The New Division

  Shallow Play by The New Division

  Opium by The New Division

The New Division are a band out of Los Angeles that specialize in that 80's electronic/chillwave sound.  They have the keyboard lines and reverb soaked vocals of classic Depeche Mode or Erasure songs.  You can clearly hear those bands influence on The New Division, but N.D. never come off as copy cats.  They stand out due to strong song writing and creating engrossing soundscapes.  Their newest track "Shallow Play" should appeal to any who is a fan of either Small Black or Joy Division.  It has a very beach-y guitar line, but maintains a driving drum pattern. I personally think that "Opium" is their best track. It has a hypnotic and narcotic sound, that I can just not get enough of.

Cold Love

  Ready by Cold Love

  Velvet Veins by Cold Love

Dark and droney.  This is definitely the sort of music that goes well with fall or late at night.  Cold Love is a new project out of Oakland.  I do not know much info about them, however I learned about them from Blackbird Blackbird.  If it were this time last year, I am sure they would have gotten the "witchhouse"/"drag" label - I always thought those were stupid names.  All that matters is that these songs should be played late night in a car.  "Ready" sounds like you are being drowned in hot bubbling tar (I mean that in the most sincere and positive way possible).  "Velvet Veins" has a footwork/juke vibe, if it were done by Zola Jesus.  Both tracks are very strong and I am excited to hear whats next for the band - I know they were looking to do some remix work.

Woven Bones

  Woven Bones - I've Gotta Get by hardlyartrecords

  Woven Bones - Hey Kid by hardlyartrecords

Woven Bones are a garage band from the great state of Texas. They mine the always fertile ground of Jesus and Mary Chain, Spaceman 3, and Phil Spector soaked reverb for a distinctly defiant personalty.  They are loud, up front and perfect for basement parties. While they may not have the most original sound, these tunes are extremely enjoyable.  Woven Bones' debut LP, In and Out and Back Again, came out last year on Hozac Records, they also recently released above tracks on Hardly Art records.

Porcelain Raft

  Porcelain Raft - Despite Everything by ginobc

  Porcelain Raft - Dragonfly by artisaids

  "Amateur's Feeling" by Porcelain Raft by DOJAGSC

Porcelain Raft create beautifully fragile music.  Porcelain Raft is the bedroom pop project of one Mauro Remidi.  He is able to transcend many of the bedroom pop cliches and make incredibly touching and strong music.  "Despite Everything" reminds me a bit of Explosion's in the Sky's quieter moments, it is really stunning.  "Dargonfly" has the tropical bed room pop that provides a nice sense of levity and nostalgia.  "Amateur's Feeling" might be the best song - I do not have word that do the song justice.  Porcelain Raft is currently working on their debut record for Secretly Canadian.  They are about to go on tour with The War on Drugs and Yuck.  Another song and tour dates after the jump!

Cymbals Eat Guitars

  Cymbals Eat Guitars-Definite Darkness by Edgarpochakoz

  Cymbals Eat Guitars "Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)" by Barsuk Records

Noise Verse Noise favorite's Cymbals Eat Guitars have a new album, Lenses Alien, coming out August 30th on Barsuk.  Check out the ultra-jammy first single "Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)".  For a song 8 minutes long, "Rifle" never loses my attention.  I think "Definite Darkness", the second track released from the album, is even better. Its a little shorter, but its all crescendos and build ups.  Can not wait to hear the new album!  The band is going on an extensive American tour starting in September with Noise Verse Noise friends Hooray for Earth.  Check out tour dates and "... and the Hazy Sea" from Why There are Mountains after the jump. 

Mirror Lady

Shapes (Spiderwoman) by Mirror Lady

There is something about minimal lo-fi bedroom pop that I can not stop listening to. Mirror Lady is a new band from Brooklyn.  They are so new in fact, I think they only have one song. Regardless, "Shapes" is a very cool song. It has a sort of smokey, propulsive style that instantly captures your imagination. The drum breakdowns are also a fantastic touch.  It will be interesting to see how they evolve because "Shapes" is a great start.

