M+A - Things.Yes

Italian duo M+A premiered the first track titled Liko Lene Lisa, a song taken from their forthcoming album, Things.Yes, due out on November 8 via Monotreme Records.

Liko Lene Lisa is a delicate and beautiful dose of electro-acoustic pop infused with dubstep elements evoking comparisons to the Postal Service, Panda Bear, Phoenix, Tunng, et al. The MP3 is available to stream/download through RCRD LBL.

M+A is Michele Ducci,19, (vocals, instruments) and Alessandro Degli Angioli, 22, (instruments) of Forli, Italy.

"We listen to music to understand what we do, and we do music to understand what we listen to. We record everything at home, in a mansard to be more precise. The 'home-made' policy corresponds to a definite aesthetics, particularly with regard to a pop range. It's like a scene from a thriller movie where, at the very crucial moment, there's a shot of the director and his assistants while setting up the play set. So yes, we do make pop, but with the unpretentious intention to thrill. Our band is made up by two components, not merged in a unique identity, but rather coexisting. Sticking to the common sense of the word, we never really felt like a group. With its naivety and brutality, M+A plainly represents our initials just to make the whole thing more tangible and real. It's two people moving forward parallel one another, though with countless meeting points."

BERGEN.JPG (soft version) from M+A on Vimeo.

Meshell Ndegeocello - Weather

This fall, Meshell Ndegeocello will return with her latest record Weather, out November 8th on Naïve in the U.S. Her ninth album in 20 years, Weather finds the eclectic songwriter expanding on her iconic style, a lush album of intimate songwriting. And in honor of the album’s release, Meshell has made “Dirty World” available for free download.

Produced by Grammy-winner Joe Henry (Aimee Mann, Solomon Burke, Ani DiFranco), Weather is the latest addition to Meshell’s diverse catalog. A strikingly organic record, the album finds Meshell experimenting with the sparse, orchestral melodies paired with thoughtful lyrics, all performed by a band of fearsome musicians. The album opens with the title track “Weather,” a spacey, soulful groove that sets the stage for the rest of the record. Tracks like “Oysters” and her cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Chelsea Hotel” find Meshell constructing hushed ballads, centered around mournful piano. These tracks are juxtaposed with Meshell’s defiant, soulful stomps on songs like “Rapid Fire” and “Dirty World.” The album also features all-star collaborations with the likes of Chris Connelly (ex-Revolting Cocks, Ministry), Benji Hughes, and Joe Henry.

Born Michelle Johnson in Berlin, Meshell Ndegeocello has spent that last twenty years forging a unique career that’s as distinct as it is critically celebrated. Arriving in New York in the early ’90s with a few bedroom demos and her bass, Meshell quickly struck out on her own, joining The Black Rock Coalition and eventually signing to Madonna’s newly minted Maverick Records. Her politically charged, sexually rebellious music crossed boundaries and norms, all while incorporating a bit of everything into her sound, including hip hop, rock, R&B, new wave, go-go and punk. Her neo-soul anthem “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)” topped the charts, and cover of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night,” performed with John Mellancamp, became a ’90s classic. Quickly developing into a musician’s musician, Meshell has shared the stage with The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, James Blood Ulmer, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tony Allen, John Medeski, Billy Preston, Chaka Khan, and more.

Jonathan Coulton - Artificial Heart

Jonathan Coulton speaks to the outcast in all of us, in the voices of characters we know from our own sad little lives. Some of them may be monsters - mad scientists, giant squids, zombies - but his talent is in turning offbeat subjects into deliciously hooky pop songs that move us in surprisingly personal ways. His upcoming album, Artificial Heart, produced by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants, is due out this Fall. It's a new direction for Coulton - he leaves behind the home recording gear for a studio filled with talented musicians and guest vocalists including Suzanne Vega, John Roderick of The Long Winters and Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara.

Coulton released the new MP3 for album track "Good Morning Tucson", a classic pop melody underscores it’s narrative about an aging morning news anchor who one day finally loses it.

