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Pick Your Poison: Friday 8-24-12

On 08/24/2012

One thing that very few people know about me is that the band …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead are responsible for one of the greatest live show experiences I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing. It was at the Bowery Ballroom in New York in October of 2004. After what proved to be a fascinating bill that included indie pop from Mates of State, hip hop from Aesop Rock and blisteringly loud noise rock from SUNN O))), ..AYWKUBTTOD came out to play at 2:30AM. They were pretty drunk because they’d been forced to sit through a bunch of other acts, keeping in mind this was also in the wake of their 10.0 review for their 2002 record Source Tags and Codes. I was right up against the stage with no barricade providing one of those notorious gaps between a band and the crowd. Anyways, not only was the performance extremely visceral and thrilling on a minute-by-minute basis, but they were trashed to the point where they didn’t particularly care what happened. So they completely destroyed their instruments and everything on stage. Guitars, amps and drum kits were obliterated. Pieces of the stage were coming up because microphone stands were being slammed into them. At one point security pulled me away mere seconds before I would have been struck in the head with a microphone stand. Then the band invited everyone up on stage for one last song with whatever instruments they had left. Security tried to hold people back, but it was a gigantic rush and most of us were up there singing into the remaining microphones with the band. It was a true triumph, and one that I’ve never seen repeated in the handful of times I’ve seen the band perform since. They’ve mellowed, gotten rid of a few members, and turned in a few not-so-great albums. Their last one Tao of the Dead was actually strikingly good, even if many failed to recognize it as such. I’m pleased to announce though that Trail of Dead are back yet again with their eighth full length album, titled Lost Songs. It will be out on October 23rd. Along with that announcement comes a new single called “Up to Infinity.” The song is about the tragedy occuring in the Syrian Civil War, however the band also wants to dedicate it to Russian punk band Pussy Riot, because of the injustices they’ve suffered at the hands of the Russian government. You can stream the song here. The band will be on tour supporting the new album this November. Go see them, even though they refuse to trash stages and start riots at venues anymore. Okay, let’s get through this Friday edition of Pick Your Poison so your weekend can get started right. Great songs today coming from Bella Darling, The Men, Pet Lions, Pipers, Solos and Something Fierce. The Soundcloud section features some excellent stuff from chris e pants (aka Chrissy Murderbot), Lightning Bolt, Michna and Pinback. Have a great weekend!

Adian Coker – Angels & Demons

AG – I Wanna Be Your Man (The Beatles cover)

Bella Darling – Pharaohs

Brim Liski – Supermassive

Central – Beat 4

Driving Cassady – You Ain’t the One

Indyns – Fields Lie Fallow

The Men – Candy

Nick Stefanacci – Fly Away

OMBRE – Tormentas

Pet Lions – Lightning Bolt

Pipers – Edge of Nowhere

Saint Lou Lou – Maybe You (Lauer Remix)

Solos – All My Tribulations

Something Fierce – Warlords of Information

SOUNDCLOUD

chris e pants – Doggy Style

James Cook – Arts & Sciences

Joshua Michael Robinson – Broken Sling

Lightning Bolt – King Candy

Michna – Through The City On The Edge Of Forever

Pinback – Proceed To Memory

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 8-23-12

By Faronheit

On 08/23/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

It’s been a short bit, so let’s do a quick Class of 2012 update. Let’s start with A$AP Rocky. His first full length album LongLiveA$AP will be out on Sept. 11th, but in advance of that he’s making the media rounds which included a stop at Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday. You can go here to see him perform “Goldie” with The Roots. It’s a pretty subdued performance, perhaps because he had to do his best to censor his language for TV. Even then I think a swear or two got past the censors. While we wait for Lana Del Rey to actually start touring in support of her album Born to Die that was released earlier this year, it’s been announced that she’ll be the new face of Jaguar automobiles. Yes, starting next month you’ll see her in ads for Jaguars. See some details about that here. Del Rey will also be appearing in ads for H&M this fall. In other words, you’ll be seeing her on TV and in print quite a bit, but music will have little to nothing to do with it. In sadder news, while she’s made plenty of waves so far in 2012, Azealia Banks has announced that her debut album Broke With Expensive Taste has been pushed back from this fall to February 12, 2013. Between her changing management and getting a lot of other exciting opportunities going, I guess she really wants to take the time to ensure everything about that record is as great as it can possibly be. One of the better things to happen with Azealia Banks in recent weeks though is that she’s stopped fighting with her 2012 Classmate Kreayshawn. They got into a bit of an argument at the start of the year, but they’ve since talked out their problems and after some apologies are now friends. I’m always happy when my Artists to Watch get along. By the way Kreayshawn’s album Somethin’ Bout Kreay was also pushed back, but only by about a month. It will be out officially on September 18th, and I’ll be reviewing it right around then. Last but certainly not least, Grimes released her music video for “Genesis” yesterday, and it’s pretty awesome. If you like weird dancing, girls in floor-length dreadlocks wearing silver suits of armor, swordplay (and swords on fire!), snakes and much more, it’s pretty much a visual feast. Hell yes it’s amusing and hell yes you should watch it. Like, now. Pick Your Poison can wait. When you get back though, you’ll want to keep an eye on mp3s from Animal Parts, Crybaby, Happy New Year, Southern Shores, Soviet, and Teen Daze’s remix of White Arrows. In the Soundcloud section, stream delights from Dark Dark Dark, Princess Music and TE Morris.