Southern Shores

Southern Shores - 03 Tangier Winds by CASCINE

I am not sure if this is Balearic, chillwave, or some other subgenre - all I know is that it is a great song.  It is specifically a great August song, something for those nights where it finally dips below 80 degrees.  "Tangier Winds" is from the Atlantic EP recent released on Cascine records.  I look forward to hearing more from these guys, really fantastic stuff.  Enjoy!

Prince Rama

  Prince Rama, "Rest in Peace" by The FADER

I haven't posted some straight up sprawling psych awesomeness in a while, so here is the new Prince Rama track.  This thing starts in high gear and then just kicks it up from there.  "Rest in Peace" is the kind of song I always want Gang Gang Dance to make, but they never do.  This thing is a swirling lava lamp of psych rock, middle eastern tunes, and drums.  Good lord those drums are epic.  They have a new album, Trust Now, coming out October 4th on Paw Tracks.  They also formed a super group with Sun Araw called Prince Sunarawma with that album coming out soon.  So they are staying busy.

Balam Acab

  BALAM ACAB - Apart by TriAngleRecords

  BALAM ACAB - Oh, Why by TriAngleRecords

I am still not totally sold on the drag/witch house genre, but Balam Acab brings it with these tracks.  He has a new album, Wander/Wonder, coming out August 29th on Tri Angle Records.  The two tracks above are from the new record.  I personally prefer "Apart" - it keeps a stronger bass/drum track.  "Apart" would mix nicely with a couple tracks by The Weeknd, for one of the strangest late night cruising mixes in history. "Oh, Why" is a slightly quieter and more ambient track.  If these two tracks are indication of the material on the album, it should be one of the best of the year.  And just for good measure here is "Sea Birds (Moon)".

  See Birds (Moon) by BALAM ACAB

Tobacco/Black Moth Super Rainbow

  TOBACCO "Heavy Makeup" by Black Moth Super Rainbow

  TOBACCO "Streaker" feat. Notrabel by Black Moth Super Rainbow

Recently, I have been listening to a lot of Tobacco and Black Moth Super Rainbow.  So, I was pumped when I saw that not only are they back, but also touring and coming to Boston.  I am not as big a fan of Tobacco's solo work as I am of B.M.S.R.  However, the two Tobacco tracks on the bands soundcloud are fantastic. They have that perfect acid crunch beat.  "Streaker" is heavier than just about anything you will hear this year.  "Heavy Makeup" is a little less heavy and has that almost disco beat that Black Moth does so well.  Anyway, check out the tracks, Tour dates after the jump, Get Excited!

Fool's Gold

  Fool's Gold - Street Clothes by iamsoundrecords

Fool's Gold are favorites of Noise Verse Noise, so I was excited when they announced a new album was on its way.  Leave No Trace is due out on August 16th.  You can check out the first single above.  Sounds like another groovetastic affair.

Blackbird Blackbird - Calypso

  Calypso by BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD

The good homie, Blackbird Blackbird, is back with the new track, "Calypso".  Its a little slowerer, a little darker than previous tunes.  I love that the man never stops evolving and working.  I think the Halo album was funded so it should be comming out on vinyl.  Thats a big win for everyone.  Hopefully, he gets a deal.  Can not wait for his new E.P., Passions.

Steve Mason and Dennis Bovell

Steve Mason & Dennis Bovell - Yesterday Dub by DominoRecordCo

I love dub remixes. Classic dub is something that will never go out of style. Here Steve Mason, former Beta Bander, is remixed by dub royalty Dennis Bovell. The song original melacholic sound is extenuated by the dubby horns and reverb.  Definitely going to be added to favorites list.  Steve Mason's latest  album, Boys Outside, is being given the full dub remix treatment, so expect more greatness.  The remix album is coming out July 25.

A Couple Bands I Missed

 
It's slightly more than halfway through the year and its time to do some recap stuff this week.  First, I want to highlight a couple of bands who have sent me new material that I have meant to post, but ended up getting lost in the shuffle:

• Bwedge - Shrunken Head:  Bwedge is a one man tropical/Florida pop project by Tim Peacock.  I was sent the album forever ago and kept having it be the next thing I am going to write about.  Shrunken Head is an album full of warm pop hooks and distant memories.  Definitely worth checking out for a summer evening.
• Adoptahighway - Chances, Circumstances, Conditions:  This is an electronic project by Barry Paul Clark coming out of Milwaukee.  I have no idea if Milwaukee has the same kind of electronic music tradition that other Midwestern cities have, but this project is awesome.
• Grushenka is a band from Barcelona.  They make tropical sounding music.  I don't know much about them, but they sent me a pretty cool music video which you can see below.  

