Girls/Crocodiles collab), Eyes Wings and Many Other Things, Lust for Youth, Marika Hackman (covering Lykke Li), The Range and Varsity.

Arum Rae – Warranted Queen

Cathy – Get Out of Here

Cousin Matt – Soft Science

The Cure – Just Like Heaven (The Penelopes Remix)

Edison Effect – I’ll Come Back to You

Honeymilk – Red Paper Buildings

Indianapolis Jones – Loss is the Law of the World

Irie Idea – Soul Vending

Jasia – Inverbatim

Kaela Sinclair – Stranger

King Post Kitsch – The Days Keep Coming

Litsoma – The Wave (Demo)

Wildlife – Born to Ruin

Yumi Zouma – It Feels Good to Be Around You (ft. Air France)

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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: Ages and Ages, The Bad Plus, Bardo Pond, The Baseball Project, The Belle Brigade, Big Scary, Burnt Ones, chuck Ragan, Davidge, Dustin O’Halloran, Future Islands, Glass Wands, Grieves, The Hold Steady, Howler, Jimi Goodwin, Lavender Country, Liars, London Grammar, Machinedrum, Mount Carmel, Mr. Little Jeans, Owls, Sage the Gemini, Seahaven, Simone Felice, Sleeper Agent, Tokyo Police Club and Withered Hand. If you’re so inspired please pick some of these records up 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 Craft Spells, Human Pyramids, Kinky Love, Monster Cat, NØMADS, Scary People and Spazzkid. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Cate Le Bon, Chrissie Hynde, The Menzingers, Pixies, Sivu (covering Nirvana), SZA (ft. Chance the Rapper) and Todd Terje (ft. Bryan Ferry).

Banoffee – Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis cover)

Broken Luxury – Free (Rudimental cover)

Cabarza – All Weekend

Caught A Ghost – No Sugar in My Coffee

Craft Spells – Breaking the Angle Against the Tide

Earl Boykins – Planet

The Everymen – Spain

Frugal Father – Red Headed Hipster

Human Pyramids – Tall Tales

Kinky Love – Affair

Monster Cat – Tower

NØMADS – Blood In The Water

Scary People – Crush the Bug

Spazzkid – At Fault (ft. There Is A Fox)

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It’s been 23 years since Pixies have released a full length album. That last record was 1991’s Trompe Le Monde, and it pretty much capped off what many might consider to be a perfect catalogue. Seriously, I can”t think of many bands who have a more consistent and brilliant collection of albums. Sure, it was only five total, but when you factor in the era and circumstances under which they were recorded, that context really highlights what an achievement it was. The band officially broke up in 1993, perfectly sealed in time. Eleven years later, that seal was broken when Pixies members decided to reunite. It was in the early stages of what eventually became reunion fever, where a lot of broken up bands from the past with classic catalogues decided to cash in on their legacy. Pixies arguably did it as well as anybody else, if not better than most, first by only playing old songs, then by orchestrating entire tours playing their most highly regarded Doolittle from start to finish. They made plenty of money, but we reached the 10 year mark since the reunion and they were still plugging away playing the old material. Ticket sales weren’t necessarily slowing, but I’m sure even the band was getting tired of doing nearly the same set every single night with nothing new to invigorate them. So an executive decision was made to record some new material. It started with EP 1 back in September, followed by EP 2 in January. Today, EP 3 was announced and immediately went on sale. At the same time, the band revealed that they would be combining the material from those EPs into a full length titled Indie Cindy. I haven’t heard the third EP yet, but the general reaction from most critics and fans to the first two EPs was that of general disgust. I’m sure they all sold well enough, but I’ve yet to hear somebody truly champion the new stuff. I can’t quite give it my approval, but I also can’t fully condemn it either. If you put the band’s current situation into context, losing Kim Deal, firing her replacement Kim Shattuck and bringing Paz Lenchantin on board, there’s apparently been at least a little bit of internal turmoil that’s left a void. Certainly not hearing Deal’s vocals on many of the tracks feels like something’s wrong. But also consider the alternative options available to current Pixies members. They could have broken up again, or at the very least taken time away to work on their individual solo projects, but how many people would be interested in buying that stuff vs. new Pixies material? Financially speaking, and if they want to continue to stay popular, they made the only smart choice available to them. I certainly can’t blame them for doing it. Do I wish it could be better? Absolutely, though there are a couple of gems to be found on the first two EPs. I guess my grand point with all this is to suggest that maybe we shouldn’t be judging them so harshly. Maybe if we do and they keep going, they’ll find their footing once more and release another set of killer albums. One can hope. Now let’s get to today’s edition of Pick Your Poison. Good tracks today come from Dirty River, Ellie Herring, Feel No Other, Lotus Plaza, Patrick Park and Sin Cos Tan. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new cuts from The Afghan Whigs, Andrew Bird (covering The New Pornographers), Danny Brown, HAERTS, Kitten, Merchandise and Songs: Ohia.

