Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

Heard this last week...can't remember whether it was radio one or xfm...but it's got a retro-but-not-quite, early nineties pop, could possibly be included on the soundtrack to the movie "Grease 2" feel to it.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

The physical CD and 7" vinyl singles are available for one week only from April 13. It's the first track on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third album, 'It's Blitz!', which you can stream in full from last.fm now, or buy worldwide from Monday. And here's their MySpace.

Does this (strangely) remind anyone else of 'Cool Rider' at all?

Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

Perfect for a sunny summer's afternoon in the park, this track is light and airy but also cheeky and deriding (#..I laughed so hard I fell down...#)

Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

Recommended to me by the same person who opened my eyes to the Temper Trap, Band of Horses and Bon Iver. I'm going to stop listing his credits now because they'll get too long and list-y. He shall henceforth be known as TOBI (so you can search him if you like his style) until he permits me to use his real name.

So that was my attempt at an April fool for the keenos who click the links before reading the entire post :)

Here's the real link. There's no audio for this track on their Last.fm (there is for others) but it's up on their MySpace right now.

Had a listen to the album, 'Ear in the Park' (through spotify) and 'Phantom Other' really stood out for me but also like 'Herringbone', 'Waves of Rye' and 'Therapy Car Noise'.

Cheers TOBI.

Flashguns

Aiming to try and catch this London&someBrighton-based quartet as part of Camden Crawl 24 April in a 'before they got huge' stroke of luck.

Steve Lamacq's unfortunately spotted them as well and they've got >187k profile views on their MySpace so I'm thinking the odds of £5 gig tickets for much longer are slim to none...

Earnest, edgy, emotive vocals, my favourite tracks are 'Ro Shambo' and 'Good Witch/Bad Witch'.

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love 1

Picked this track up on the Mix Tape's latest podcast - it's not on the band's Last.fm page right now but it is on their MySpace.

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love 1

or "The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)", to give it its full title. The Decemberists look to be playing with Blind Pilot in Portland, Oregon in July...

To me, this song in particular sounds a Gomez-Pearl Jam hybrid.

The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

I think I first heard this on Grey's Anatomy but a friend of mine reminded me of it about 6 months back when we were hanging out in the park one sunny summer's afternoon...

The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

Upbeat electro pop - here're their MySpace and Last.fm pages.

If you're more into acoustic and mellow, Iron & Wine also did a version which is featured on the 'Garden State' soundtrack and has a completely different vibe.

Hipslinky - Natural

Caught these guys at 93 feet east last night with some other great bands:

• the Vibrants - seen them live a couple of times now but keep going back for more...check out 'First Move' and 'I Won't Sleep (Terrify)' from the 'Retaliate EP'
• Scarlet Harlots - came 3rd on Orange Unsigned Act 2009, the tags on Last.fm say dub, soul, indie, hip hop, dance but they came across as odd but interesting drum n bass-style indie rock for me. Awesome and unexpected cover of Montel Jordan's 'This is How We Do It'!
• Anison - new single out this week, this was the launch gig. Really atmospheric, moody, indie rock.
  

But the reason for this post is to bring you:

Hipslinky - Natural

This track really stood out for me in their otherwise also fantastic set; think the OC. Here's their MySpace.

Anathallo

I'm a bit behind the curve on these guys it would seem...Insomnia Radio blogged them at the beginning of March and our mate Thom Lyons also mentioned them to me a couple of weeks back.

There's a lot of audio up on their Last.fm page and their MySpace lists a gig at the Monto on 26 May (but for some reason the venue website says the 25th).

My favourite track, I think, of the ones I've heard so far is 'The River' - piano intro, syncopated rhythm and memories of the Waltons...

Keane - Spiralling

Not exactly the most hopeful, inspirational lyrics but the 'whooh!' makes it a party track.

Keane - Spiralling

(3 of 3) - that's my exercise done for the week day...

The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be

Upbeat guitars, catchy riffs, chorus that's easy to sing along to....loving it. (2 of 3)

The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be

Possibly my favourite of their tracks although Naive and She Moves In Her Own Way are also good. Oh, and Ooh La. So pretty much the top 4 tracks on their Last.fm page. :)

Here's their MySpace

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

Am in a jump-around-my-room mood this morning - it's Monday and it's SUNNY - so a few tracks that will assist in this mission (1 of 3):

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

This one's been around since January of last year. The version on their MySpace player at the moment is a bit cleaner... 'Eh, eh, eh, eh!'

