computer blew up. be back asap.

mp3 | phédre | aphrodite | beta frontiers rework

toronto based producer beta frontiers, the man credited (along with becky ninkovic) for the electro-pop-brilliance of the "hondo" sort, recently released a rework of one of this year's standout tracks, "aphrodite" by phédre. stream available above and download available here (right click, save as). there's also a pretty slick rework of phédre's "in decay" available for free download via the beta frontiers website.

dslr | may twelve



long week

dslr | october nine

mp3 // video | lia ices | love is won

while the brooklyn based singer-songwriter, lia ices, has become increasingly old news these days, her second full-length, grown unknown remains one of the top and unfortunately, consistently overlooked, albums of 2011.  it's a real shame as there are a lot of delicately and beautifully produced songs on the lp. give the sampler, "love is won," a stream above, a download here and enjoy a live, inspired performance of "ice wine" filmed by the talented folks at yourstru.ly

video | chromatics | in the city

chromatics have been killing it since 2006. video filmed on location at suite 309.  you can download "in the city" here (right click, save as) or for more information on the band, be sure to click the album icon to the left, as always.

stream | pariah | signal loss



new single from london's pariah via the forthcoming rift album. the track emerged last week and is one of three from the ep which is set for release on june eleventh. stick around for the second half of "signal loss," it only gets better. also, graduation weekend in chico is an absurd time. but we're back in business!

video | friends | mind control

the brooklyn quintet of "i'm his girl" fame, friends just released a video for their single, "mind control," from the upcoming manifest! album which is due june fifth via fat possum records. click play -- she's (samantha urbani) a babe and the infectious beat should help drown out that midweek madness.

stream // photo | dslr | kindness | house

good enough for you is good enough for me

adam bainbridge, the front-man for the united kingdom's kindness has an enormous pouch of tricks. with the release of world, you need a change of mind we've been given an opportunity to see the full spectrum and resulting product of these tricks firsthand. the sounds of 2009's summer chillwave extravaganza, seventy's funk and (glorious) eighties synth merge as bainbridge demonstrates no apprehension in blending and demolishing the lines between genres. whether the result is a diluted, misguided mess or a work of collaborative genius is up to interpretation. listen to what is (subjectively) the best track on the release, "house," above.  the spelling of wednesday is stupid and so is the day.

mp3 // video | lee fields & the expressions | faithful man

i'm a singer. that's what i do.

lee fields has been making music since 1969 and while his latest album, faithful man was released only a couple months back, the sound stays fundamentally untouched, taking direction from the soul, motown and gospel of the sixties. it's a wonderful thing to hear. head over to yourstruly for more videos or to the lee fields & the expressions website for more information on the band. download the "faithful man" single here (right click, save target as). i took the day after mother's day off to celebrate mother's day by myself (not that weird). as a result, i'm perpetually disoriented and have trouble remembering what time or day it is, but enjoy it and watch the video, freal.

photo | mother's day | iron & wine | upward over the mountain

happy mother's day all you mamas.

mp3 // photo | dslr | diiv | doused

diiv's (formerly known as dive) new single from their eagerly anticipated full length oshin is real good. they were a band to watch after their single, "how long have you known," but they jumped up a couple extra notches after the release of "doused." while there are still hints of the familiar beach fossils jangle that pop up here and there, it's eclipsed and perfectly contrasted against the gloomier tone of the track. grab the download here. if you missed their first appearance on butyouwould, head here for the jump or if you know what you're doing, just download "how long have you known" (right click, save link as). enjoy your saturday everyone, do something nice. fun, not kind.

mp3 // photo | phèdre | aphrodite

i don't know how i missed this song for a month. phèdre's first single "in decay" was a killer and i'm pretty sure this song's better. give it a download here (right click, save link as) and be sure to watch the video that was just released: is real, real good. it's friday, gj.

stream // photo | dslr | cfcf | romantic streams | sleep ∞ over cover

just listen por favor and you're welcome. as always, i'll post a legit download asap. don't forget to click on the album image (to the left) to learn more about cfcf.  also, if you missed the original, the stream and download are available below.  for more info on sleep ∞ over head over to their website.  good night, good morning everyone.

stream | sleep ∞ over | romantic streams

mp3: (right click, save link as) download here.

mp3 // photo | dslr | ty segall band | wave goodbye

the "wave goodbye" single began circulating the webz a couple weeks back and has done more than it's job by garnering tons of attention from both critics and fans, alike -- overwhelmingly positive attention, at that. if the track is a sign of things to come from slaughterhouse, (set for release the 26th of next month) the bands upcoming album, should as they say: blow some socks off! but more rock and roll and less stupid. ty segall has been on a bit of a roll lately and it's hard to see him being capable of doing any wrong at this point. if you like what you hear, get real psyched for the new album (6/26) and give the single a download here. good morning wednesday, you stupid idiot, get sunday.

mp3 // photo | may twelve | grizzly bear | boy from school

and i soothed my soul, but now days go by



grizzly bear has been real, real quiet since their 2009 stunner, veckatimest. i have a tendency to forget the songs i've listened to the night before, so three years is definitely long enough to warrant a revisiting of the band. one of their best and commonly overlooked tracks is the 2010 cover of hot chip's "boy from school," which they performed live for a radio station (triple j radio) in australia.  the rendition is simple and elegant -- as always, stream it above or download right here.