Anthony Rankin – Liar Like Me

Bass Science – Hot As Fuck

DA & The Jones – Make It Right (Rebelde Remix)

Dirty River – Releaf

Ellie Herring – Dynasty

Feel No Other – Winter Is All Over You

Jack James – I See A Darkness (Bonnie “Prince” Billy cover)

Keebs – Can’t Tell You

Lotus Plaza – Indian Paintbrush
Lotus Plaza – Gemini Pt. I

Patrick Park – My Holding Hand Is Empty

Processory – Young Italians (CFCF Remix)

Sin Cos Tan – Book of Love

Starar – Unbelievable (Remix)

Stats – D’you Wanna Eat?

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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:

Joy Division’s debut album An Ideal for Living will get a ltd. edition re-release for Record Store Day

Check out the full list of Record Store Day (April 19th) exclusive releases

The final lineup for the 2014 Pitchfork Music Festival has been set

Play the Lollapalooza Lottery game for your chance to win a pair of 3-day passes

YouTube Audio Stream: Lykke Li – No Rest for the Wicked

Music Video: Ratking ft. King Krule – So Sick Stories

Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew is selling his own line of body butter

Music Video: Bishop Nehru ft. Disclosure – You Stressin’

YouTube Audio Stream: tUnE-yArDs – Water Fountain

Watch a clip of Arcade Fire covering Boys II Men’s “Motownphilly” 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 Bondage & Discipline, Cloud Boat, Glimmermen, Halsted, Joakim, Paradise and Universal Thee. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Banks (covering Aaliyah), Ben Frost, Brian Reitzell (ft. Kevin Shields), Dub Thompson, LP, Reuben and the Dark, and Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis.

Baby Please – Way Down

Beaten Bodies – Crowns

Bondage & Discipline – Only Your Love

Broken Luxury – Latch (Disclosure cover)

Cloud Boat – Carmine

Freeweights – Infinite Repeats

Glimmermen – I’m Dead

Halsted – Independence Day

Joakim – On the Beach

Paradise – Born and Bound

Paris Carney – It’s Always the Quiet Ones

Sleeves – Lono

Sonia Stein – Friendly Ghost

Universal Thee – A Million Voices

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There’s something to be said about artists who are only referred to by their first names. Cher. Madonna. Prince. Well, those are all pretty much adopted pseudonyms, but you get the general idea. Which brings me to Susanna. There’s at least a few different singer-songwriters with the first name of Susanna that I can think of off hand, but they all also use their last names for the sake of differentiation. The only one who doesn’t is Norwegian songwriter, vocalist and producer Susanna. She’s been part of or collaborated with a number of different groups over the years, leading to names like Susanna and the Magical Orchestra or Susanna and Ensemble neoN. She has used her last name on occasion when releasing solo work, but Wallumrød isn’t the easiest name to write unless you’re from a Scandinavian country. At this point in her career, she’s going only by Susanna, and that’s good enough. She’s released quite a few albums over the course of the last 10 years, including at least one of starkly reworked covers. In a sense, she’s a kindred spirit to Cat Power in musical style and emotional resonance. She plays piano and sings with a certain fragility, and her compositions can be instrumentally enriched by the people the collaborates with. Listen to her song “Imagine” off her 2012 record Wild Dog to feel the quiet, reverent work she does on her own. Last year’s collaboration with Ensemble neoN titled The Forester brought woodwinds and strings to her trademark sound, which made it more lush and epic in scope. The track “Oh, I Am Stuck” is a good example of that. Next Wednesday, March 26th, Susanna will be performing at Constellation in Chicago. It’s a very rare chance to see her perform live, as she hardly ever plays shows in the U.S. and even on this tour is only doing a handful of dates. She won’t have a full orchestra with her, but will be playing songs from her expansive catalogue and collaborations with just a guitar and drums to accompany her piano. It’s shaping up to be a very intimate and tremendously captivating night, and if you’ll be in town I hope you’ll come out for the show. Tickets are only $15 and you can buy them in advance here. Now then, let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison. There’s a couple of fun covers in this set, which I’m bringing up only because it just worked out that way, completely not by design. But keep your ears open for tracks from COnfluence, Escapists, Penguins Kill Polar Bears, Pill Wonder, Ryan D White and Straktobeam. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Black Bananas, Dana Falconberry, Denney and the Jets, Life Without Buildings, Tame Impala and William Tyler.