The album opens with “Sticking to Myself”, a blistering, high-energy song about finding success, and then tearing it all down. “Nemeses” is a duet between Coulton and The Long Winters’ John Roderick that suggests the only real way to bring meaning into your life is to find your own worst enemy. The album’s title track, “Artificial Heart," has a bouncy, joyful melody that can't quite mask the feeling that drastic measures are sometimes worse than the problems they are trying to solve.

Artificial Heart is Jonathan Coulton’s first album of all new material since his infamous 2006 “Thing A Week” series, during which he created 52 musical pieces in 52 weeks. It's a strong addition to an already impressive discography that spans a decade. His song “Still Alive” is the closing soundtrack to the video game “Portal," and was awarded “Best Original Vocal Pop Song” in 2008 by the Game Audio Network Guild. This year, Coulton was asked back to write “Want You Gone," a song for Portal’s long awaited sequel. Fans who haven’t seen Jonathan Coulton live can catch him on tour with They Might Be Giants this Fall!

The Nocturnes New Album Out August 30, New Single

The Nocturnes is set to release their new album titled Aokigahara in two days time. Meanwhile, check out their newly released single titled Love.

Christopher Paul Stelling Covers 'Goodnight, Irene'

Unfortunately due to Hurricane Irene quickly descending upon New York City, Daytrotter’s Barnstormer tour has been forced to cancel their Brooklyn stop on August 27th, but Brooklyn’s own Christopher Paul Stelling has his own message for the storm. Left with a bit of time on his hands, he recorded this lo-fi video of the traditional folk song “Goodnight, Irene” made famous by Lead Belly in the 30’s.

Please enjoy and share this intriguingly relevant rendition of a true American classic on the eve of meteorological uncertainty. Also, be sure to catch Christopher at one of his upcoming shows, including 9/9 at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC w/ James Vincent Mcmorrow and Marissa Nadler.

The Dodos 'Good'

The brand new video by The Dodos featuring their new song Good, taken from the band's latest album titled No Color out now on Wichita Recordings.

Boots Electric - Honkey Kong

Boots Electric is Hollywood’s favorite son and Eagles of Death Metal frontman, Jesse “The Devil” Hughes. After creating three albums of dirty and danceable garage rock anthems, Honkey Kong is his first solo outing and will be released on September 19th by Dangerbird Records. It was produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Depeche Mode) and co-written with legendary keyboardist Money Mark, best known for his many collaborations with the Beastie Boys.

Honkey Kong is the sound of Boots Electric coming out of the closet. Under this moniker, Hughes expands his sonic palette while continuing to deliver the hooks that he’s known for. The electronic drums that kick off opening track “Complexity” immediately signal the new direction. The track is a mix of glam-pop, keyboard-heavy dance grooves, and Hughes’ signature brand of rock ‘n roll grit that drips with swagger. Elsewhere, he tries on space-funk synths on the track “Boots Electric” and “Trippy Blob” has some of his most absurdist lyrics yet.

Though a winking self-awareness has long been one of Hughes’ calling cards, he’s also written some of his most earnest songs yet. “No Fun” is an honest-to-goodness ballad and “Swallowed by the Night” is a soulful slice of honky tonk gold. Honkey Kong reveals what many already knew – beneath the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and his charismatic strut, Hughes has always been a gifted pop songwriter at heart.

Mariachi El Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx (II)

Mariachi El Bronx teamed up once again with John Avila, former member of Oingo Boingo, to co-produce their new album, which was recorded this past Christmas and New Year at Avila’s studio, Brando’s Paradise in San Gabriel, CA.

Mariachi El Bronx (II) bristles with intensity, drama and emotion – hallmarks of both mariachi and punk music. The 12-song collection contemplates the nature of love – a traditional topic in mariachi music, as men often hire bands to serenade the women they are courting – but Mariachi El Bronx brings a unique sensibility to the subject. The album opener “48 Roses” paints a picaresque portrait of a man with an insatiable appetite for love, while “Revolution Girls” details a border romance and “Poverty’s King” concerns a man trying to overcome class distinctions with a catchy come-on. A more somber note is struck in the tale of a fallen “Matador” and the bittersweet “Everything Dies”. “Mariachi El Bronx”, a tour-de-force instrumental, features Reyna de Los Angeles, America’s first all female mariachi ensemble.

