While he has spent time in New York and Los Angeles, to record the self-titled debut from The Greatcoats [MySpace], David Tenczar, songwriter and frontman, returned to his Austin roots to finish the record. The album will be released on March 9th and he’ll be banding together with his usual cadre of musicians for promotional dates and, hopefully, a tour.

To quote the band, you’ll definitely find that “the music of The Greatcoats is, at heart, music that reminds you of better times.” It’s retro-rock (think The Beatles, Supergrass or Wilco) but the band is fresh and honest with the insatiable hooks of veteran pop masters like Simon and Garfunkel (especially on “Slow Me Down”).

Check out more music “after the jump” …read full article…

Alright y’all, I’m back writing for Radio Exile and I’m back inventing new columns that I will likely never follow up on.

I want to introduce you all to a band that I’m obsessed with. It’s name is Oberhofer [MySpace] and it’s the brainchild/bedroom recordings of one Brad Oberhofer, a teenager from Tacoma, WA who is currently living in New York. I met Brad through work, where he gave me a CD-R with his demo tape. Since I started to work in the music industry, I’ve had a lot of people give me, or try to give me, their music. At best they’re okay. At worst…..well, lets not go there. Oberhofer’s demo was different. At worst is was fucking awesome and at best….well, lets just say that CD-R made my Top 10 Albums of 2009 list.

Music, after the jump… …read full article…

Yesterday, Black Gold [MySpace] debuted their new video for “Shine” from their spectacular album, Rush with the good peeps at Aol Spinner. Here’s what they had to say:

“Filmed on location in the California desert by director Josh Forbes, the video for Black Gold’s ‘Shine’ is indeed beautiful. But there’s more going on there than just a pretty setting — the hidden treasures may be revealed, partially, by the appearance and use of wish lanterns. The lanterns, which fill up with hot air and take flight — hopefully taking the original bearer’s wishes along with it — are a New Year’s Eve tradition in Thailand.”

Sound cool? It is.

Check out the clip “after the jump” …read full article…

With the release of his solo album, Manchester Orchestra guitarist Robert McDowell has created another solid buzz not only for his day job, but for his new gig as well. Gobotron [MySpace], the solo project whose names appears to be a mashup of 80s cult cartoon faves “GoBots” and “Voltron”, released the debut, On Your Mark, Get Set… on January 19 via Favorite Gentlemen Recordings after a premiere with our friends at Absolute Punk, where you can stream the album in its entirety.

Check out “Never Turn Around” “after the jump” …read full article…

Despite previous articles here at the site, I really do like DIY/lo-fi artists. When Maxwell Panther [MySpace] was brought to our friends at Sony, by Toad Records, I was desperate to check out something different, while also interested in how and what he was going to have to offer. Frankly, it’s a great deal. I had read good things previously on Matthew’s site and knew what to expect; his taste for music is pretty similar to my own and while we might live on opposite sides of the Atlantic, I feel that we both “get it”.

As for Maxwell Panther, he creates some really ballsy stuff. Yes, some recordings sound like they were taped on a four-track in the basement of his Sunderland home (do they have basements there?), but there is a bit of sadness to every note he sings and while his work is still rough around the edges, it’s really damn good. His new album, Do You Feel Different Yet?, is out now on Song, by Toad.

Check out more “after the jump” …read full article…

It’s been an “LA-themed” couple of days here at RE, and even though I am off in FL on a novel-writing/research trip, we’re going to talk about Chasing Kings [MySpace], an indie quartet who pride themselves on their sonically diverse tunes and hummable melodies. It’s some really beautiful stuff that we think you’re going to like, but, then again, I wouldn’t share it with you otherwise. That’s my deal.

Chasing Kings recently announced that they will be performing at Austin’s South by Southwest music festival in the “Howdy Texas” showcase on March 16th. They were also offered a spot in the prestigious Levi’s/Fader showcase, with the dates to be announced shortly.

Music and more “after the jump” …read full article…

Shellshag (Johnny “Shell” and Jen “Shag”) [MySpace] have built up a long reputation in the 1990s DIY scene in San Francisco. According to the press materials I just saw on this new album, these two ran “the now-legendary public arts space Starcleaners” which if you didn’t know (as I didn’t) was a home for the emerging talents of the Dandy Warhols, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Residents, etc. Insane sphere of influence, to say the least.

The new album, Rumors In Disguise (which is where this clip comes from) is out February 9th on Don Giovanni.

Check out the video “after the jump” …read full article…

Local Natives [MySpace] are one of the best bands coming out of the LA area. Many great rock and metal acts have called this place home, so it is really still mind-blowing that such a talented crew call Hollywood their base of operations. This is the of­fi­cial video for “Air­planes” from the band’s debut, Go­ril­la Manor. The record is out now in the UK via Infectious Records and comes to the States via Frenchkiss (in my top two favorite labels now!) on February 16th.

Check out some music “after the jump” …read full article…

Check out the great new video for the Maccabees song (featuring Roots Manuva), “Empty Vessel”.

Looking to find another rad mashup to get your body moving? Well, if you’re a fan of both Wu-Tang Clan AND The Beatles, you’re in luck. Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers by Wu-Tang Vs The Beatles, is a new album produced by Tom Caruana and it features samples of “Fab Four” tunes with Wu-Tang acapella tracks.

It will melt your face off, trust me.

