Saturday, July 30, 2011

New Punk

So good news, Male Bonding is coming out with a new album at the end of August via Sup Pop Records. They have such a great pop-punk sound, their new single, "Bones," sounds reminiscent of Blink-182 and is available here. If you're not familiar with Male Bonding here is the single from their debut album Nothing Hurts.

This next band I came across a couple of weeks ago. They are called Street Eaters. Not only do they kick ass with their driving bass lines and rocking drums, but the singer is a chick, and their is nothing hotter than a punk rock girl. Stream the album for free here.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Chrome Sparks + Alex Ebert

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros' front man Alex Ebert put out a new solo project album called Alexander back in March. It is a really great American folk-y album. The single "Truth" has such a catchy whistle part coupled with simple guitar strums and the airy vocals makes for a great song.

The next band that I came across today is Chrome Sparks. His new EP titled My <3 is available on bandcamp for name your own price. There is some really great electronic layering with cool drum loops and bells, that all combine for something really beautiful. If you like Washed Out and other chillwave music definitely check out Chrome Sparks.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Man of Portugal

Portugal. The Man's newest album In The Mountain In The Cloud came out a week ago, and I can't stop listening to it. It is really good, very indie pop-rock with high swooning vocals. Not only are the singles, "So American" and "Got It All (This Can't Be Living," really good, but the album as a whole has a great vibe to it. Stream it for free here.
Another band that I came across is The Front Bottoms. They remind me of Jared Mees & The Grown Children. With that whimsical summer indie-rock sound. Check them out here.
Lastly, check out GorillavsBear for a free download of the newest Neon Indian track from their upcoming album Era Extrana due out September 13th.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Feeling Washed Out

So this week Washed Out came out with his debut full length called Within and Without. It is so good, better than his EP Life of Leisure. I can't get over how beautiful this album is, even the album art speaks volumes of the music. I have to say that this is one of my new favorite albums. Stream the entire album for free here.

I also picked up Panda Bear's newest album Tomboy. Another brilliant layering job by the incredible Noah Lennox. He does not stray too far from his last album Person Pitch. Though he gives a new taste to this album. Every time you listen to it, there is something new to hear.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Oregon Bike Trails + Purity Ring

Today I came across this awesome track by Purity Ring called "Lofticries" over at GorillaVsBear. It's like if chill wave and trip-hop had a baby, and that baby grew up to be the coolest person ever to live. I guess you can say that I really enjoy this track a lot. Download it for free here. Then watch the kind of creepy but cool video down below.
While I was looking for some bike trails here in Eugene, Oregon, I came across the band, Oregon Bike Trails. Who are surprisingly from Santa Monica, CA. They have a great lo-fi pop summer-y sound that I'm such a sucker for. It's really good music for biking on trails or hanging out at the river with friends.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Yuck + New Releases

This week's notable releases are Gardens & Villa with their self-titled debut full length (through Secretly Canadian) and Teddybears' second full length Devil's Music.
Gardens & Villa have a cool indie-pop sound with bells and synths, yet they manage to keep their sound minimalistic. It's hard to compare it to something that I know, so check it out for yourself here.
Teddybears are back once again bringing on a whole bunch of talented guest artists for Devil's Music. Not only do they produce really cool electro-rock but they brought Ceelo, The B-52s, Robyn, B.o.B., The Flaming Lips, and more to perform on the album. Check out some of the tracks here.
I have been listening to Yuck all weekend and it's like if Built To Spill, Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth had a three-way this is what it would produce. Though they just came out with their debut self-titled album February this year, it sounds like it came out in the 90s. It's really a lot of cool indie rock 'n' roll. Stream the album for free here.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Half Year Review

So it's July now, which means half of this year is over already. So here is the best of all the new releases this year, in no particular order.
Definitely one of the best hip-hop albums I have heard this year is Shabazz Palaces' Black Up. It's some of the most creative music I've heard. These guys challenge modern day hip-hop. Though not everyone will enjoy it, you must acknowledge the fact that it's something that you don't hear very often.

Starfucker's album, Reptilians, is another great album that was released in March. It is one of my favorite electro-pop albums of all time. They do a great job of mixing synth keyboards and acoustic guitar with the vocals. It's just a really good dance party all on one disc.

The best instrumental album is by far the new Explosions In The Sky. The whole album is a soundscape of guitars and more guitars and some keys too. This is a must own album, especially if you like intricate guitar work. Check out the first track, "Last Known Surroundings" from their sixth album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care.
And of course May saw the release of Fleet Foxes' second album, Helplessness Blues. This is a great vocal album, I would like to hear more drum influence, but I feel like they focused on harmonization and acoustic guitars, which sounds amazing!

Another great release this year was The Antlers'  Burst Apart. There's something about Peter Silberman's vocals that makes me want to love everything. Plus the music is really good too, there's more electric guitar than their last album, Hospice

My favorite album this year is a tie between Jeff The Brotherhood's We Are The Champions, and Starfucker's Reptilians. I haven't been able to not listen to either of them, and every time I hear a song from them I want to listen to the rest of the album.
All of these albums are must buy! They are so good. Check my other posts for more great albums from the first half of the year.
The second half of the year has some great stuff in store. Washed Out is coming out with his debut full length, new Neon Indian, The Shins, Modest Mouse(?), Blink-182, No Doubt, Muse, and so much more.