Animal Parts – What Our Love Is

Bailterspace – Blue Star

Chasing Kings – Do It To My Self

Comtron – Fraud

Crybaby – True Love Will Find You in the End

Diva – Wanna Get to Know You

Dog Society – The Fuse Before

Glitches – Dust & Shadow

Happy New Year – Summer

Nervous Curtains – Wired to Make Waves

Pravada – Someone Else

Rich E Rheu – Don’t Like Freestyle

Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside – Like A Drug

Seamonster – Parasol (Monster Rally Remix)

Southern Shores – New Love

Soviet – Lost When Found

Van She – Jamaica (Unicorn Kid Remix)

White Arrows – Roll Forever (Teen Daze Remix)

SOUNDCLOUD

Dark Dark Dark – How It Went Down

Marilyn Manson – Slo-Mo-Tion (Dirtyphonics Remix)

Princess Music – White Wave

TE Morris – The Long Distance Runner

Tes Elations – May She

Ungdomskulen – Askefast

Snapshot Review: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Mature Themes [4AD]

By Faronheit

On 08/23/2012

In album review, mp3, music, snapshot review

If you took Jello Biafra from his Dead Kennedys heyday and put him into a band that plays distorted and weird renditions of AM Gold sounds of the ’60s, you’d come reasonably close to what Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti are all about. While Ariel Pink never goes for the throaty yelp and ferocity that Biafra often had during those times, his strange perception of the world around him often pushes his vocals to take on different personalities and affectations. Simultaneously you’re also stuck with the challenge of trying to determine if Pink is actually being sincere or not. He cracks a lot of jokes and sings a lot of nonsense, many times in voices that sound dismissive or idiotic, yet there are also love songs that often have tenderness and genuine emotion attached to them. The many flights of fancy that suit his variety of whims at any given moment can make listening to Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti records a very difficult task, if not a chore. It’s almost always fascinating if you can stand it, and on occasion he’ll hit on something truly brilliant, such as the song “Round and Round” off of 2010’s Before Today. There was little funny about that song, but its hooks cut so deep they could leave scars on your ears if you weren’t careful. Such is the dichotomy of the man and the band behind him. Nothing on their new album Mature Themes ever hits the way you might want or expect it to, but if it did then it wouldn’t be a proper APHG record. If you’re looking for the most oddly engaging record of 2012, congratulations you’ve found it.

One of the smartest things you can do when listening to Mature Themes is to surrender your will and control and simply let it take you where it wants to go. Questioning a shift in direction or a lyric will leave you frustrated time and time again, because so much of it fails to make sense. Pink is operating on his own level here, and whether you think that’s above or below your own is irrelevant. Lines like, “The bad breath of a cross-eyed goat/ Eating children for a Monday morning,” on “Driftwood” aren’t supposed to make sense (to us at least), just like how “Schnitzel Boogie” stops mid-song so Pink can place an order at a drive-thru. “Is This the Best Spot?” is like some mad science experiment gone awry, bouncing between G-spots, H-bombs and a Rocky Horror-esque reference to time warps in under two minutes. And as you sit there scratching your head about what planet the guy is living on, songs like first single “Only in My Dreams” and the title track come in with some earnest folk-pop you might have gotten from Simon & Garfunkel or The Beach Boys. Of course the bipolar and challenging nature of this album isn’t anything really new for Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. They’ve been releasing records steadily over the last 10 or so years that carry a whole lot of similarities to what they’re putting out now, only the quality, fidelity and exposure has improved over time. Before Today was the band’s first album on 4AD and their first to feature clear studio recording. They also simplified and blended their various eccentricities more than ever before to create something more easily digestible than ever before. Mature Themes is by contrast both a step forward and a step backward. The band sounds more polished than ever, but the strangeness is back in its fullest effect. In some respects it’s serving to weed out the new set of fans that have discovered the band in recent years, trying to scare them away from a good thing. But if you find Pink’s oddball sensibilities gripping, there’s more than a fair share of reasons to keep paying attention. On the song “Early Birds of Babylon,” Pink keeps asking, “Hey, how does he do that?” Listening through this record, you’ll likely find yourself asking that same question of Pink over and over again.