Mariachi El Bronx (II) is set to release on September 12 via Wichita Recordings.

Peggy Sue - Acrobats

Produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Sparklehorse, Giant Sand, Eels etc), Peggy Sue’s second album titled Acrobats finds the band moving away from the acoustic sounds of their debut to something heavier but just as subtle and beautiful. Slated for a September 12 release via Wichita Recordings, Katy Young and Rosa Slade’s entrancing, dual vocals and Olly Joyce’s tribal drums are still present but are now more developed and breath-taking than ever before.

The full album tracklist is:

1. Cut My Teeth
2. Song & Dance
3. Funeral Beat
4. Changed and Waiting
5. Parking Meter Blues
6. All We’ll Keep
7. Boxes
8. D.U.M.B.O
9. Ruthie
10. Shadows
11. There Always Was

GusGus 'Over'

GusGus announced their new video of the new single 'Over' directed by Ellen Lofts and Thorbjörn Ingason.

Dad Rocks! 'Mount Modern'

Dad Rocks!’ upcoming Fall album release of “Mount Modern”.

Caveman - CoCo Beware

After months of anticipation, Caveman is pleased to announce the digital release of their debut album CoCo Beware on September 13th, followed by the physical CD and vinyl release on November 15th. Exploding out of the New York scene over the last few months, the band has decided to get this hot off the presses album out as soon as possible via a digital self-release. The fans wanted it, so the fans get it — a straight-ahead ethos for a band that’s about the music FIRST.


Recorded and produced by Nick Stumpf (French Kicks), CoCo Beware showcases the dreamy chamber pop and multi-part harmonies that have been turning heads at the band’s live shows for the better part of a year. Leading up to the release of their debut, Caveman will also be heading out on tour with The War On Drugs, hitting the east coast, midwest and Canada before returning to New York to celebrate their album release at the Mercury Lounge on Thursday, September 15th.

VHS or Beta - Diamonds & Death

VHS or Beta’s upcoming album, Diamonds & Death, is a journey full of thrilling moments and unexpected turns. The album’s electronic foundation is a byproduct of the many nights VHS OR BETA DJs have manned the decks and remixes they have done in the last few years. The self-produced album travels spectacular heights to gut-wrenching plunges and is an emotional rollercoaster. The songs unfold and mutate in unpredictable ways that will transfix dance floors and bedrooms alike. Diamonds & Death will be released September 27 on Krian Music Group/Chromosome Records.

Title track “Diamonds & Death” transforms from a minimal synth track into a dance floor behemoth. “I Found a Reason” is a pulsating summer anthem with a soaring refrain built on a foundation of rubbery bass, swooning synth and housey piano chords. The album’s quixotic nature juxtaposes dance floor stompers like “Watch Out” with experimental and throbbing psychedelic tracks like “Jellybean”. Diamonds & Death is an unpredictable journey full of breathtaking epic song-scapes.

VHS or Beta "Breaking Bones" from Graham Hill on Vimeo.

Girl In a Coma - Exits & All the Rest

San Antonio’s Girl In A Coma have left a permanent tattoo on the hearts of thousands with their piercing songs and nuclear performances. They’ve blazed a singular trail since Nina Diaz joined the band at age 13 and have found champions and comrades along the way including Joan Jett who signed them, Morrissey, Sia, Tegan and Sara, The Pogues and Amanda Palmer who have hand selected them for tours. In addition, Robert Rodriguez asked them to compose one of the key songs for his film Machete last year. All the while, they have been building one of the most impassioned and diverse fan bases in music. Girl in a Coma are that rare feral band, unaffected by trends, that has managed to stay wild and thrill us at every turn. Exits & All the Rest, their 4th album out November 1 on Blackheart Records, is the most heart-stopping turn yet.

