Birds Need Feet: 4/1/12

2012-04-07

Album Review: Team Me - To the Treetops!

[Propeller Recordings, 2012.03.05]

written by Johan Alm

MP3: Deer Tick - "Born At Zero"

Deer Tick's newest LP Divine Providence was released in the US last fall but it didn't see a UK release until recently when Loose Music issued it. In connection with this Deer Tick also unveiled a new EP titled Tim, which was released together with Divine Providence in the UK. The EP is also available on its own via DeerTick's US label Partisan Records. Download the opening cut from the EP, "Born At Zero" below.

Austin's White Denim returns with a new single called "Get Back To Love (Street Joy)". It's super smooth and very '80s - and it's really good. The b-side to the track is "Don’t You Say No", which is apparently a R. Kelly cover, which really makes a lot sense after you've listened to the a-side. Check it out below.

As I mentioned last weekend Alejandro Escovedo's got a new album coming out on June 5 via Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group. It's called Big Station and the opening track "Man of the World" premiered on Rolling Stone yesterday. It's a good track, but it feels a bit standard for Escovedo's last few releases.

A couple of weeks back I posted Jack White's newest single "Sixteen Saltines" and yesterday a video for the track was unveiled as well. The video was directed by AG Rojas (who also made the amazing video for Spiritualized's "Hey Jane" and the infamous Earl Sweatshirt video for "EARL") and it's kinda creepy and definitely weird. Seemingly it takes place in a world where the youths have taken over. Watch it below.

Jack White's solo debut album Blunderbuss will be released on April 23/24 (Europe/US that is) via Third Man Records/XL.

MP3: Kanye West - "Mercy" (ft. Pusha T, Big Sean & 2 Chainz)

As mentioned yesterday when Kanye West & DJ Khaled's "Theraflu" hit the internet Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Fridays are back, and now the first new track is out. It's called "Mercy" and features Kanye West, Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz.

MP3: The Fresh & Onlys - "Do What I Came To Do"

The San Franciscan garage rock The Fresh & Onlys are currently working on the follow-up to 2010's Play It Strange but in the meantime we can enjoy this new cut "Do What I Came To Do". "Do What I Came To Do" is taken from the Stash Rituals Sampler by Mexican Summer/Sofware Recording Co. and it's an outtake from the recording sessions won't be appearing on their upcoming LP. But it's a good one, so give check it out below.

The Line of Best Fit premiered "Your Cover Blown", the new single from London's Monument Valley (aka Ted Younger) earlier today. It's a bleak and folky affair, seemingly more of a fall track than a spring one, but it's very good so it really doesn't matter. Give it a listen below, plus listen to the b-side "Very First Alarm" as well.

Niki & The Dove are set to release their debut album Instinct on May 14 (it'll be all kinds of great, trust me) and today they've released an album sampler featuring five tracks. Three of these are previously heard; their latest single "Tomorrow", single "DJ, Ease My Mind" and previous b-side and "Under the Bridges". There's two brand new track included though, "Love to the Test" and "Somebody", and both are the kind of pop masterpieces we're used to from the duo who seemingly can do no wrong right now. Just click play and then jump between the tracks by clicking on the track names.

The Manchester four-piece PINS are releasing their debut single "Eleventh Hour" today and it sure is something special, an excellent piece of dreamy noise pop. Make sure to keep your eyes on PINS, based on this their future is looking extremely bright. Watch the beautifully shot video for "Eleventh Hour" by Sing J. Lee below, or if videos aren't your thing just click play on the Soundcloud player below it.

Aggi Doom is Glasgow-based indie punk band, think a mix of '60s garage and '80s post-punk, and they're set to release their debut single via the Scottish indie label Soft Power Recordings on May 21. The 7" will include "Bring Me The Head" and the b-side Cakewalk, and you can listen to both below.

UK producer Star Slinger released a new track called "Bad Bitches" via his Soundcloud page last night, this one featuring Lil B and Stunnaman. Lil B is mostly known as an all too prolific solo artist nowadays, but he began in the Berkeley, California-based hip-hop group The Pack, where Stunnaman is also a member. Give it a listen below.

Kanye West is bringing back G.O.O.D. Fridays tomorrow with a track called "Mercy", featuring himself, Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz, but he's managed to upstage himself with the leak of "Theraflu" (feat. DJ Khaled). "Theraflu" is nowhere near West at his best, but it's worth a listen. Check it out below.

MP3: King Tuff - "Bad Thing"

About a month ago King Tuff announced that he'll release his self-titled second album via Sub Pop on May 29 and with that announcement came a first track called "Bad Thing". Now, I'm a bit slow so I didn't really discover this until today but it's pretty damn great. Catchy and energetic garage rock of the highest order. Give it a listen or download it below.

The Swedish duo jj are back with a new track called "Beautiful Life", which you can listen to and download below. It's from an jj's upcoming 7" single that will be released via Secretly Canadian on May 8. Plus, on the Secretly Canadian's Soundcloud page for the track it says "From jj nº4 out May 8th on Secretly Canadian". New album or "just" the 7"? No idea, but "Beautiful Life" is good.

[Strangers Candy/Playground Music, 2012.02.27]

written by Johan Alm

I hadn't heard a single thing by Milwaukee indie rock act Jaill until I received an email this morning, including their new track "Waste A Lot Of Things". It's very good little track, sounding reminiscent of a less-folky Blitzen Trapper, and it's taken from their upcoming album Traps which will be released by the ever-impressive Sub Pop on June 11. Listen to "Waste A Lot Of Things" below, or submit your email address to get an mp3 of the track.