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Only in My Dreams

Buy Mature Themes from Amazon

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 8-22-12

By Faronheit

On 08/22/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

On occasion I like to try and do some good in the world and for my Chicago readers by pointing out a good or exciting show happening in town sometime in the near future. Today I’m happy to talk about the band Videotape. I wish I could tell you they got their name from the classic film American Psycho, however I’m almost positive that’s not the case. What is the case though is that they’re a pretty good band, and they’ll be playing a show on Friday at Township that you should attend if you’ve got the time and $6. Love and Radiation, along with Pool Holograph, are opening. Take Videotape’s Between Me and You as a sample mp3 to perhaps entice you into going. You can buy tickets for the show by clicking this link. Simple enough, right? Well, so is today’s Pick Your Poison. Good tracks today from Beaten By Them, Cave Painting, Dan Friel, Minarets and Ted Morris. Stream new things in the Soundcloud section from California Wives and Mount Eerie.

Bass Science – Psychedelic American Boyhood

Beaten By Them – Salvador Divinorum

Blessed Feathers & Peter Wolf Crier – Porcelain (Red Hot Chili Peppers cover)

Cave Painting – Light Show

Chris McFarland – Simple Selfish Plan

Dan Friel – Valedictorian

Kalipo – Bierchucks

King Fantastic ft. Awolnation – Surf’s Up

Makoto – Hurts So Much

Malka – Electropicalia

The Marquee – First Time

Meklit Hadero & Quinn Deveaux – Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) (Arcade Fire cover)

Minarets – Feeling Foolish

Mist Glider & Heart Tricks – Mermaid

Ted Morris – God Knows

Titanics – Beacons

SOUNDCLOUD

California Wives – Blood Red Youth

The Invincible Summer – Runaway

Les Sins – Fetch

Mount Eerie – World Heaves

OurGuys – Famous Last Words

Silver Medallion – Hey Cinderella

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 8-21-12

By Faronheit

On 08/21/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

This week is a relatively high profile week for new music releases, especially compared to the last couple weeks. Be on the lookout for new stuff from Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Bailterspace, Bill Fay, Bloc Party, Call of the Wild, Careful, Cate Le Bon, Carol Kleyn, Chris McFarland, The Darkness, Dots Will Echo, Dylan LeBlanc, The Heavy, The Kinks, Lee Hazlewood, Owl City, Reverend Horton Heat, Ry Cooder, Six Organs of Admittance, Teengirl Fantasy, Van She and Yeasayer. In case you missed them, I’ve already reviewed the new albums from Bloc Party and Yeasayer in case you’d like to learn more about either one of those. As for today’s Pick Your Poison, let me give you some guidance on what is a pretty strong set of downloads. Don’t miss tracks from AC Newman, Baby Baby, Hero Jr., The Reflections, Robert Pollard, Schoolboy Q and Woodsman. Also, if you’re intrigued by the Stükenberg mp3 below, you may be interested to know that they’ll be playing a show in Chicago on Sept. 15th at Ultra Lounge with Popular Tongues, Kelroy and Viaducts. You can buy tickets ($8) for that show here. In the Soundcloud section you can stream new gems from AlunaGeorge, Mount Eerie, and Weekend.

AC Newman – I’m Not Talking

AppleTree – Hi!

Baby Baby – Wah Uh! Uh Oh!

The Cyrillic Typewriter – Boxing Arenas

Gottfried Beyer – Ménage

Hero Jr. – Naked

Kyler England – Take These Things to Heart (Acoustic String Remix)

Let’s Go Safari – Oh Jane Doe (Your Pretend Boyfriend Remix)

Letterist – Under Volcanoes (The Golden Pony Remix)

One In A Googolplex – Grow Towards the Sun
One In A Googolplex – Every Star is a Thought

The Reflections – Summer Days

Robert Pollard – Who’s Running My Ranch

Schoolboy Q – Party

Shy Hunters – Stained Glass House

Stükenberg – Better Off Alone

Woodsman – All Tangled Up

SOUNDCLOUD

AlunaGeorge – Your Drums, Your Love

Jethro Fox – Lonely Sound

Mount Eerie – Ocean Roar

Weekend – Your Own Nothing

Wet Nuns – Why You So Cold?