if you (somehow) missed grizzly bear all together, there are a number of great tracks to catch up on -- entire albums, more accurately.  a good place to start, whether it's your first listen or you suffer from a memory as worthless as my own, is with the mega hit "two weeks" which you may stream above and/or download by clicking "save as" on this link. the song speaks for itself, is not from that t-mobile commercial and is a pretty good indication of what to expect from veckatimest. tuesdays are by default a seven, don't blow it.

photo // stream | fear of men | green sea

you said this was the way back

gorillavsbear premiered "green sea" a few days ago, and since that time it's been played around here a tiny amount of times. dozens, is a safe bet. mentioned last week, fear of men have made two appearances here in as many days; the song is too good to keep to myself. since 2011's "doldrums," fear of men have gone a long way to continue to evolve as a band and polish their sound. it should go without saying, but this one can't come fast enough. as mentioned on saturday, the album is set for release on june 18th and you can pre-order here. i'll update with a download the instant a legit one surfaces. hey monday, you can go straight to hell.

dslr // july ten // diamond messages | liquid summer





there's a place where people like us go

i wish it were sunday seven days a week. closing out the weekend with diamond messages' "liquid summer" is a pretty cool way to do it; track is a real gem. the smoke and mirrors ep was released in 2010, after the band was brought back from the dead by front man jason craig following the departure of co-creator anna preston. diamond messages has been pretty quiet since, but the ep is still available via the bands soundcloud and "liquid summer" is available here, save-as this for the download. lights out, tunes up, windows open, crisp breeze blowin - good night.

photo // mp3 | fear of men | doldrums

and when it comes it sounds like

at the end of last year, fear of men released the alice munro demos cassette, which was limited to fifty copies and featured "doldrums," a soft, gloomy dreamer of an opener. top-notch stuff. more recently, the band released (last week) "green sea" from their forthcoming album.  one can expect the single to be featured here in the coming days, and the 7" - limited to 300 copies on white vinyl - will be available june 18th. you can (should) pre-order here via the bands label, sexbeat. it's saturday - take naps, enjoy the stream above, (right click, save link as) download here and chill the heck out, already.

dslr // august eleven // atlas sound | doctor | five discs cover





what do you mean i can't take my sweater off

for one reason or another, atlas sound's cover of "doctor" by the five discs (the original obviously rules) has always meant summer, and vise versa. i suspect it has something to do with the audacious, reckless and sometimes grimy nature of both. summer love's the best kind. atlas sound, bradford cox's (maybe you've heard of deerhunter) solo project has produced a multitude of great tracks through virtual 7". "doctor" was released in 2009, but you can still find it and a lot of other keepers on the deerhunter blog. the track is an instant summer classic, a classic of a classic, if you will (don't). grab the download here. it's friday; pace yourself? break hearts.

dslr // july nine // ty segall & white fence | i am not a game





party factory music machine

"i am not a game," a collaborative effort by ty segall and tim presley's white fence, is straight-forward and unapologetic: definitive rock and roll. the band's full-length, hair, was released last week (april 24) and - as expected - is chock full of bangers. thanks to cody for the heads up and thanks to pitchfork for the download.  thursdays are the best weekday, times a infinity, for a number of reasons and if you've not figured them out, you're nuts.  breathe easy, we're almost there.

mp3 // photo | twin shadow | five seconds

keep me dreaming of what i don't know

looks like twin shadow's back. looks like my four hour gymnastics regimen is back. the sound that is only describable as quintessentially eighties has always reminded me of aerobics. it could be because both are ostensibly centered around dance pants and headbands. who's to say. the eighties are inextricably bound to my being and vise versa; it's a mutually parasitic relationship of take and take. i've come to accept and embrace this idea and as such, have no choice but to adore anything twin shadow makes, and i do. their second full length confess is slated for release some time in july and i can already feel its slimy appendages weaving through my tangled heartstrings. this is my curse. download here via gorilla versus bear. it's wednesday and we all need sleep, every last one of us.

TEN A MONTH // APRIL TWELVE PLAYLIST



it's a day late, but it's here. track list and downloads available after the jump or click the ten a month tab in the link bar. orrr click the giant banner that says ten a month.
 

mp3 // photo | october nine | washed out | you and i

anytime you feel froggy, jump, said ballard

rummaging through years of photos almost always results in numerous, substantial mood swings. regardless of how desensitized i've become, there's always something that breaks through the smog of empty sentiments and gives what's left of my mind a [sort of] friendly smacking around. at times, one might emerge from the scuffle with a shifted jaw and bleeding smile, others, a fractured face and missing teeth. the point is, either way, we're reminded of what actually means something to us, good or bad. in a time drenched with indifference, it's nice knowing something still gets to me on a level beyond last night's jeopardy.  maybe there is something to art after all. school is still the worst, stay out of school.  

washed out's "you and i" chugged along while i was buried in the photo archive, it fit nicely and i recently realized the lady vocals are performed by chairlift's caroline polachek. she's a real keeper. download "you and i" here and give your tuesdays a chance, they're pretty tite.