Chalk and Numbers – Shut Down (Beach Boys cover)

Confluence – The Only Thing Constant

Coury Palermo – I’m On Fire (Bruce Springsteen cover)

Escapists – Breaking It Up Late Night

GUCCIGHOST® – Luv Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover)

Lettuce – Slippin Into Darkness (GRiZ Remix ft. Jessica Breanne)

Penguins Kill Polar Bears – Lungs

Perth – Drank and Kites and Tomorrow (GUM Remix)

Pill Wonder – See You on the Cyan Shore

Ruth Koleva – Turn It Around (Eric Lau Remix)

Ryan D White – We Are the Dreamers

Sasha Keable – Careless Over You (Genius Vision)

Straktobeam – Midnight Run

Top Shelp Lickers – Without You

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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: Ana Tijoux, Black Lips, Christopher Tignor, The Coathangers, Constant Lovers, David Novick, Dead Rider, Dex Romweber Duo, Ex Hex, Foster the People, The Glaciers, Hauschka, I Am the Avalanche, Kevin Drew, La Dispute, Lyla Foy, Madlib & Freddie Gibbs, Magic Touch, Perfect Pussy, Ringworm, Sisyphus, Skating Polly, Skrillex, The Spits, Taking Back Sunday, Tycho, Vermont, The War on Drugs, White Suns, WhoMadeWho and YG. If you’re so inspired please pick some of these records up 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 Ages and Ages, Bonsai., Daena Jay, Fucked Up, Lil Freckles, Thieves Like Us, Tim Larson and Twintapes. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Chance the Rapper (ft. James Blake), Down, Felix Cartal, Lemaitre, Zella Day, and RAC’s remix of a Porter Robinson song.

Ages and Ages – Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)

Bonsai. – Trees

Daena Jay – I Will

FIM – Shit God Damn

Foster the People – Coming of Age (TABS Remix)

Fucked Up – Paper the House

Lil Freckles – Dancin on the D

Numa – How Do You Like It (Me & You)

Pharrell – Happy (Terry Urban Remix)

Samo Sound Boy – Open (Motions Remix)

Thieves Like Us – Sutphin Boulevard

Tim Larson – The Unquiet Grave

Twintapes – Everyday Chemical

Two Twins – No Windows

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m not any part Irish, nor do I pretend to be, but there’s a certain amount of appreciation I have for the holiday. Mostly that stems from how the general public have managed to turn a fictional tale about a saint who drove all of the snakes out of Ireland into one of the biggest drinking days/weekends of the year. Because St. Patrick’s Day is on a Monday this year, many partied over the weekend with green beer and parades because they have to work on the actual holiday. As a social drinker who knows a number of people with plenty of Irish coursing through their veins, I felt obliged to tag along for some shenanigans, and boy was it a mess. Drunk people everywhere, bars packed to capacity with lines a half block long, and more green clothing items and accessories than you know what to do with. It’s pretty much the same nightmare that occurs at bars every year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, though the annoyance factor is turned up a notch. I don’t mean to complain, because any reason to go out and party is pretty much a good one, but some people just take it a little too far. You know what they called St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland today? Monday. They called it Monday. Some of my friends went to Ireland a few years ago for the holiday, and said the bars weren’t any more packed than usual, no green beer was served, and everyone was dressed in normal street clothes. I guess St. Patrick’s Day over there isn’t so much a holiday as it is a lifestyle. Maybe Americans could learn a thing or two when it comes to appropriating other cultures’ special days. Fun as this holiday can be, toning it down just a little bit might make it a little easier for everyone to stomach. Okay, I’ve said my piece. Let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison. Good tracks today come from ALIZZZ, Broken Records, Howson’s Groove, Kinetics, Okey Szoke, Rasputin’s Secret Police and Unicycle Loves You. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Friendly Fires, Fuck Buttons, Hercules & Love Affair, School of Language, Tensnake and Wye Oak.