Yuno – Sunlight

Snapshot Review: Yeasayer – Fragrant World [Secretly Canadian]

By Faronheit

On 08/21/2012

In album review, mp3, music, snapshot review

As a general rule, you could well say that whenever the lead singer of a band starts picking fights with random people and things in interviews, it’s a sign of trouble. That doesn’t always mean an epic war of words between two or more parties. More often than not it’s a cry for attention, the idea of saying something inflammatory to get your name in the press because it might not be there otherwise. Billy Corgan has been pulling this trick for decades, and it’s kept the Smashing Pumpkins on people’s minds even during the last decade when they were churning out loads of crap. Which brings us to Yeasayer’s Chris Keating. Chatting with Rolling Stone about the band’s new album Fragrant World, he openly insulted R. Kelly and the current state of EDM (electronic dance music). And while he complimented Frank Ocean’s excellent work in the R&B genre, he capped it off by saying the genre should “gay it up a little,” referencing Ocean’s bisexuality. Of course he’s still better off than Surfer Blood frontman John Paul Pitts, who is dealing with a much more serious situation right now. But Keating’s comments are helpful because they give the band headlines while distracting from reviews of their new record. If your album is good, the attention will find you even if you don’t open your mouth. So yes, pulling a quote stunt like he did feels like an act of pre-release desperation. Hearing the first two Yeasayer albums All Hour Cymbals and Odd Blood, you might imagine that such a talented band with a great ability to avoid being confined to a particular label or genre would continue to flourish. Unfortunately their unique mixture of freak folk and psych-pop has been brushed off in favor of something decidedly more minimalist and dark. Arrangements are no longer packed with an array of colorful instruments, instead synths and electronic beats seem to be the two driving forces on their songs. Sometimes, as in the chorus of “Fingers Never Bleed,” it brings out a very ’80s R&B vibe that wouldn’t sound too out of place on a Janet Jackson record. Other times it can sound like Chromatics filtered through the lens of The xx, as on “Damaged Goods.” That might make it seem like there’s a reasonable amount of variety across the album, as with the previous two Yeasayer long players. Actually, Fragrant World is the most cohesive and sonically solid record the band has ever made.

It’s a shame then that these are also the most uninteresting and unremarkable songs they’ve ever created as well. Even if you have the patience to listen through the whole thing a half dozen times, it’s unlikely you’ll come across many tracks that distinguish themselves from the pack and actually stay with you. The album’s midsection of “Devil and the Deed,” “No Bones” and “Reagan’s Skeleton” do the best jobs of being reasonably catchy and memorable. As much as they do right, they also just sort of drop off without trying anything truly new or different. There aren’t any twists in spots where there should be, and it feels like something’s missing as a result. The shift away from fuller and more complex arrangements also brings the band’s lyrics into a greater spotlight than ever before. Anyone that’s paid close attention to their last two albums knows Yeasayer aren’t the most prolific songwriters. Their skillfully crafted songs have gone a long way towards covering that problem up. Now pushed to the surface, the words are just another way the band stumbles and falls. It might be a little more forgivable if they had kept some of the uplifting and inspiring themes of their last couple records. Unfortunately much of the new album is about death and darkness, so if the bass-heavy melodies don’t bring you down then the lyrics probably will. “My girl says that all the rain promises is to give life to the seeds/Live in the moment/Never count on longevity,” Keating sings on “Longevity.” While it’s probably not intended that way, you could imagine those lines being mirrored back at the band and their career so far. While it’s admirable that they’re not content to sit still and fully commit to a certain style or genre of music for very long, it could also spell trouble for them if they make one too many wrong moves. Fragrant World may be the start of that inevitable downfall, or it could be a small misstep in an otherwise strong career in music. For the sakes of everyone, let’s hope it’s the latter.