From sharing stages with their heroes to experiencing Arizona’s controversial laws firsthand, the album was born in an especially intense period for the band. “Hope” is a pogo ready punk assault that speaks to the Arizona immigration dispute while daring you to stay still. Album opener “Adjust” is a tale of persecution and a sonic mindfield. Nina Diaz’s voice turns from a lament to a growl in a split second while the thundering combination of Phanie Diaz’s drums and Jennifer Alva’s bass rattle your ribcage. “One Eyed Fool” is a fearless and bare declaration of the universal need to be loved. “Cemetery Baby” underscores the bands ability to seduce you with melody no matter how tragic the message. “Smart” showcases GIAC’s own special recipe for a melodic pop song. The stomping rhythm of future GIAC anthem “Control” lays a foundation for Nina’s voice to build empires of heartbreak on. The stamp San Antonio’s music scene has left on the band is all over the album and it’s stabs of punk, tejano, rockabilly, classic rock and roll, rancheras, indie rock and ballads all contributing to a sound that can only be described as Girl in a Coma.

Scattered Trees 'Sympathy'

Asa - Beautiful Imperfection

Internationally acclaimed, French-Nigerian singer Asa gave the first taste of her new album, Beautiful Imperfection, with the sunny, reggae-tinged single “Why Can’t We”. Asa’s second album, Beautiful Imperfection, has already gotten rave reviews in other countries across the globe, and will be release in the US on September 6th through Naïve Records. As oppose to the political theme of her first release, Asa’s new music carries more of a celebratory and joyous feeling, embracing the listener with the warmth of her smoky vocals.

Three of the twelve songs on Beautiful Imperfection are in Asa’s native Yoruba language, and the remaining songs in English display the unmistakable and infectious lilt of her French-Nigerian background. Born in Paris, Asa returned to her family’s home in Lagos, Nigeria at the age of two. As the only girl in a family of four, living in an African city that was both vibrant and turbulent, young Asa sought solace in her thoughts. Music was a prominent aspect of her childhood life with Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Fela Kuti and the music of her homeland all playing a part in shaping Asa’s inimitable sound. With a vivid imagination and dreams of musical stardom, she would often take to an imaginary stage with her imaginary microphone and perform to her imaginary audience. Talking about “Dreamer Girl,” she notes, “When you catch yourself dreaming, you can sometimes sense that people nearby could hear you, and suddenly, you might feel like it’s a crime. But I’m actually the dreamer girl in the song.”

Megafaun Gives Free Single

Megafaun is giving away "State/Meant," the new single from their forthcoming self-titled album (9/20, Hometapes), as a free download.

On "State/Meant," Megafaun reach new emotional depths blending ghostly harmonies, banjo and other traditional instruments with noise and electronics. Recorded entirely in just one afternoon, "State/Meant" transports listeners to another end of the near limitless sonic spectrum the band explored at April Base in Fall Creek, WI. Brad Cook explains, "This song was a passing thought that erupted into such a complete piece of music in an afternoon. This was the one song where we essentially added nothing after the first day of recording."

Gramatik 'So Much For Love'

This is the official video by versatile producer Gramatik and his featured track So Much For Love, brought to you by Pretty Lights Music.

Polinski - Labyrinths

Paul Wolinski of British electronic-infused post-rock heroes 65Daysofstatic announces his forthcoming solo debut under the nom-de-tune Polinski. The disc, titled Labyrinths mixes sci-fi soundtrack moods with beat-laced anthems. It will be released in North America on November 7th, 2011 via Monotreme Records.

A video teaser featuring a mash-up of parts from all of the album's songs was released recently.

After ten years (give or take) on the road and on the record with 65daysofstatic, Paul Wolinski finally steps out from behind that particular outfit's notorious smokescreen and emerges as Polinski, a man with a laptop, some synths and a plan, in the meta-physical sense of the word.

In our childhood bedrooms and minds, the possibilities were always endless, there were worlds within worlds, and galaxies upon galaxies. If the suburbs outside seemed limited by how far we could get on our bikes, then in the real and unreal realities of space travel and science fiction we were satiated, if only momentarily. What if your bike could take off?