Silversun Pickups

I think this band are a bit like marmite - I was crazily enthusiastic when I heard them for the first time but my brother's reaction was more like 'hmm. bit weird'.

Brain Aubert's vocals are strangely robotic and perhaps a little Billy Corgan at times (that's meant as a compliment).

There are mainly samples on their MySpace and the only full track on their last.fm page is a weird dance-style remix of Lazy Eye. But www.silversunpickups.com has a full-length of 'Well Thought Out Twinkles' on the mp3 player right now.

Favourite tracks on Carnavas (if you can find them):

Well Thought Out Twinkles
Lazy Eye
Future Foe Scenarios
Common Reactor

And it would seem they're releasing a new album, 'Swoon' on 14 April on Dangerbird Records....looks like 'Panic Switch' (on the MySpace) is a taster...?

Turin Brakes

People tend to remember this band for 'Pain Killer' - a hit in 2003 it reached number 5 in the UK Singles chart (the only one of theirs to make it to the top 10) - but there's so much more to them than the upbeat pop appeal of this one track.

Take a listen to:

Long Distance
Rain City
Dark on Fire

- much more emotive and self-deriding/wistful/passionate, respectively. The last track reminds me of Radiohead a little.

Here's their MySpace.

The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

The urgency of this track is compelling.

The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

It used to be up on the band's MySpace but appears to have been replaced with 'Science of Fear' which is also quite cool. Another Aussie band from me (Howling Bells, Kid Confucius and there's some Pete Murray to come in a while...).

Dreams of sunshine and waves.....

(They're playing at the Lexington on Thu 12 March)

p.s. thanks for the recommendation - you know who you are

Pull In Emergency

Hmm....east london concrete-sounding indie?
(they're actually from north London)

I've been wanting to see this band live for about a year now but not gotten around to it - and now I can't see any gigs other than the Underage Festival for which I am about a decade too old (strictly 14-18 year olds only).

Pointing you in the direction of 'Follow', in particular, but only on their MySpace player as there's no sample on Last.fm at the moment.

'In Silence' and 'Planes' were released as a double A side on the Mute Irregulars label towards the back end of 2008.

Howling Bells - Nightingale

The poster for their new album, 'Radio Wars' caught my eye as I rushed past it this morning so I thought I'd check it out...

Howling Bells - Nightingale

Bit electro, possibly indie ambient - I really like this track in particular, especially Juanita Stein's vocals and the synth behind the verses. 'Cities Burning Down' has also just been released as a single on Independiente Records.

There's no media on the Last.fm page at the moment but hoping it'll come. For now, it's up on their MySpace player.

Blind Pilot - Go On, Say It

Re-blogging a track I heard on Insomnia Radio UK's Daily Dose MP3 Blog. I could easily spend all day on their website. Every day :).

There's some fantastic music up there and they transmit a fair few podcasts, but the track I wanted to post is today's free mp3:

Blind Pilot - Go On, Say It

and this is their MySpace. Kind of Shins-esque but not as quirky.

The Shins - Caring Is Creepy

This is a song from the soundtrack of 'Garden State'. Excellent film and I'm tempted to rave about it here - but this post is about:

The Shins - Caring is Creepy

'New Slang' is the better known of the two Shins tracks on the soundtrack, I think because of the scene in the movie it relates to (Natalie Portman passing her headphones over to Zach Braff in a 'you gotta hear this one song, it'll change your life, I swear' moment) but I prefer this one because it's a bit quirky.

Couldn't find a full length of the track and it's not on their MySpace but the preview clip should give you an idea.

MGMT - Electric Feel

'Time to Pretend' just won the award for Best Track at the 2009 Shockwaves NME Awards (full winners list here). Great track- but also check out:

MGMT - Electric Feel

from the same album, 'Oracular Spectacular'. Spaced out and mellow...

Kid Confucius

Their MySpace categorizes them as Hardcore/Screamo/Children (??!) but I'm guessing that would a be a joke?....they've released a new album called 'The Let Go' which I have yet to pick up but I wanted to link to my favourite track on 'Stripes':

Kid Confucius - Moment

I appear to be a top listener of theirs on Last.fm. Hmm....

Bombay Bicycle Club - Always Like This

Just heard this on Xfm - no clip on Last.fm but it's currently on the Bombay Bicycle Club MySpace. I know this band has been around for a while now but oddly, 'Always Like This' is the first track of theirs I've heard that I can recall. To be released 13 April on Island Records.

Loving the nonchalant vibe.