Yeasayer – Henrietta

Buy Fragrant World from Amazon

Pick Your Poison: Monday 8-20-12

By Faronheit

On 08/20/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Last Thursday I talked briefly about the Russian punk band Pussy Riot and the legal situation they were facing in court. Well as you may have heard, on Friday the band was found guilty of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred,” and all three members were sentenced to two years in prison. While many artists, celebrities and important figures have gone on record supporting the band and their actions, the Russian government isn’t about to change their minds. In fact, word today is that they’re busy searching for other members of the band, hoping to arrest them and charge them with the same crime. There are apparently 10 total members of Pussy Riot, so the three that have been convicted and sentenced are only a small part of their whole. In fact, after the sentencing on Friday, the band released a new song called “Putin Lights Up the Fires”. There were also “Free Pussy Riot” rallys held around the globe on Friday to show support for the band. While none of this will probably help the three women whose sentences have already been decided, hopefully such an outpouring of support and protest can help bring about some real changes and discussion about the topics of freedom and religion and feminism across the globe. Okay, I’ve gone over this enough for now, and it’s a heavier topic than I’d like for these Pick Your Poison posts. This is about discovering new music, not incarcerating someone because of it. So please enjoy tracks from Ab-Soul, DaVinci (with Freddie Gibbs), Holmes, The Pauses and Silent Rider. In the Soundcloud section Amateur Best and Deerhoof have new tracks up for streaming, and Peter Bjorn & John’s remix of Norah Jones is a surprising delight for many reasons.

Ab-Soul – Nibiru

Bjork – Mutual Core (The Adamski Kid Remix)

DaVinci – MYOB (ft. Freddie Gibbs)

Dinowalrus – Grounded

Donnis – Absolutely (ft. IAMSU & Jay Ant)

Eli & Fur – Tonight (Jimmy Edgar Remix)

Four Rounds & The Sound – Nothing But Time

Holmes – Stereo

How to Dress Well – Again (Janet Jackson cover)

Jaggery – No Sympathy

Natural Child – B$G P$MP$N

The Pauses – The Beginning of Things

Qualms – Pressure

Silent Rider – Beggar

Zucchini Drive – Howler Than Thou

SOUNDCLOUD

Amateur Best – Ready For The Good Life

Deerhoof – Fête d’Adieu

I Am Giant – Purple Heart

Milkman – Neon Eyes (Original Mix)

The National Rifle – Coke Beat

Norah Jones – Miriam (Peter Bjorn & John Remix)

Pick Your Poison: Friday 8-17-12

By Faronheit

On 08/17/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Every now and then you need one of those weekends where you can just spend some quiet times with friends and not have to worry about going places or doing much. Sit back and relax on the couch with a beverage and enjoy shutting the world out. That sounds like a great idea to me, and so I think that’s what I’ll be doing all weekend. You should join me in doing the same. I’m not inviting you all over to my place, but we’ll each spend time in our respective places without a care in the world. If you have a second and are so inclined though, a quick click of the “Like” button on this site’s Facebook page would be very much appreciated. I promise not to spam you at all or clog up your Facebook News Feed. I’m a respectful Facebook user and I hope you are too. Now let me get to today’s Pick Your Poison. Solid set of songs today, in particular from The Dandelion War, Dan Melchior, Franz Nicolay (formerly of The Hold Steady), GRMLN, Karlie Bruce, Lonely Drifter Karen, More Amor and TEEN. In the Soundcloud section there’s streaming goodness from He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, King Krule and Neon Hitch. Have a great weekend!

The Dandelion War – Drifters

Dan Melchior – All the Clocks

Delicate Steve – Afria Talks to You (Oorutaichi Remix)

Franz Nicolay – Did Your Broken Heart Make You Who You Are?

GRMLN – Coral

Jay Rock – YOLA

Karlie Bruce – Paperback Lover

Lonely Drifter Karen – Comet

Marenberg Kollektiv – Sun Goes Down

Minta & the Brook Trout – From the Ground

More Amor – Heart

Nick Ferrio & His Feelings – Popular Flower

Squadda B – Love U

TEEN – Unable

Tesla Boy – Fantasy (SoundSAM Remix)

Tilly & the Wall – Love Riot (Cycad Remix)