And it is to there that Polinski has returned, to soundtrack the impossible possibilities of the sci-fi mentality. Says Wolinski, "this is basically an album I daydreamed of writing back when I was 15 and just learning how to program MIDI...lots of beats and distortion and piano and big melodies, with a dance-y toughness."


Feeding himself a steady diet of 70s and 80s sci-fi movies and endless second hand paperbacks from the golden era of sci-fi publishing, and free of the myopic shortcomings of writing music in a room with 3 other people, this is music that is unconstrained in its search for warp speed, the 1.21 gigawatts that launches the listener back to the future.

Throughout, John Carpenter-esque synths collide with robot voices, Philip Glass style piano motifs pair up with punching rhythms, gliding melodies soar with the retro-futuristic furor of Bowie-Eno collaborations... Even in the thickest analogue bubblebath, the digital heart beats on.

LABYRINTHS from polinski on Vimeo.

Introducing Neil Finn's New Band, Pajama Club

Neil Finn’s mastery of pop song craft has always been evident with his work as the frontman for Crowded House and Split Enz. Fittingly, Neil was recently honored with the task of presenting a lifetime achievement award to Brian Wilson at the MOJO Awards. Neil new band, Pajama Club, continues to show his gift for melody while revealing a new side to his musical persona. The group’s self-titled debut album will be released on September 13th through Lester Records/Redeye.

For a taste of the new project, click HERE to download the Pajama Club track “These Are Conditions.” The song pairs a sexy garage rock stomp and infectious vocals, with electronic sounds sprinkled over top.

Pajama Club Teaser from Pajama Club on Vimeo.

Atari Teenage Riot 'Blood In My Eyes'

Boy and Bear 'Feeding Line'

Australian-based group Boy and Bear have premiered its video for Feeding Line, the first single off the full-length debut album Moonfire that is set to be digitally released August 9 by Universal Republic.

Feeding Line is a perfect mix of colorful vibes and distinctive sounds with the addition of a catchy folk melody. The video complements the story told throughout the song with a creative indie inspiration.

Sebastian Bach Premieres New Video

Shortly after releasing his new album, Sebastian Bach unveiled the video of his title track Kicking and Screaming.

My Morning Jacket 'Holding on to Black Metal'

Louisville, Kentucky’s My Morning Jacket released 4 new clips, including the premiere of the eye-popping, surreal video for “Holdin On To Black Metal.”

The video for “Black Metal” was filmed during whirlwind period shortly before the quintent’s new album, Circuital, was released while the band was getting ready for their big hometown show (filmed by Todd Haynes for AmEx’s Unstaged series.) The band kept things local by working with the Louisville-based Sole Solution Studio for the clip, and filmed it at the idiosyncratic local watering hole Jim Porter’s Good Time Emporium. The video also includes footage from the Jacket’s electrifying 2011 Bonnaroo performance. The guys kick off the next leg of their US tour tonight in St. Louis and will play select dates with Neko Case as the opener during August.

Tera Melos 'So Occult / Kelly'

Sacramento genre-benders Tera Melos release a new video today courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan. The clip includes two songs, "So Occult" and "Kelly" culled from their recent album, Patagonian Rats.

Richard Buckner - Our Blood

American singer-songwriter Richard Buckner released his highly anticipated new album Our Blood available on different formats: CD, LP, and digital download, brought to you by Merge Records.

Since 2006’s Meadow, fans of Richard Buckner have been clamoring for new material and wondering what was keeping their hero from releasing the new songs he would perform on the road. Well, it’s a long story!

First, there was the score to a film that never happened. Then there was a brief brush with the law over a headless corpse in a burned-out car that had all eyes in Buckner’s small hometown in upstate New York turned toward him and his long-suffering truck. Shortly after a move to a safer, less popular corpse dumping ground, the death of his tape machine led to yet another reboot. After Richard called in pedal steel and percussion players and put new mixes on his laptop, his new “safer” place was burglarized. Goodbye, laptop.

