July 29, 2009

SCOTT KANNBERG ANNOUNCES UPCOMING ALBUM DEBUT AS SPIRAL STAIRS

Pavement co-founder and the man behind the Preston School Of Industry, Scott Kannberg is set to release his debut solo album in October under his Spiral Stairs moniker. The long player will be called The Real Feel and will be put out by Matador. It has been described as having a 70's classic rock feel with Fleetwood Mac, Captain Beefheart, Richard Thompson and Died Pretty being named dropped as influences. Kannberg was aided in the recordings by members of the Posies, Preston School Of Industry, Broken Social Scene and Gersey and the album was mixed by John Auer. Matador have just leaked the first track 'Maltese Terrier' which you can download below.

Maltese Terrier

Spiral Stairs (USA)

From the forthcoming album 'The Real Feel', Matador. Out on October 20.

Download here

Spiral Stairs myspace

June 28, 2009

NEW CHART JUST ADDED!

BILL CALLAHAN GOES TO NUMBER 1 - BIG DEBUTS FOR DIRTY PROJECTORS AND ROCK PLAZA CENTRAL

The brilliant 'All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast' by Bill Callahan grabbed the number one spot this week replacing the equally brilliant dance track, John Talabot's 'Afrika'.There are four debuts this week. Dirty Projectors land at 8 with 'Useful Chamber, arguably the best track off their latest album Bitte Orca while Canada's Rock Plaza Central debuts at 14 with the excellent '(Dont You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men. They're joined by two lower profile debuts, Grand Archives 'Silver Among The Gold' at 26 and Fanfarlo's 'Luna' sneaking in at 30. The big mover this week is 'Pearl's Dream', the second single from Bat For Lashes. It rises from 24 to 10. We Have Band's 'You Came Out' and War Tapes with 'Dreaming Of You' continue to climb the charts both rising 4 spots from 11 to 7 and 8 to 4 respectively. Its an impressive set of tracks. Check the chart out here.

June 25, 2009

DISPLAYING THEIR LOVE OF LITERATURE MUSICALLY, ROCK PLAZA CENTRAL DROP NEW ALBUM

The thinking persons indie rock band Rock Plaza Central released their new album last week. Titled ...At The Moment Of Our Most Needing, its the fourth release from the Chris Eaton led Toronto five piece and continues the thematic focus that has characterised Eaton's creation. While the last album, Are We Not Horses? focused on the adventures of robotic horses, this one centres in on William Faulkner's 1932 novel Light In August (yes I'm wikipediering the name right now) about a young Mississippi woman's search for the father of her unborn child amid the contextual religious and racial contradictions of the US deep south. Written in a steam of conciousness style, this obviously sits well with Eaton who, it could be said almost applies such a style to his lyrics. Eaton though is also a writer and apparently has his own literary works, notably his first novel The Inactivist, being compared to Rock Plaza Central's last album at university level. There are a couple of mp3s from the album around at present.You can download them both by clicking on the links below as well as grabbing yourself a copy of their unlikely Van Halen cover 'Panama'.

Rock Plaza Central myspace here

(Don't You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men

Rock Plaza Central (CAN)

From the album ...At The Moment Of Our Most Needing', Paper Bag Records.

Download here

Them That Are Good And Them That Are Bad

Rock Plaza Central (CAN)

From the album ...At The Moment Of Our Most Needing', Paper Bag Records.

Download here 

Panama

Rock Plaza Central (CAN)

From the complimentary mp3 'Panama', Self Released.

Download here

June 24, 2009

PROMINENT NEW ALBUM RELEASES THIS WEEK WITH ADDED MEDIA

In addition to our feature album, Sunset Rubdown's Dragonslayer, there are some worthy additional releases this week. Indie30 has put together a selection of media from each to give you a taste. The long awaited Tortoise album Beacons Of Ancestorship came out yesterday. Check out the Andrew Paynter directed video for 'Prepare Your Coffin'. Wales trio Future of The Left follow with the politically charged second album Travels With Myself And Another. The video for the single 'The Hope That House Built, was released back in March. Veteran rockers Dinosaur Jr. return with their ninth album Farm to positive reviews. With the same trademark sound, Mascis and co. have lost none of their appeal over the years as these tracks testify. Los Angeles band Foreign Born currently have 'Early Warnings' in the Indie30 chart off their third album Person To Person. You can download another track 'Vacationing People' courtesy of their label Secretly Canadian. The fifth studio album by New York folk songstress Regina Spektor 'Far' saw a release yesterday and is apparently going great guns on the itunes download list in the US and UK. Hear her go on in her unique vocal style about how hard it is to laugh at an entity that doesn't exist. New major label stars The Gossip have dropped a video to accompany their first single 'Heavy Cross' off their Rick 'slick' Rubin produced effort Music For Men. Last but not least the Stuart Murdoch led project God Help The Girl saw the light of day this week. You can view the new project's take on Belle And Sebastian's 'Funny Little Frog, which is also the first single from the album.

Prepare Your Coffin

Tortoise (USA)

From the album 'Beacons Of Ancestorship', Thrill Jockey.

Tortoise myspace here

Official video

 

The Hope That House Built

Future Of The Left (WAL)

From the album 'Travels With Myself And Another', 4AD Records

Future Of The Left myspace here

Official video

I Don't Want To Go There

Dinosaur Jr. (USA)

From the album 'Farm', Jagjaguwar/PIAS.