SOUNDCLOUD

AJ Edwards – Let Down Your Guard

Dan Croll – From Nowhere

The Fades – Be Your Man

He’s My Brother She’s My Sister – Electric Love

King Krule – Rock Bottom

Neon Hitch ft. Tyga – Gold

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 8-16-12

By Faronheit

On 08/16/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

So there’s a Russian punk band known as Pussy Riot. I hope you’ve heard of them, especially since they’ve been attracting a lot of attention worldwide because they’re in trouble with the Russian government. Here’s what happened. The three members of the band held a performance on February 21st at Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral during which they shouted, “Virgin Mary, Mother of God, become a feminist!” and “Put Putin out!” while raising their fists into the air. The whole thing lasted under a minute and had political protest intentions. Now the government maintains the band tried to offend the Orthodox Christian community, so last March they threw them in jail on charges of “hooliganism.” They’ve remained in captivity since then, and in recent weeks have finally been to court for a full trial. Final arguments have been made, and tomorrow we will find out if these three women will serve any time in prison. Amnesty International has gotten involved, warning that if they are sentenced to prison they could wind up in labor camps where they will face mental, physical and sexual abuse. In other words, this isn’t a good situation. I hope you’ll learn more about what’s happening and try to help in whatever way possible. Go here for the latest information and to find out what you can do. Okay, with that bit of music and politics out of the way, let’s talk about today’s Pick Your Poison. I’ll give gold star points to downloads from all boy/all girl, Heems, Keel Her, Piney Gir, Rubblebucket, The Soft Moon and Spook Houses. In the Soundcloud section, don’t miss streaming tracks from Brother Ali, Rangda, and The Sea and Cake.

all boy/all girl – Summertime

Cultfever – Knew You Well (Eight Bit Tiger Remix)

Dr. Beat – FormulaMarzAgain

Hauschka – Radar (Michael Mayer Remix)

Heems – Killing Time

The Interns – Shudddup

Keel Her – Prize Catch

Piney Gir – Outta Sight

Public Enemy – Harder Than You Think (Featurecast Remix)

Romans – Somedays

Rubblebucket – (Focus) Oversaturated

sean0sean – Don’t You Worry About A Thing

Shawn Lee – Black Hole

The Soft Moon – Die Life

Spook Houses – Bad Sound

XOV – Tomorrow Is My Day

SOUNDCLOUD

Beast Patrol – Plaster

Brother Ali – Mourning in America

Groundislava – Suicide Mission (ft. Baths)

Japanese Moon – I Wanna Be Adored (Stone Roses cover)

Rangda – Majnun

The Sea and Cake – On and On

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 8-15-12

By Faronheit

On 08/15/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Every now and then I like to cater to my fellow Chicagoans by mentioning an important show or two happening in town. In this case the show holds special significance, as it’s all great Chicago bands playing at a great Chicago venue. This Friday at Empty Bottle, Football, Outer Minds and Mannequin Men are on the bill. They’re three of the city’s more prominent live acts, and I’ve either seen or heard great things about all of them. For Mannequin Men in particular this could be their last show for awhile, as bassist Miles Raymer is leaving the band to pursue other interests. He will be missed, so come out and give him a proper farewell at the show. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 the day of the show. You can buy them here. Please also enjoy the mp3 from Mannequin Men below. I also recommend downloading tracks from Attaque, Blonde Summer, Cold Showers, Death Rattle, Dirty Beaches, The Mommyheads and Riverboat Gamblers.

Amicus – Goodbye

Arc in Round – Said Astray (Void Edit by Benoit Pioulard)

Attaque – Intensify

Blonde Summer – Robots on Command

Cold Showers – BC

Death Rattle – The Dig

Decomposure – Readymade

Dirty Beaches – Elizabeth’s Theme

Feist – Graveyard (TRUST Remix)

Gaytheist – I’m Procrastinate and I Vote

Mannequin Men – What’s Your Favourite Colour?

The Mommyheads – Right Where They Should Be

OLGWI – Magic

Riverboat Gamblers – Good Veins

Tussle – Yume No Mori (Alexander Hacke Remix)

SOUNDCLOUD

AnimalZOO – 1000 Spacecolours

Barny Carter – Castel

Kids With Teeth – Hell Hole

LexiconDon – Burn

My Preserver – You Know Something That I Don’t Know

Slowolf – See U In My Dreams

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 8-14-12

By Faronheit

On 08/14/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

It’s a surprisingly quiet week for new album releases, and in fact I think the last few weeks have been. With Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear both coming up quite soon though, don’t expect this lull to last very long. For now though, here’s your weekly listing of artists that have new material out this week. Look for stuff from Asteroid Shop, Blur, Corb Lund, Dead Can Dance, Denver, Dignan Porch, Shoes and Why?. There’s also the double disc collection of Fleetwood Mac covers that features a great list of contributing artists including Best Coast, Antony Hegarty, Washed Out, Tame Impala, The Kills, MGMT, St. Vincent and Lykke Li. I won’t speak to the direct worth of any of those records, but if you see something you like, by all means check it out. Also check out today’s Pick Your Poison, which has some stuff I will recommend. Specifically look out for tracks from Amanda Palmer, Dog Bite, Feature Cuts, The Helio Sequence, Leftover Cuties, Lord Huron and Warning Light. In the Soundcloud section please enjoy streaming a new Ty Segall track.