Buckner says: “Eventually, the recording machine was resuscitated and some of the material was recovered. Cracks were patched. Parts were redundantly re-invented. Commas were moved. Insinuations were re-insinuated until the last percussive breaths of those final OCD utterances were expelled like the final heaves of bile, wept-out long after the climactic drama had faded to a somber, blurry moment of truth and voilà!, the record was done, or, let us be clear, abandoned like the charred shell of a car with a nice stereo.”


Commemorating the release, he's teaming up with David Kilgour for a co-headlining tour beginning August 16 in LA. Check out the date on his website.

"Thief" by Richard Buckner - BTR Live Studio [ep43] from BreakThru Radio TV on Vimeo.

Shaun Boothe 'Let Me Go'

Unloading remixes and exclusive material machine-gun style after a much-much-too-long hiatus from Toronto rapper Shaun Boothe, the latest and arguably most highly anticipated piece of ammo is out - his debut album Waiting Room, featuring the smash hit “Let Me Go”.

Waiting Room boasts a compilation of previously released, unreleased and brand new material.

Kids These Days x Snoop Dogg

8-piece blues/hip hop jam band Kids These Days hit the stage at Chicago's House of Blues recently with headliner Snoop Dogg, which rap vocalist Vic Mensa referred to as "probably the coolest thing I've ever done."

The band have been playing some of the biggest music festivals in North America including Summerfest, Wicker Park Fest, Bele Chere and Ottawa Blues Festival. Check out their website for upcoming dates.

Kids These Days x Snoop Dogg from Elephilms on Vimeo.

Rubblebucket 'L'homme'

Brooklyn-based art-pop band Rubblebucket is happy to announce the band’s latest video for their “L’homme”.

everyBoy - Parachute Mind

Less than a year since the national release of his debut The Last La-La’s, NYC’s Bruce Nathan, performing as everyBoy, returns with his second record Parachute Mind, released through Catlick Records is out now.

Recorded in a year that marked his first period of uninterrupted dedication to music, Parachute Mind echoes the messages of George Harrison with themes of compassion, hope, and light overcoming darkness coupled with vocals that iTunes noted “bring early Neil Young and Jeff Tweedy to mind.”


Although it has been a short time since everyBoy’s first album, the musical growth Nathan shows on his latest record is remarkable. Working again with Grammy-winning producer John Holbrook (Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Fountains of Wayne) and drummer Adam Topal of Jack Johnson’s band, Nathan also welcomes newcomers to the everyBoy band on Parachute Mind including guitarists Jimmy Wieder (The Band) and John Platania (Van Morrison) along with Jonathan Maron of Groove Collective on bass.

“I am proud to have had support from such talented folk and I feel blessed they like what I do enough to put so much time, energy, and love into my tunes,” Nathan says of the formidable talent present on Parachute Mind. Nathan has indeed assembled a collection of songs which mark a real maturity in his sound.

“It is no doubt a good example of what can happen going to bed soon after watching a Leonard Cohen documentary,” Nathan jokes about the 3AM writing session for this tune. “Parachute Mind” is the album’s title track and first single and video. The song (along with the album tracks “Change” and “What I Meant To Say”) was co-written with Richard Barone of The Bongos. “The impetus was mine, but Richard really helped me shape the idea into the song that appears on the record,” Nathan explains. “I really liked the idea that the mind is a parachute - it only works if it’s open.”

Next up for everyBoy after the release of Parachute Mind is an August tour as a trio with Nathan on guitar and vocals, Matt Brandau on bass and Tim Kuhl on drums. This version of everyBoy will record a live EP and then head back into the studio for another album, this time with Nathan’s touring band on the tracks. So it seems that soon enough we’ll be saying “Less than a year since the release...” yet again, but that’s to be expected from an artist like everyBoy’s Bruce Nathan and his prolific parachute mind.

The Nocturnes - Aokigahara

The Nocturnes, the band led by Red Sparowes guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle, announce the forthcoming release of their second album, Aokigahara due out on August 30 through Errant Child Records.