We've previously been treated with two tracks from Teen Daze's upcoming debut record All Of Us, Together, which will be released via Lefse on May 22, and today we've got a third one called "The Future". Like the previous two, "Brooklyn Sunburn" and "Treten", the track is without a doubt worth your time and the record is looking pretty damn promising right.

Almost a month ago the video for Father John Misty's - that's former Fleet Foxes drummer J. Tillman if you've missed it - "Nancy From Now On" was released, and we can now offer you a free download of the same track. Check it out below.

Listen: Curren$y - "What It Look Like" (feat. Wale)

It's almost too hard to keep up with Curren$y...The New Orleans rapper is set to release his new album Stoned Immaculate on June 5 via Warner Bros. and today he revealed a first track from the album. The track in question is the Wale-featuring "What It Look Like" and it certainly sounds as if Curren$y is up to his usual high standards. Give it a listen below.

Porcelain Raft, aka Mauro Remiddi, released one of the best records of 2012 so far in Strange Weekend, via Secretly Canadian in January, and now he has unveiled a video for album opener "Drifting In And Out". "Drifting In And Out" is set to be released as a single on June 11 in the UK and on June 26 in the US, and you can watch the video for it below - directed by Remiddi himself.

Yesterday I posted "V.O.G.", the second song from Sleepy Sun's upcoming album Spine Hits, to be released and today Clash are hosting an exclusive stream of the album. Spine Hits is Sleepy Sun's third album and based on a few quick listens it might just be their best yet. Spine Hits will be released via ATP Recordings/The End Records on April 9.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile you've probably heard of The Tarantula Waltz by now, and if you haven't heard anything yet you need to remedy that. The Tarantula Waltz is the project of singer-songwriter Markus Svensson, based in Stockholm, Sweden, who has released two albums so far; his self-titled debut record released in 2007 and Did Not Leave To Find But To Forget, To Leave Behind in 2010 - one of the very best albums released that year. Back in mid-February I sat down with Markus to talk a bit about The Tarantula Waltz and his upcoming third album, Tinderstickneck, which will be out this fall, with "Scandinavian Minds" being released as a single this summer.

Last week I posted Japandroids' "The House That Heaven Built", the first single from their upcoming second album Celebration Rock, and they'll be releasing the track as a 7" vinyl single. The 7" will also include a b-side in the form of a great cover of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' 1992 track "Jack the Ripper", which you can listen to below already.

A couple of weeks back I posted the wonderful title track from World Tour's debut EP Believe - if you haven't checked it out yet you should do yourself a favour and do so now - and the EP will be released via Cascine on April 10.

Liars are set to release their sixth studio album WIXIW (that's pronounced "wish you" if you're curious) on June 4 via Mute and the first single from the album premiered yesterday. It's called "No.1 Against The Rush" and you can listen to it by heading over to their Facebook page and clicking the "No.1 Against The Rush"-box at the top. You'll need to 'like' them to access the tune though - a bit of a hassle but it's a good song. Your choice. Check out the tracklist for WIXIW below plus watch a trailer for it.

I missed posting this last week, but in the wake of the news of Air France's break-up Memory Tapes released his own rework of Air France's final track "It Feels Good To Be Around You". Listen to both the Memory Tapes version and Air France's original below. RIP Air France.

The Alabama Shakes have been gathering quite a buzz lately and they're set to release their debut record Boys & Girls next week via ATO Records/Rough Trade Records. In anticipation of the release they've unveiled a pretty straightforward video for "Hold On" - it's pretty much just the band playing the song in-studio. Some very good soul-inspired rock right here. Watch it below.

The garage rock duo Bass Drum of Death have unveiled a new track called, in true punk fashion, "I Wanna Be Forgotten". "I Wanna Be Forgotten" is a great little garage rock scorcher and it's taken from an upcoming split single with DZ Deathrays. Give it a listen below.

MP3: Sleepy Sun - "V.O.G."

Sleepy Sun are set to release their third record Spine Hits via The End Records and ATP Recordings on April 9 and they've now unveiled a second track from the album called "V.O.G.", following "Stivey Pond". "V.O.G." premiered on Brooklyn Vegan earlier today and you can listen to the groovy and psychedelic track below, as well as grab yourself an mp3 of it.

Earlier today I posted "Man on Fire", the first track from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' upcoming second LP Here, and today they shared a second track from the album as well called "That's What's Up" - "Man on Fire" has been available for awhile. Listen to "That's What's Up" below.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are set to release their second album Here on May 29 via Rough Trade Records and you can now listen to a first track from the album. Listen to "Man on Fire" below, or grab yourself an mp3 of the track. Plus check out the tracklist below the widget.

Full album stream: Chromatics - Kill For Love

Chromatics' long-awaited fourth album Kill For Love was finally released last week via Italians Do It Better. I've been reading about Chromatics for a long time, and for the past few months they've seemingly been everywhere but it wasn't until the full album was released that I actually checked them out. I'm not regretting it.

One of the finest songwriters out there, Alejandro Escovedo, has announced the release of Big Station, his 11th solo album, for June 5 via Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group. The album is the follow-up to Street Songs of Love, which was released in 2010, and as he did on that one and 2008's Real Animal Escovedo is working with producer Tony Visconti and the album is co-written by fellow singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet. Check out the tracklist below and stay tuned for more info.

Pages

2012-04-07

2012-04-06

2012-04-05

2012-04-04

2012-04-03

2012-04-02

2012-04-01