ALIZZZ – Sunshine

BeatauCue – Evola

Broken Records – Revival

Dameht – I Love You Too

Eluusif – Hair Like Skrillex (ft. Adorah Johnson)

Howson’s Groove – Live On

IndianRedLopez – Taking A Fall For Me

Kinetics – The Ocean

Labstract – Hold Your Own

LDRU & Yahtzel – The Only One

Lost Harbours – Evening Vessel

Okey Szoke – Apart Tarraxo

Rasputin’s Secret Police – Freaks

Unicycle Loves You – Face Tattoo

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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:

Led Zeppelin will release remastered editions of their first three albums with bonus tracks

Watch Twin Shadow play at SXSW from a dumpster

Watch Sky Ferreira perform “I Blame Myself” on Kimmel

Music Video: Franz Ferdinand – Fresh Strawberries

Watch Beck perform “Waking Light” on the Tonight Show

Watch Iggy Pop and New Order perform “Love Will Tear Us Apart”

Watch Arcade Fire cover Stevie Wonder’s “Uptown (Everything’s Alright)” live in concert

Watch Chvrches cover Lorde’s “Team”

Music Video: Banks – Brain

Watch Warpaint perform “Love Is To Die” on Conan

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 Designer Drugs, DWNTWN, Golden Retriever, Mustard Pimp, Peelander Z, Sleep Sleep, They Might Be Giants and We Are Shining. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Bird to Beast, Say Lou Lou, The Snow, Tame Impala, Vanaprasta and Loston’s remix of Banks’ “Waiting Game.”

Adam M – Big & Fat (Original Mix)

Boots – Howl

Designer Drugs – Crystal

DWNTWN – Til Tomorrow

Dylan Lloyd – Gone (ft. Disguised As Heroes)

Gibbz – Do It For You

Golden Retriever – Flight Song

Johnny On the Rocks – Far From Dead

Mustard Pimp – Kickback

Peelander Z – Killer Thunder

Sid Pattni – Go Back Home (ft. Meg Mac)

Sleep Sleep – Take the Money & Run

They Might Be Giants – Am I Awake

We Are Shining – Killing (ft. Eliza Doolittle)

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Since we’ve officially reached that time of year, let me say a few words about South By Southwest (SXSW). Taking place every March down in Austin, TX, SXSw is one of, if not THE premier music event in the country. There are so many bands playing at so many venues (and non-venues), you could call it just a little bit insane. Many are young, upstart bands hoping to be discovered. Others are well established names who have something to promote, or who are being paid a generous sum by a large corporation to attract people in for advertising purposes. The corporate intrusion has really become obscene these last few years, especially when you consider the gigantic vending machine that Doritos put up a few years ago and they keep bringing back year after year. Lady Gaga is performing in the vending machine this year, which should give you an idea of how big this yearly event has become. That, plus a Kanye West and Jay-Z “Watch the Throne” show, and a lot of other huge things. Has it all gotten completely out of hand? Have corporations completely taken over and ruined whatever real dignity the multi-day event has to offer? Well, yes…and no. For every mega show with a big name, there are dozens upon dozens of tiny ones with unknowns who could still break out at any moment. You may have to do some digging and exploring, but the good stuff is still there. The cream of the crop still rises to the top (sorry). And Austin is an amazing city with a vibrant arts culture and incredible food. If you’re already there this year, or are thinking about going in the future, just make sure you do it your way. Buy a badge and see some panels along with live shows, or sleep on a stranger’s floor and only go to free events. It’s all good either way. After a couple of years off, I’m excited that I’m planning to return to SXSW in 2015. You’re more than invited to join me. Okay, let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison. Good tracks in this set from Gold Light, Hayley Reardon, Navy Skies, Night Panther, Real Rashy and Sleepers Work. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Baliff, The Kooks, SBTRKT, Simian Mobile Disco & Roman Flugel, and more.

Caught A Ghost – Human Nature

Gold Light – True Love Never Dies

Hayley Reardon – Booze and Blueberries (For Betsy)

Jay Dabhi – Say Hey!

Jim Kroft – Threads (Verona Remix)

Navy Skies – New War

Night Panther – I Want You to Know

Paris Carney – Astronaut

Post War Glamour Girls – Red Terror (Sky Larkin Remix)

Real Rashy – Hemmingway Better

RUMTUM – Floating Into

Seeming – Goodnight London

Sleepers Work – Catherine

Sopris – Ordinary Life

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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: Aloe Blacc, Annabel, Battleme, Clara Moto, Clark, Conan, Curtis Harding, Dean Wareham, DENA, Elbow, Elder Brother, Falls, Joan As Police Woman, Laibach, Leg Lifters, Metronomy, MO, Peak Twins, September Girls, The Silver Palms, Sleepers Work, Tensnake (featured below), and Yacht Club. If you’re so inspired please pick some of these records up 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 Black Lizard, Turkish Prison’s remix of Cut Copy, Glass Wands, Memoryy & Brothertiger (covering Yeasayer), Pool, Quasimo and Tennis System (covering Beyonce). In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Fear of Men, Ida Maria, September Girls, Slava, Teebs and Tensnake.