Check out songs and videos after the jump.  Apologies again for taking so long, but thank you and please keep sending me new music!

Araabmuzik

  Araabmuzik - Streetz Tonight by dress warm 

Araabmuzik is a Dipset/Jim Jones associate/beat maker.  "Salute" by Dipset - that's his beat.  Whats more interesting though is his new instrumental album.  Its been described as taking Trance tunes and giving it a Dilla treatment, a fair description.  That description does not give enough credit to how great these songs are though.  "Streetz Tonight" has been getting love, as it rightfully should.  It is what everyone always wanted trance rap to sound like.  Rap drums mixing it up with big synths and the ever present cooing diva.  I look forward to picking up his new album Electronic Dream.

Hooray for Earth @ Paradise June 13th

Hooray For Earth - No Love by goldestegg

Last night Hooray for Earth played the Paradise with Architecture in Helsinki.  The Bruins also played the Cannucks, so Architecture in Helsinki was skipped - side note: Game 7, Stanley Cup is there a better sporting event?  Anyway, Hooray for Earth rocked the stage for one quality set.

Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains - Once Rendering by MovMou

Moving Mountains are a "majestic post-hardcore", their description not mine, band out of New York.  While majestic post-hardcore would not be the exact description I would use, it is an accurate description.  The band has evolved considerably over its lifetime, originally they were much more of a classic instrumental post-hardcore, think Red Sparrows, Pelican, or ISIS.  Their first couple albums were quality instrumental hardcore music, but the band became tired of the loud-quiet-loud song structure.  This evolution away has yielded an intriguing and powerful new album that will be reviewed in the next week or so.  For now enjoy the posted tracks.

Moving Mountains - The Cascade by MovMou

Moving Mountains - Tired Tiger by MovMou

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Senator by DominoRecordCo

YES! New Stephen Malkmus and he seems engaged! I liked the last album well enough, but Malkmus seemed a little too disinterested. "The Senator" is much more up front and energetic. It still contains Malkmus' trademark wit and humor. This increases the expectations for the new album.  The "Senator" makes me think that the new Beck produced album might be a little more Pavement and a little less loose jam fest.  Time to get excited.

Yourself & The Air

Yourself And The Air -Trampolines by franciscoo21

Yourself & The Air are a new band from Chicago that make the sort of quirky indie-pop that will never go out of style.  They remind me of a bunch of bands, but I can not quite put my finger on which ones.  I hear a bit of bit Passion Pit, a bit Oh No Oh My, and maybe even some MGMT, but not exactly any of them specifically.  That is a long list of influential and creative bands up there, and Yourself & the Air remain unqiue and fresh. They have played with a much of cool bands like A Lull, Peter Bjorn and John, and Portugal. The Man.  Yourself & The Air have a new EP out, Who's Who in the Zoo, that I will be reviewing in the next couple days. "Trampolines" is the lead off single from the new EP. Everyone should definitely check it out!  Yourself & the Air play O'Briens in Allston June 7th.  Follow the jump for more tour dates!

Young the Giant

My Body by youngthegiant

Young the Giant a pop alternative band out of Newport Beach, CA.  I find it funny that I discover a band based 20 minutes away from where I grew up, when I live in Boston.  The make summery pop that sounds perfect on your local rock or pop station.  They have a very southern California sound: a little sunny, a little jaded, and a knack for catchy choruses.  I am enjoying "Cough Syrup" and "My Body" lately.  "My Body" is becoming a radio hit around Boston.  I think that "Cough Syrup" is the natural follow up for "My Body" and will be another hit for this great young band.  Young the Giant are playing WFNX's Clam Bake 2011 along with KROQ Weenie Roast.  I see these guys doing big things and I am excited for them!

Cough Syrup by youngthegiant


I Got by youngthegiant