Akello Light – This is Winston-Salem

Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra – The Killing Type

Bad Bibles – Nearsighted

The Cast of Cheers – Human Elevator (Citizens! Remix)

Diamond Messages – The Look (Metronomy cover)

Dog Bite – My Enthusiasm

Dolfish – I’d Rather Disappear Than Stay the Same

Feature Cuts – Decisions

The Helio Sequence – Hall of Mirrors

I Killed Kenny – Originator

Jahan Lennon – Don’t Come Around Here No More (Tom Petty cover)

Leftover Cuties – Smile Big

Lord Huron – Time to Run

Neonfaith – Tied Together

ViliFl – Anguish

Warning Light – Brisk Western Winds

Zebra and Snake – Maid of Orleans (OMD cover)

SOUNDCLOUD

Everyman – Take The Block (Original Mix)

Fuzzy Empire – Chroma

The Knocks – The Feeling

Ty Segall – The Hill

The xx – Chained (Common Citizens Remix)

Pick Your Poison: Monday 8-13-12

By Faronheit

On 08/13/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

On Saturday night, I was spending time with friends doing what we sometimes to, which is drinking at a bar. Upon stumbling back to my apartment a little intoxicated, I immediately sat down at my computer and discovered a little music news story that made my night. It said The Dismemberment Plan played a show at Baltimore’s Metro Gallery and performed what amounted to EIGHT new songs. To make things even better, frontman Travis Morrison took to Facebook to explain things. In a nutshell he said that after playing those new songs, the band is going back into their “lab” to work on some more. Right now there are no set plans to record, but it’s certainly being discussed. So it looks like we’ll be getting a new D-Plan record sometime in the future. That news alone is good enough for me, though if we get several years down the road and nothing happens (like Kevin Shields promising a new My Bloody Valentine record) then I’ll be impatient and upset. When the band first reunited in 2011, they said there were zero plans to make new music or a new record, but that they’d “take it day to day” and figure things out in time. With Morrison’s post-Dismembermen Plan records getting hated on consistently and his 2009 announcement that he was “retiring” from music, the remarkable success of this reunion must have provided him with a new lease on the rock star life. It makes sense that he and the rest of the band want more. If their output now is as good as their output from 10-15 years ago, we’re absolutely in for a treat. Want to see a bunch of the new songs performed live from that show over the weekend? Simply go here to watch six of them on YouTube. Great stuff. Also great is this Monday edition of Pick Your Poison. I’ll advise checking out tracks from Agents of Change, Cars & Trains, Eraas, Lindstrom, METZ, Nat Lyon, Poor Moon and Talibam!. In the Soundcloud section, I will recommend that you stream every single track in there, from Airbird (aka Joel Ford of Ford & Lopatin) to The Darkness (covering Radiohead) to Matthew Dear and beyond.

Agents of Change – Chicago Got Me Sweatin’

Alameda – Summer Dharma

Cars & Trains – Nations

Diamond Messages – The Look

Eraas – Briar Path

Francisco the Man – Tiger

Jennah Barry – The Coast

Kraak & Smaak – Forget About You (ft. Lee Fields (Valeron Remix)

Krink – Here I Come

Lindstrom – Rà-àkõ-st

METZ – Headache

Midnight Magic & Tommie Sunshine – I Found Love (Tommie Sunshine & Disco Fries Remix)

Nat Lyon – LCRV

Poor Moon – Birds

Slam Donahue – Bug in the Sun

Talibam! – It’s A Tough Day, Hard Day

Vonnegutt – Fresh Like Me (ft. Mic Terror)

SOUNDCLOUD

Airbird – Long Lake

Beacon – Feeling’s Gone

Buke & Gase – Misshaping Introduction

The Darkness – Street Spirit (Radiohead cover)

Hooray For Earth – Never

Matthew Dear – Earthforms

Pick Your Poison: Friday 8-10-12

By Faronheit

On 08/10/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

It’s Friday. Do you have big plans for the weekend? There’s not a whole lot of these “summer” weekends left, so get in your fun while you still can. Me, I’m headed to see Huey Lewis & The News. If reading those words just made you do a double take, well, take solace that I’m not the biggest Huey fan in the world. My main goal will be to hear “The Power of Love” because of my love of Back to the Future. Beyond that, I’m going to spend time with friends and consume alcohol. Sometimes those things are enough to tempt you into things you might not otherwise go to. Besides, do I really have to defend Huey Lewis & The News? They’re one of those bands that are so uncool it’s cool to like them. Or something like that. Anyways, have fun this weekend and stay safe. Enjoy this edition of Pick Your Poison too, which features great tracks from Cat Power, Chrome Canyon, John the Conqueror, Modern Skirts and Theresa Andersson. In the Soundcloud section, be sure to stream new stuff from Earlimart, Lavender Diamond, Simian Mobile Disco and Stars.

