Our new tracks in-box has been filling up fast lately. In fact, it’s overflowing. So, here’s another big mix featuring fresh tracks from a range of artists and bands, including Thom Yorke with Burial and Four Tet, Thurston Moore, Cults, Surfer Blood, A Lull, Zachary Cale, Wild Beasts, Teenage Atari Riot, Man/Miracle, and others. And, there’s a whole bunch more to come in next few weeks. As some of you probably know, we don’t do one-song posts. The reason is that there is so much music that we want to share with you.
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke recently joined Four Tet and Burial to record two electronic house/dubstep tracks – “Ego” and “Mirror.” The tracks have been receiving a good amount of buzz in the past week, and we’re stoked to be able to bring them to you for your listening pleasure.
“Ego” – Thom Yorke + Burial + Four Tet
“Mirror” – Thom Yorke + Burial + Four Tet
You can also purchase a copy of the vinyl 12″ via Four Tet’s label, Text Records. On Feb. 9th, Yorke performed a solo DJ set at Los Angeles club Low End Theory. The video below is a slice of the evening’s events.
Thom Yorke Live DJ Set @ Low End Theory LA 3.9.11 from Theo Jemison on Vimeo.
Lots of Buzz Around Upcoming Fleet Foxes Release
Since their 2008 break out EP and debut, self-titled album, Seattle based Fleet Foxes have become one of the most influential bands in the indie folk movement. The band likes to call their wonderful style of acoustic music and precious vocal harmonies, “”baroque harmonic pop jams.” Not sure about the jam part of that, but no doubt Fleet Foxes etched their success beyond the indie scene and into the popular culture.
Since 2008, fans have been waiting patiently for new material. As a result, there has been a long wait of anticipation for their sophomore album, Helplessness Blues, set for release on May 3rd. Not surprisingly, the album has already leaked, but we’re going to wait until the vinyl edition to come out because Fleet Foxes are definitely a band to be listened to on vinyl, thanks to their melodic mastery, mid-song tempo changes and intricate chord progressions. That said, we have found two tracks from Helplessness Blues that we’d like to present as a way to let their fans know that they will not be disappointed.
“The Plains/Bitter Dancer” – Fleet Foxes from Helplessness Blues – out May 3rd
“Grown Ocean” – Fleet Foxes from Helplessness Blues – out May 3rd
You can pre-order Helplessness Blues via Amazon for either CD or vinyl. There is no MP3 pre-order that we know of available at the time this post was published. On Record Store Day (April 16th), the band will release a limited edition 12″ vinyl of the single, “Helplessness Blues” with a B-side of “Grown Ocean.” Not surprisingly, almost all of Fleet Foxes’ scheduled shows for May have been sold out.
New Singles from Thurston Moore and Cults
Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore continues to reaffirm why he is one of alternative rock’s most prolific and influential figures. Matador Records sent us a new single from Moore to spread around. Gladly. The song, “Benediction,” demonstrates, even more, Moore’s talent and ability to write and record stellar music. The song is mainly acoustic, and just really, well, superb. It is the first single from Moore’s upcoming Beck-produced, solo album, Demolished Thoughts, out May 24th. It is definitely one of our most anticipated albums of the spring.
“Benediction” – Thurston Moore from Demolished Thoughts – out May 24th
Cults, one of our break-out bands of 2010, have just dropped a new track, “You Know What I Mean.” The advanced single will appear on Cults debut album, due out in May.
“You Know What I Mean” – Cults
Surfer Blood’s Excellent ‘Lost’ Track
We’re a bit surprised that this unreleased track from Surfer Blood, “I’m Not Ready,” hasn’t appeared on more music sites or blogs. In fact, we talked to a few folks who love the band who were not aware of the track. The track is not on the band’s spectacular 2010 debut album, Astro Coast. “I’m Not Ready” is an upbeat, catchy song that definitely has post-punk and pop elements. While the song is not exactly a fresh track – they performed it at shows all during 2010 – it will be new enough to most people to seem like a fresh track. Also, “Weapons of War” is the excellent advance single from the upcoming A Lull LP of the same name. Plus, check out these fresh tracks from Skull Tape and Little Scream.
“I’m Not Ready” – Surfer Blood
“Weapons of War” – A Lull from Weapons for War single (with remixes) – out April 19th
“Cannons” – Little Scream from The Golden Record – our April 12th
“Trans Anthro” – Skull Tape from The Invisible Hand and The Descent of Main – out April 12th
Brooklyn’s Zachary Cale Preps New LP and Introducing Les Blanks
Zachary Cale is a Brooklyn singer/songwriter and musician (who isn’t in Brooklyn?) who has made a name for himself in recent years thanks to his remarkable blues folk sound; “Hello Oblivion” is the first single from his upcoming new album due out in May.
“Hello Oblivion” – Zachary Cale from Welcome to Noise – May 15th
“Straw Man” is a new track of some good ole garage rock from an artist we never heard of before, Les Blanks. We’re going to resist jokes about his name, but let you know when we get around to hearing more of Blanks’ music. The track, “Straw Man,” is from the album In Country, set to drop on May 3rd.
“Straw Man” – Les Blanks from In Country – out May 3rd
Wild Beasts, Teenage Atari Riot and Man/Miracle
Following on the success of their critically acclaimed and Mercury Prize nominated second album Two Dancers, the band Wild Beasts are preparing to unveil the next chapter in their career with the release of their new album, Smother on May 10th. The band have released the first single from the album, “Albatross,” a track washed with sonic layers and textures of abstract sounds combined to form something typically bold and unique.
“Albatross” – Wild Beasts from Smother – out May 10th
Teenage Atari Riot sent over this new single, “Blood In My Eyes” as a teaser for the band’s forthcoming album, Is This Hyperreal?, set to be released this summer. The track is a riveting electronic punk rock diatribe, paying homage to the feminine retributive subtexts espoused by cult films like Kill Bill and heavily censored French art-house film Baise-Moi.
“Blood In My Eyes” – Teenage Atari Riot from Is This Hyperreal?
Oakland indie rockers Man/Miracle have a fresh new track – a busy, pop masterpiece, “Don’t Waste It.” It’s a great follow-up to their 2010 blog hit, “Hot Sprawl,” off their debut The Shape of Things.
“Don’t Waste It” – Man/Miracle
