First, here's some free new music that you can collect on your own, if you have an e-mail address, and you happen to like free live EPs by a little-known band called the Pixies. This is fresh from their reunion tour where they're re-creating Doolittle live on stage. The American leg starts later this week.
Surfer Blood is a Florida quintet who apparently rocked the house at CMJ last month, and they've got a cool new song making the radio waves on Sirius XMU and the blogs. The forthcoming debut, Astro Coast, is out 1/19 via Kanine. I've listened a few times now and there's a lot to like from this band. Check them out.
Download Surfer Blood - "Swim (Until You Can't See Land)".mp3
- Buy the digital single on iTunes
- Myspace
From old to new and back to old we go, as I am remiss in having not pointed out a new Morrissey album release, titled Swords, which came out in late October. The album is a B-sides collection of songs from his last three albums, You are the Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors, and Years of Refusal. The first two of those albums were surprising returns to form for the legendary Moz, while this year's Years release was something of a disappointment. The tracks on this album are also largely hit and miss, but there are some gems worth checking out, including this cover of a David Bowie song.
Pants Yell! released one of my favorite little-known albums a couple years ago, Alison Statton, which garnered very little praise for the Massachusetts trio despite being very much brilliant, so I'm hoping their follow-up will get a lot more press. Received Pronunciation was released last week on a new label for them, Slumberland Records, which is the home of the similarly vibed hot indie band from this year The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The new album is only nine songs, and short ones at that, but they are all upwards of awesome. I hope you'll listen.
Asobi Seksu have released an album of acoustic covers of their songs, which is an odd move for a band known more for its melodies than songwriting skills, but the beauty of the resulting album, Rework, shows a side of them I'd never seen, and I'm very impressed. Check out the original and acoustic version of "Thursday," one of their best-known hits.
The Crown Vandals are a duo out of Montreal making eclectic pop music that borrows a little from Dan Bejar, something from the Talking Heads (at least David Byrne's inflections), and an awesome sing-shout very reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel. According to Wayne at Oceans Never Listen, they originally hail from New Hampshire and New Zealand, but they're in Canada now, and touring New York and DC in late December. The following track is catchy and beautiful and brilliant, and they have two other songs available at their myspace page. I recommend you check them out.
And finally, a little "Ambling Alp" remix from the Memory Tapes. It's pretty damn catchy.
Nice Collection. All the music files that are been given in the article are really excellent. All songs are really good.
Posted by: buoyancy aids | November 18, 2009 at 03:49 AM
Just a heads up, Melbourne [where half of the Crown Vandal duo comes from, according to Wayne at Oceans Never Listen] actually is in Victoria, south east of Australia, rather than New Zealand.
But definetly a good find
Posted by: Anna Goldstone | November 29, 2009 at 05:02 AM