Angel Snow – Lie Awake

Astronauts, etc. – Mystery Colors

Capital Cities – Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince cover)

Cat Power – Cherokee (+ Nicolas Jaar Remix)

Christopher Paul Stelling – Never Been There

Chrome Canyon – Generation

Coldplay – Charlie Brown (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)

Earth Science – Devil’s Tower

Fast Planet – Columbus (Vindata Remix)

John the Conqueror – Time to Go

Mile Me Deaf – Troubles Caught

Modern Skirts – Tennessee

The Natural Shocks – Change

The Sound of Arrows – Wonders (The Knocks Remix)

Theresa Andersson – Fiya’s Gone

SOUNDCLOUD

Earlimart – 97 Heart Attack

High Highs – Once Around The House

Kasket – August Fades

Lavender Diamond – Everybody’s Heart’s Breaking Now

Simian Mobile Disco – A Form Of Change

Stars – Backlines

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 8-9-12

By Faronheit

On 08/09/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

Good news for all you LCD Soundsystem fans. Their documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits, which screened in select theaters around the country last month, will be on DVD and Blu-Ray this October. The exact date of its release is October 9th, and it’ll be a 3-disc set. The extras aren’t announced yet, but the reason it’s 3 discs is because the first will be the documentary while the second and third will be their final show in its entirety, which lasted close to 4 hours. Yeah, they absolutely need 2 discs to hold all of that show. I promise it’ll make a great stocking stuffer for the music lover in your circle of friends and family. And hey, if you want to jump on it right away, the preorder is up. Okay, how about there here and now of today’s Pick Your Poison. You won’t want to miss downloading tracks from Blessed Feathers, Dressy Bessy, John Butler Trio, K Theory, Modern Rivals, Netherfriends and Paradigm. In the Soundcloud section be sure to stream tracks from Dragonette and Young Magic.

Blessed Feathers – Hey! All You Floridians

Buffetlibre – The Sun in the Shade (Bonde Do Role Remix)

Dressy Bessy – Something to Love
Dressy Bessy – Wind Me Up

The Jar Family – Getting Better

John Butler Trio – Ocean (2012)

K Theory – The Master

Labyrinth Ear – Urchin

The Lytics – Stay Calm

Mister 1-2-3-4 – Vermilion Sands

Modern Rivals – Clocks vs. Darts

Nacosta – Secret Destroyer

Ned Collette & Wirewalker – Il Futuro Fantastico

Netherfriends – Summer Sex

Paradigm – Share/Love

Passion Pit – Constant Conversations (St. Lucia Remix)

Thomas Azier – How to Disappear

SOUNDCLOUD

Dragonette – Live In This City

Her Vanished Grace – Fade Away

Magatha Trysty – Want to Stay

Young Magic – You With Air (Tape Flip)

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 8-8-12

By Faronheit

On 08/08/2012

In mp3, music, pick your poison

In today’s edition of WTF news, Beck has announced the release of his new album, Song Reader. Ordinarily this would be great news, except things are not what they seem. See, Song Reader will not come in mp3, CD, vinyl or cassette formats. It will only come in sheet music format. If you want to hear what the songs sound like, you’re going to need to play them yourself via instruments you may or may not know how to use. So basically, Beck is giving us all a 20-song homework project. Of course it’s also entirely optional, and I suspect 90% of the people that buy it won’t learn more than a song or two. I think I’ll wait for a really good band to record all the songs themselves and give them away for free. Additional details about the project include a couple song titles, such as “Do We? We Do” and “Don’t Act Like Your Heart Isn’t Hard,” plus mentions of original artwork from a variety of people that will expand the set to 109 pages. It’ll be sold by McSweeney’s, and you can find more details here. Now let’s get to some songs that have already been recorded and are sheet music free. In this edition of Pick Your Poison, highlights include tracks from Bear Mountain, Ghost Wave, Grand Resort, Levek, and Space Fight.

Bear Mountain – Congo

Big Tree – Augury

Bloc Party – Octopus (SLDGHMR Remix)

Conner Youngblood – The Warpath

Ghost Wave – Hippy

Grand Resort – Never Ever

To Kill A King – Funeral

Koko Beware – Stay

Levek – French Lessons

Linus Pauling Quartet – Crom

Lucy and the Daze – Fear and Loathing

Lusjoints – Indy