The Nocturnes are the folkgaze brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Emma Ruth Rundle. While the band began as a duo in 2007 and built a cult following prior to her joining Red Sparowes in 2009, Aokigahara is nonetheless a dramatic rebirth for The Nocturnes. Featuring a revamped quartet lineup, the 8-song album ventures into multiple textures of style and sound that create a lush haze of melody that blends hints of folk, shoegaze, chamber pop, goth and post-rock.

Rundle is joined on this recording by guitarist/vocalist Julian Rifkin, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Paris Patt and drummer Dave Clifford (also of Red Sparowes). Aokigahara was written collectively, combining the different styles and personalities of the players. Some of the songs were built from Rundle's unrecorded older songs, others were written by Rifkin ("Craving", "Hello Neighbor") and others penned as a group ("Aokigahara", "The Road"). The album takes a more ethereal approach -- leaving behind the more direct vocal and rock-leaning song structures of the band's earlier releases -- for a new sound awash with reverb, drifting voices and harmonies, atmospheric guitars, Twin Peaks-esque bass lines and orchestral style drumming.

The Nocturnes - "The Road" from Consequence of Sound on Vimeo.

The Grownup Noise 'Carnival'

Four years and five national tours since the release of their last album, The Grownup Noise’s latest record, This Time With Feeling, has definitely proven itself to be worth the wait. Carefully blending elements of pop, folk and rock, the band bridges the gap between indie and Americana. Fusing tranquil lyrics and harmonies with an assortment of orchestrated flourishes including cellos, pianos and accordions, all five members of The Grownup Noise are multi-instrumentalists.

“Carnival” lifts the tempo with a powerful folk-rock hook and lyrics that tell the tale of a magical love.

Noxious Foxes - Légs

Brooklyn-based frenetic power-duo Noxious Foxes announce the release of their sophomore album, Légs now available on Broth IRA.

Légs was recorded over the course of 7 months at Thump. With it, their sound matured considerably -- the walls of loops got thicker and louder, beats became more intricate and complex. An electric piano and a synthesizer, also played by Justin, were added to round out the sonic blast. Since each song was written live with loopers, their recordings maintain the same layer building process as their live show.

The release of Légs also marks the formation of Justin and Richard's record label Broth IRA. With a fully equipped recording studio at their disposal and many musically talented friends, they are setting out to help bring more albums to life.

3 by Inc

LA based duo Inc. release their debut record for 4AD, the 3 track EP, '3'. Issued as both a limited edition 12" and download.

The music of LA-based brothers Andrew and Daniel Aged, Inc. first began recording in 2010. Prior to forming both Andrew and Daniel spent several years playing, recording and touring with a number of pop heavyweights, including 50 Cent, Elton John, Pharrell Williams, Beck, Raphael Saadiq, Cee-Lo, Heavy D, Robin Thicke, amongst others, and as their past attests, their music as Inc. paints a portrait of the great American songbook.


As with their self-released 7", 'Fountains'/'Friend Of The Night' (2010), the EP was written, produced, engineered and mixed by the brothers. Inc. are currently working on their new album, which will see the light of day next year.

Buy 3 now over here.

Milk Maid Announce New Single 'Dead Wrong'

With his band Nine Black Alps on indefinite hiatus, bassist Martin Cohen found he had time on his hands, recording at home Milk Maid’s debut album Yucca. The result is an album that might have come out on Creation Records in their 80’s heyday, recalling indie stalwarts like Comet Gain and marrying timeless pop hooks to the raw spontaneity of home recording, and sweet, sun-drenched pop hooks pitched against viscerally dark lyrics.

On new single Dead Wrong due out on September 19 through FatCat, Cohen sings ‘You’re killing yourself to cut your arms off, you’re stabbing yourself in the gut’ and manages to make it sound like a lost Buddy Holly tune - albeit with the production values of a Sic Alps track!

