While all of my friends and usual NYC blog buddies are busy getting sun poisoning, heat stroke and hanging about in Austin, Texas, my pasty ass is still sitting right here in New York, jealous and ginger-y. I’m moping. Then, just a moment ago when I started to feel sorry for myself and began complaining aloud (ask my wife, I am the KING of Complaining), I noticed a hidden gem in my mailbox. So, I actually get to bring you news today: HOORAY!!!!

Uncles [MySpace] are from my neck of the woods (read: they didn’t move to Williamsburg, Bushwick or any hip area in Brooklyn for the sake of saying they live there. They live in Woodside, Queens!) and once I saw that, I knew that this was a match made in Heaven. While I might not be “a nice young lady with journalistic aspirations and big blue eyes” like they requested on their MySpace page, I do know when I like someone’s sound and as a result, I really like Uncles.

Their debut album, due April 22, is called Replacing Words with Other Words and we’ve got two gnarly tracks for you to dig into: “Settler’s Song” and “Where Does It Sleep”, both of which sound equally like Country Western forefathers (Hank Williams, Merle Haggard) hopped into bed with some of my favorite ’90s indie rock bands (The Pixies, Pavements, etc).

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

One thing that you will never find the staff at RE discriminating against: sweet, sweet laser-pop. In the last year, Boston’s Mystery Roar [MySpace] has popped onto our radar twice and it is only fitting that today, we manage to put something out there as I was desperately in the mood for a “pick-me-up”. The band has “managed to perfect a brand of elaborate, deep-space disco that’s already convinced The Boston Herald and The Phoenix to call the synth-laden laser-pop troupe “the number one band to watch in 2010!”

You’ll hear exactly what they mean (and what I am digging) on their upcoming self-titled EP, out on Dopamine Records April 13th. In the mean time check out more “after the jump” …read full article…

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti [MySpace] might be my current favorite band name (right up there with the always awesome Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin), and the band are currently putting the finishing touches to their debut at 4AD. In the mean time, the band are set to release a 7″ and digital single for “Round and Round” on April 26th.

Get a taste of what the band have to offer “after the jump” …read full article…

Do you like free music? Hell yeah you do, otherwise you’d be standing in line with money in your hand, paying for it like a sucker. (Note: I still buy lots of music. Especially vinyl. I am just goofing around here. Go with it) MASTERBEAT.com (yes, I said that again and yes, they are a new online music superstore) is celebrating their launch by offering up 10 free tracks for download at http://www.masterbeat.com/free!

Check out the playlist and get more info, “after the jump” …read full article…

Last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The National gave the audience a super cool preview of their new material. The song they chose was “Terrible Love”, a great little song that reminds me of “Fake Empire” without the acapella-epic chorus.

Yes, I made up a word.

May 11th is the release day for High Violet and, as we have said before, visit http://www.highviolet.com for more album info and tour dates.

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

British post-punk legends Echo & The Bunnymen [MySpace] are launching their first US tour in support of their acclaimed new album, The Fountain. The shows are hot on the heels of the band’s recent tour celebrating their landmark album Ocean Rain that included orchestral performances at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.Their highly anticipated appearance at the Coachella Festival will kick off the tour.

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

Sunset Rubdown [MySpace] just debuted the great new video for “Dragon’s Lair” at Pitchfork TV today. They could have debuted it here, but they weren’t sure if giving an exclusive to us would make sense. (That’s totally not true at all…I’m just talking shiiizzzzz.)

Either way, this clip = mind-bottling. Yeah, I went there.

Check it out. Above. Duh.

Dragonslayer is out now on Jagjaguwar.

Check out another track from the album “after the jump” …read full article…

?uestlove from the Roots sat down to discuss the importance and influence of Fela Kuti when he first discovered Fela Kuti’s music and the impact of his music on both his personal life as well as Fela’s impact on music and culture, showcasing works by Mos Def, Macy Grey, D’Angelo, X-Clan, and Leaders of the New School.

Over the next several months, Knitting Factory Records will be re-releasing Fela’s entire catalogue. The “Chop ‘N Quench” batch, containing 6 CDs (9 albums total) from 1964-1974, is available digitally and physically now.

Get a free track and check out more “after the jump” …read full article…

Yesterday marked the debut of Passion Pit’s official video for “Little Secrets” directed by Timothy Saccenti. The band is on tour this spring in the U.S. We’ve really liked their previous videos ["To Kingdom Come"] so check this one out, fo’ sho’.

More tourdates, etc. “after the jump” …read full article…

With their new album, Kairos, on the way, White Hinterland have emerged with new, danceable music for fans to enjoy, which might come out of left field to those fans who loved their previous material (Phylactery Factory Review). The move, no matter how dramatic a change, was calculated and shows what Casey Dienel and Shawn Creeden do best: innovate.