Dinosaur Jr. myspace here

Download here

Live performance from Pitchfork Media via youtube

Over It

Dinosaur Jr. (USA)

From the album 'Farm', Jagjaguwar/PIAS.

Official video

Vacationing People

Foreign Born (USA)

From the album 'Person To Person', Secretly Canadian

Foreign Born myspace here

Download here

Laughing With

Regina Spektor (USA)

From the album 'Far', Sire Records.

Regina Spektor myspace here

Official video

 

Heavy Cross

The Gossip (USA)

From the album 'Music For Men', Columbia.

The Gossip myspace here

Official video

Funny Little Frog

God Help The Girl (SCO)

From the album 'God Help The Girl', Matador.

God Help The Girl myspace here

Official video

June 22, 2009

FANFARLO OFFER ALBUM FOR JUST A DOLLAR

London based indie pop band Fanfarlo are currently offering their debut album Reservoir released earlier this year for just $US1. The offer lasts until July 4th (US Independence Day-cute marketing for US punters). The album itself contains 11 acoustically and keyboard driven pop songs with band leader Swede Simon Balthazar sounding uncannily like Alec Ounsworth from New York's Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Musically, the Clappers are definitely an influence along with the Arcade Fire (the keys in the opener for starters) and anybody who says that there is a great deal more may be stretching things a little. Nevertheless, there's nothing wrong with that and you'll find yourself at peace with the lush tones and simple orchestration of Reservoir. It's definitely worth more than a buck! Download the track 'Luna' below and check out the video to the latest single 'Fire Escape'.

Fanfarlo official site and buy for $US1 here

Fanfarlo myspace here

Luna

Fanfarlo (ENG/SWE)

From the album 'Reservoir', Self-Released.

Download here 

Fire Escape

Fanfarlo (ENG/SWE)

From the album 'Reservoir', Self-Released.

THE BEST SONG BY A MILE OFF NEW PHOENIX ALBUM PLAYED ON LETTERMAN

When Phoenix released the pop gem '1901' as a teaser mp3 early in the year they raised a lot of hopes that the album they finally released last month after five months of build up would be equally as good. Well, it has to be said that after listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, there isn't a track that comes close to this one. The French outfit brought the former Indie30 number 2 to Letterman this week on the back of releasing a video for it last month. Check out both below.

1901 (Live on Letterman)

Phoenix (FRA)

From the album 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix', Loyaute/V2 Records

 

1901

Phoenix (FRA)

From the album 'Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix', Loyaute/V2 Records

June 21, 2009

CANADA'S SUNSET RUBDOWN FEATURE ALBUM ALL THIS WEEK ON INDIE30

Sunset Rubdown's long awaited follow up to Random Spirit Lover, Dragonslayer is finally released this week and has been chosen as the well deserved feature album this week on Indie30. Undoubtedly the most accessible effort to date by the Spencer Krug led outfit, ominously at times the apportioning of such a term can too often be the prelude to disappointment and criticism in indie music circles. But this is far from the case here as Sunset Rubdown have assembled their most cohesive, focused and consistent set of long player tracks. From the first few piano laden notes of 'Silver Moons', the ecletic signature sound of the band is ever present across eight epic tracks as is the awesome backing vocals of Camilla Wynne Ingr who more than complements and value adds to Krug's customary but unique quivers and yelps. Standout tracks include the aforementioned opener, the three part masterpiece and Indie30 chart staple 'Idiot Heart', the beautiful 'Apollo And The Buffalo And Anna Anna Anna Oh!, the drenched choppy reverb of 'Black Swan', the power and rock creativity of 'You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II) and the twin number Nightingale/December Song. That's not to say the other three tracks pale in comparison. Indeed, all three are probably just as strong which indicates how impressive Dragonslayer is. An absolute leap forward that should see Krug's side project equal his mainstay Wolf Parade in terms of recognition - although that mainstay's effort from last year was hopelessly underated so you never know in this fickle business. To see the five piece in concert playing these tracks would be a special highlight for this writer and at present by clicking here you can check out their tour dates as they traverse North America over the next three weeks to do just that. They then fly to the UK for more dates in September. So if your lucky enough to live in those locations check them out.

Two more downloads are available from obscuresound.com as well as a comprehensive review of the album.

JOHN TALABOT REMAINS AT NUMBER ONE AS DEASTRO MAKES HIS MOVE

John Talabot's 'Afrika' remains at number one this week as the young genius from Detriot Deastro make his move up from nine to numer three second week in. Sweden's Fibes Oh Fibes break into the Top Five with 'Love Child' while fellow countryman and Indie 30 fave, Montt Mardie's next track from his awesome album 'Skaizerkite', the infectiously poppy 'One Kiss' debuts in the Top 10 at 9. It was a case of one in one out from David Pagmar as former number one 'Dancing Shoes' took a bow and exited after ten weeks in the chart. Other debuts this week include another Swedish band, The Sounds, with 'No One Sleeps When I'm Awake' (29), The Juan Maclean with 'One Day' (26), Bat For Lashes second single 'Pearl's Dream' (24) and Throw Me The Statue's 'Ancestors' (18). Big movers this week include The Phenomenal Hand Clap Band with '15 To 20' (22 to 14 - dont get confused here), We Have Band's 'You Came Out' (20 to 11 and the derivative but extremely addictive 'Dreaming Of You' by War Tapes (12 to 8) which breaks into the Top 10. Check out the chart by clicking above.