Bitchin Bajas – Clill Blanzin (Moritat Remix)

Black Lizard – Forever Gold

Cut Copy – We Are Explorers (Turkish Prison Remix)

Earl Boykins – Leggy Blondes

Glass Wands – Silverleaf

Ilias – Fire Away

Memoryy & Brothertiger – Ambling Alp (Yeasayer cover)

Nick Stefanacci – Turn on the Stars

Pagiins – Yeti Spaghetti

Pool – Harm

Quasimo – Loving You

Redrick Sultan – Recurring Mimosa

Tennis System – XO (Beyonce cover)

Yip Deceiver – Lover (Willy Joy Remix)

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Haven’t done a show preview in a little while for all my fellow Chicagoans, so let’s do one of those today. This upcoming Tuesday, The War on Drugs drop their fourth full length Lost in the Dream. After the remarkable step forward that was their 2011 record Slave Ambient, this new one is another shift towards a more extended jam session through the corridors of classic rock. As familiar as the sound might seem sometimes, be it pieces of Dire Straits or Bob Dylan and maybe even a touch of The Traveling Wilburys, the band also manages to make it their own and ultimately create one of the strongest records from 2014 so far. Though I think it sounds like almost nothing else on the album, the first single “Red Eyes” is one of, if not my absolute favorite song at the moment. This is a band on the up-and-up, and I think this year is going to see them become more popular than ever before. The War on Drugs will be playing an 18+ show at Metro in a couple weeks on March 23rd, and of course I’m going to recommend that you go. As a bonus, Mark McGuire will be opening the show. McGuire’s latest album Along the Way came out last month and is pretty strong as well. Stream the track “In Search of the Miraculous” on Soundcloud to get a taste of what that’s like if you’re not already familiar. If you want to pick up tickets, they’re $19 in advance and $21 at the door. Here’s a link to the ticket purchase page. Come on out, it should be a fun night. And if you’re not from Chicago, check out their other U.S. tour dates, which run through mid-April. Okay, let’s do today’s Pick Your Poison. There’s some good cuts in this set from The Analog Affair, Canopies, Celine Neon, Equals and The Shoe. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Brody Dalle, Joel Ford, Mac DeMarco, of Montreal, Pattern Is Movement, Pure X and TOBACCO.

A.J. Ellis – Stand Up

The Analog Affair – We Were Lovers

Andrew St. James – A Prayer for East Oakland

Austra – What We Done? (Ohmeda Remix)

Aviel – Alone

Bad Suns – Transpose (Nicity Remix)

Canopies – Miss You Now

Celine Neon – Vacation Time

D/C – Devil on My Shoulder

Equals – Conveyor

Heyrocco – Melt

The Shoe – Paper Cup

The Villainy – Tired of Tears

#XI – Retrogrades

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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:

Music Video: Lykke Li – Love Me Like I’m Not Made of Stone

YouTube Audio Stream: How to Dress Well – Words I Don’t Remember

Watch the short film “Are You Okay?” a collaboration between Dum Dum Girls and Bret Easton Ellis

Watch a clip of Andre Benjamin as Jimi Hendrix in the upcoming film All Is By My Side

YouTube Audio Stream: Son Lux ft. Lorde – Easy (Switch Screens)

Check out the sheet music for a new Parquet Courts single “Sunbathing Animal”

Music Video: Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks – Little Fang

Music Video: Iggy Azalea & Charli XCX – Fancy

Music Video: The War on Drugs – Red Eyes

YouTube Audio Stream: Sharon Van Etten – Taking Chances

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 Cody ChesnuTT, DeltaFoxx (covering Pearl Jam), The Fire and I, La Sera, Secret Colours and Train Company. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Christopher Owens, The Dodos, Fort Romeau, Fujiya & Miyagi, Oneohtrix Point Never, Perfect Pussy and Wartime.

AlunaGeorge – Kaleidoscope Love (Kaytranada Remix)

Cody ChesnuTT – Gunpowder on the Letter (ft. Gary Clark Jr.)

DeltaFoxx – Daughter (Pearl Jam cover)

Dream Curtain – Unknown Ends

The Fire and I – Ruined//Graffitied

La Sera – Losing to the Dark

Model Airplanes – Innocent Love

Monsterheart – Bunnies

Museum of Love – Monotronic (Secret Circuit Remix)

Ray Bonneville – Love is Wicked

Secret Colours – It Can’t Be Simple

Thief – Closer (Weird Together Remix)

Train Company – Step to Me

True – Videos (Mercury Remix)

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