Jack Cooper, of fellow FatCat band Mazes, and the man behind Suffering Jukebox, summed it up when he compared Milk Maid to Guided By Voices for their “laissez faire approach to recording solid gold melodies; throwing songs away most bands would kill for.” Whilst Milk Maid wouldn’t sound out of place on the Woodsist label, Yucca shuns the psychedelic instrumental jams of those bands in favour of pop songs with 60’s girl group melodies reminiscent of The Crystals sitting amongst Jesus And Mary Chain-like fuzz and choppy John Densmore-esque drums.

Listen Dead Wrong over here.

Converse Japan Chuck Taylor August 2011 Release

Converse Japan unveiled their new line-up of Chuck Taylor for this month, and it's obviously way more attractive than the last.

Part of the new releases include two designs from the Mario Bros collaboration announced a while ago, and also some other enhanced features on the classic high top like extra cushioning system and the vibrant designs and materials applied.













Check with your local retailers for availability.

Converse One Star

A new color update to Converse's One Star model, turquoise green. We've seen counts of red, silver and golden in the past. A new color palette may do some good to the eye.

Converse 1988 Mountain Club Hi

Converse Japan reissued the 1988 Mountain Club Hi sneakers this month in three colorways. The outdoor hi tops are made of canvas and features great cushioning on the heel. Check with your local stockists for availability.

glamb x Converse Jack Purcell Zippers

Japanese label glamb and Converse teamed up recently to produce a special edition Jack Purcell - mid-cut JP with side zippers are rare to spot these days. With glamb x Converse joining forces to bring you some excitement, they presented two variants, one leopard print on the outer and one world map print on the inner.

Should be available at selected Converse stockists by now. More details over here.

Junip 'Sweet & Bitter'

Swedish band Junip performs Sweet & Bitter, taken from their debut LP titled Fields released last September, also the band's first release since a 5-year hiatus. Junip is José González, Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn.

Zechs Marquise - Getting Paid

Zechs Marquise, the El Paso, TX quintet are back with their sophomore album Getting Paid, bringing an intensified swagger to the band's multifaceted psych-prog haze for their most aggressive and versatile effort to date. "We liked that hip-hop attitude," explains drummer Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez of the album title. "Getting your piece, taking yours." And, Getting Paid certainly finds the band fully taking charge of their musical destiny.

In the years since their auspicious 2009 debut Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare, Zechs Marquise toured extensively throughout the US, proving to be a formidable live act supporting Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group and RX Bandits as well as leading their own headlining tours. Zechs Marquise have also grown considerably in other ways. Recent addition Rikardo Rodriguez-Lopez on keyboards and trumpet joins his brothers, drummer Marcel and bassist Marfred alongside guitarists Matthew Wilkson and Marcos Smith contributing to the band's expanded sound. Not only have they reached new plateaus of entrancing riffs and rhythms, but Getting Paid also integrates vocals on select songs, including guest performances by vocalist/guitarist Matthew Embree (RX Bandits, The Sound Of Animals Fighting) and El Paso singer Sonny Baker.


The album was entirely produced and engineered by Marcel. "We started off recording percussion to sequencers and loops," he explains. "I chopped those sounds up and arranged them. From there, were wrote the album with each of us coming in and playing on top of it. Kind of like a hip-hop song." Considering the hectic tour schedules of both Zechs Marquise and The Mars Volta (in which Marcel plays keyboards and percussion), the band was forced to work on the album over an extended period of time in between both band's tours. "It gave us a lot of time to get perspective on the songs," Marfred says. "We're really happy with and proud of this record."

Getting Paid will be available everywhere on LP/CD/digital on September 27 through Rodriguez Lopez Productions via Sargent House.

Smurfs Invade Colette

Commemorating the release of the all new Smurfs on big screens, French boutique colette today announced the merchandises available in-store as well as online. Get collectibles featuring your favorite characters including Papa Smurf, Brainy Smurf, Handy Smurf, Lazy Smurf, Grouchy Smurf and Smurfette.


If you're in Paris, do visit the store as Smurfs have invaded the window, in the courtyard and throughout the store in blue.