Check it out here [Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers]

[h/t Zoomdoggle]

Photo: Orenda Fink

From our friends at Saddle Creek Records:

“Following the events of last week, Orenda Fink has written a little about her experiences in Haiti. She’s traveled there multiple times, and has formed a special relationship with the country. Please read her thoughts on her website. We’ll be offering a free download of Orenda’s debut album, Invisible Ones for the rest of the month. We hope it will inspire people to donate to the relief effort.” …read full article…

The Portland, OR band, Eat Skull [MySpace], recently signed to Woodsist Records in anticipation of releasing their latest single and album later this year. With an upcoming show February 20th at East End in their hometown (w/ The Urinals) the band look to focus on completing their full-length in the near future. …read full article…

During this past November’s Fog Rising Festival, director Whitey McConnaughy got together with the band Witch [MySpace] to record an ingeniously rocking video (on 7 Flip video cameras!) for their song “Mutated”. The setting was the Oakland, CA living room of Graham Clise, guitarist and newest member of the group, featuring Earthless drummer Mario Rubalcaba standing in for J. Mascis, and it perfectly illustrates the joyful chaos of jamming with talented musicians who like very, very loud music.

Check out the video “after the jump” …read full article…

With a new album dropping March 2nd, now was as good a time as any to get everyone acquainted with Peasant [MySpace]. When Damien DeRose turned eighteen, he dropped out of school, packed up his guitar, and bought a sailboat in California with a friend with the plan was to sail down the coast, live life the simple way, and let the wind dictate the pace. Thank goodness things didn’t quite work out that way.

Instead, we’ve heard much about this talented artist since his debut, On The Ground, and cannot wait to check out the new material.

Shady Retreat is available via Paper Garden Records on March 2, 2010 in North America and April 5th in Europe.

Listen to a track off the new album “after the jump” …read full article…

Thanks to a tip from our friends at The Music Slut, we heard that Port O’Brien’s latest EP, The Pan American Sessions, is available today. Good news for fans of the band and indie fans alike.

Check out some material from the band and upcoming tour dates “after the jump” …read full article…

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival announced the 2010 line-up this year and it isn’t too bad. Granted, anything short of a Smiths reunion is underwhelming to the apathetic masses, but overall, this youth-and-indie focused oasis in Indio looks as strong as in recent years. After a few years of “established” headliners, the show will feature headline performances from younger acts including Gorillaz, Muse, Jay-Z, Thom Yorke, MGMT, Hot Chip, Spoon, Vampire Weekend and LCD Soundsystem at the very top of the bill for the three-day concert that begins April 16 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio.

This year, while there will be “nostalgia acts”, among them Woodstock icon Sly and the Family Stone, 1980s alt-rock outfit Echo and the Bunnymen and the 80s college-rock outfit Pavement, they will not be leading the bill like Paul McCartney, Prince and Roger Waters have in recent editions of the show.

Check out the lineup and full size poster “after the jump” …read full article…

I wanna start a band. I don’t care that I can barely play guitar, can’t sing, and have no other discernible musical talents. F#ck that! I love music. I wanna start a band.

So I will.

I wanna start a noise pop band. I want to make music that’s slightly experimental, uber-poppy and catchy but also slathered in a layer of fuzz and satisfying lo-fi goodness. I wanna make music you can get passionate about and fall in love with. I want to make music you can sing along with at the top of your lungs as you blast it in your car with the windows down on a hot summer’s day. I want to make simple music that anybody can play. I want to be a part of a band that builds a community around it. I wanna start a band so I have an excuse to start a record label for which to release said band’s music. I want to make music that’s optimistic, wide eyed, non-pretentious. I want to start a scene that’s inclusive, that is that antithesis of all the bullshit that Williamsburg so often is.

Check out more “after the jump” …read full article…

Start off the new year with a bang … literally! And why not – there’s nothing else to do in these frigid temps. Your best bet is to burrow under a down comforter with something cute and snuggly and not your childhood stuffed animal. Sure, you could hit the gym – that’s one way to combat the doughy advances on your midsection – but the gym can’t make out with you; this methodology is a welcomed alternative for calorie burning.

(Please note: Radio Exile does not take responsibility for any buns that may manifest in any ovens, as a result of promoting this mix).

The sky continuously throwing down snow is Mother Nature’s way of practically begging you to get laid. Stop making her job more difficult. What sounds better: trudging through slushy streets and icy wind blasts en route to the bar (where you’ll have wet feet and a perpetual sniff the entire time), or reenacting spicy Calvin Klein ads to a hot soundtrack after watching a little Family Guy?

The latter. Obviously.

These songs should get your proverbial juices flowing. Mix, match and discard at will – there isn’t any particular order to them. Care has also been taken to include a variety of tempos to please differing, em, aesthetic preferences. Please leave additional tunes in the comments section, for future testing in the Radio Exile labs.

And remember kids, when these beats are a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’. …read full article…

Photo Credit: Joshua Uziel – uzishots.com

The title says it all: we’re really digging CAVES [MySpace]. The band uprooted from San Fran-to-Brooklyn and make we’re hearing the impact of both cities on their latest project, their Face the Wall EP. The charming psychedelia of the Bay Area seems like a less than likely partner for the lo-fi movement they’ve come to embrace in their new digs, but this, as they’ve termed it “trash can psychedelia,” makes for beautiful music.

Any chance that I get to talk about my two favorite cities in the world is enough for me, but I really love what I have heard. Check out some track “after the jump” …read full article…

Muse just dropped a brand new video, this time for “The Resistance,” off the fifth studio album of the same name. The album is in stores now.

It will never top this performance, however. No question.