The latest track is their awesome track “No Logic,” and while the band is preparing for an extensive tour of the US this Spring, we’re sure that many of you will find something to love and embrace about the band once again.

Kairos is out March 9 (March 8 in the UK) via Dead Oceans

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

the xx remixed the Magic Wands

…if only they’d touch my magic wand….I’d allow them to remix it.

Oh well.

They’re legal, right? I know they’re young….

Anyways, back to the topic at hand. The xx remixed Magic Wands. RCRD LBL has the download (link after the jump). The Magic Wand’s video for Wizards also after the jump… …read full article…

The uber-sexified likes of NYC’s own The Phenomenal Handclap Band [MySpace] recently debuted a great new video for “Baby” with the good peeps over at Stereogum. The clip was “likened to a Dario Argento film”, and is a super saturated and atmospherically depressed clip from Steven Agnew, the genius behind The Futurehead’s “Walking Backwards” video.

The band’s self-titled album is out now on Friendly Fire Recordings.

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

It’s now 2010, the beginning of a new decade. Have you stopped to wonder what the next ten years will look like for music and the music industry? What will be the dominant musical trend? What will the industry look like in ten years?

Our sort-of-awesome, sort-of-Chuck Klosterman ripping off writer Tom Williams has. However, unlike you, dear readers, he is doing something to find the answers. Next month Tom and two companions will embark on a two week long road trip across America and Mexico, where they will speak with bands large and small, venue owners, record store clerks, label managers, and music fans of all time, seeking to understand the nature of music and the music industry to come.

Upon his return, Tom will write a book, to be entitled Sound Through Sight: A Road Trip, about his travels, the people he speaks with, and the insights he discovers; think Klosterman’s Killing Yourself To Live meets Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy In America. His travel companions will also be producing a book of photography from the trip, as well as a short documentary.

Tom is seeking to raise $1,400 before he leaves in three weeks via the site Kickstarter. To read more about his project, to purchase an advance copy of his book, or to see other cool ways you can help support the project, check out his project on Kickstarter.

If you’re in the NYC area, Tom is also throwing a concert Friday night to help raise money for the project. Event details can be found on Facebook.

The concert will be a the Newsonic Loft, an incredible loft space in South Williamsburg, on 2/19/10. Admission is $7, there will be cheap drinks available at the bar, and you can also BYOB.

Tentative Schedule:

9pm: Doors

9:30: Dynasty Electric – NYC – Recently signed to Damon Dash’s Blu Rock label.

10:00: mynameisjohnmichael – New Orleans – “One of the Top 5 Bands at CMJ 2009″ – http://bit.ly/mnijmCMJ

11:00: Common Prayer – Kingston, NY – The fantastic new project from Jason Russo, of Hopewell and the Mercury Rev

12:00: TBA (but they’ll be damn good, we promise!)

Click to Download and Share the Event Poster

“Jónsi” [Official] might be more well known for his day job as guitarist and vocalist for the critical darlings, Sigur Ros, but there is no denying that he has an ear for rad music. With the band on hiatus while other members focus on families and babies, etc., Jonsi has a red hot solo career that needs to be focused on. I say, “good for him”.

His solo album (Go) was announced this past December and is sure to carry forth all and carries a April 5th worldwide street date on both Parlophone and XL Recordings.

Gorgeous video for another great song. Enjoy it “after the jump” …read full article…

Super Swede, El Perro Del Mar, is embarking on a co-headlining tour next week with fellow Swede hottie, Taken By Trees. El Perro Del Mar’s latest album, Love Is Not Pop, was released in 2009 via The Control Group and is pretty awesome. If you get a chance to check them out live, you definitely should.

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

After discovering the band on the FIFA 08 soundtrack, I was glad to hear that The Hours [MySpace] are finally releasing material on this side of the Atlantic. The band’s tune (“Ali in the Jungle”) was the most hypnotically likeable track among those that EA selected for their flagship footie game. The band made its avidly awaited stateside debut on January 26 with the release of Ali In The Jungle, a four-song digital EP available now on iTunes.

“Inspired by the historic 1974 world heavyweight bout between then-reigning champion George Foreman and former title-holder Muhammad Ali, “Ali In The Jungle” is a hard-hitting and hook-packed paean to the human spirit with an unforgettable litany of powerhouse triumph in the chorus.”

They even shot a gorgeous new clip for the song, featuring all sorts of steam punk and vaudevillian stop motion animation. Seriously cool, so check it out “after the jump” …read full article…

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…

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…