Said Yes to Michigan!

Yesterday night, I was of the lucky attendees of the Sufjan Steven's show in the Crofoot Ballroom of Pontiac. I'd seen Soof before, but never with a backing band so sparse or in a space so intimate. Playing with only five others, Sufjan nonetheless sounded amazing.

This, however, is not blogworthy news. What's worth mentioning is Soof's performance of a few new songs. If my approval means anything to you, note that they're fantastic. For more info on the new tunes, check the fleshed out Stereogum article. Otherwise, download the at times avant-garde, Sonic Youth/Miles Davis-tinged bootlegs below.

Though that big news broke on Thursday, I also got my hands on Sufjan's beautiful, not-yet-released BQE album.

Down below you'll find three new MP3s from The BQE, and in case you missed it, Sufjan's experimental "You Are the Blood" from Dark Was the Night, as well as two of my favourite rarities.

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New bootlegged material...

There's Too Much Love (Live) - Sufjan Stevens
Impossible Souls (Live) - Sufjan Stevens
Age of Adz (Live) - Sufjan Stevens

From The BQE...

Movement I: In the Countenance of Kings - Sufjan Stevens
Movement IV: Traffic Shock - Sufjan Stevens
Postlude: Critical Mass - Sufjan Stevens

From Dark Was the Night...

You Are the Blood - Sufjan Stevens

Rarities...

Borderline - Sufjan Stevens
Lakes of Canada - Sufjan Stevens

Julian Casablancas' 11th Dimension

Strokes' frontman Julian Casablancas announced his solo debut, Phrazes for the Young, way back in July and chose today to grace the internet with its first single, "11th Dimension."

If you guessed the project would sound like The Stokes, come on down and collect your MP3. To be fair, there are some subtle distinctions; the Velvet Underground guitars have been replaced by waves of synthesizers and Casablancas has some retro-pop fun with his new sound, namely around the 2:20 mark.

The track is exciting and disappointing all at the same time. On one end, its nice to have a song striving to match six-year-old Strokes' material, but on the other, this project seems to follow a familiar trend: Lead singer goes solo, produces the same music as with the band, albeit replacing them with keyboards and drum machines, and releases a lackluster record.

It's too soon to say, but, as always, I remain cautiously optimistic. Full rip at 320 kbps below.

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11th Dimension - Julian Casablancas

Pavement Reuniting: The Biggest News of '09 Comes in '10...

Come 2010, the oft-rumoured Pavement reunion is happening. For me, and the entire indie rock community, this is gigantic news. Rather than blather my excitement, here are the facts: Word first leaked via Brooklyn Vegan regarding a reunion show (singular) at 2010's Central Park Summerstage. Then, the Matador Blog let is slip that Malkmus & Co. would be playing multiple shows (plural) around the US.

So far, only the Sept. 21st Summerstage date has been announced, but as 2009 comes to a close and 2010 kicks off, expect to hear more announcements trickle out.

Suck on that, Zeppelin reunion.

EDIT:// The Matador Blog announced a second show on Sept. 22nd and a third on Sept. 23rd, seeing as how the first sold out in two minutes.

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Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse) - Pavement
Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite at :17 - Pavement
Gold Soundz - Pavement
At & T - Pavement
Blue Hawaiian - Pavement
Carrot Rope - Pavement

Editor's Note: Yes, I have my tickets.

Back from New York

I've finally returned from my successful six-day New York adventure, which included job interviews, Girl Talk, fantasy football, mechanical bull-induced injuries, Risk, Dan Savage-narrated road trips, and so much more. Look for regular posting to resume tomorrow.

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New York's Not My Home - Jim Croce

Behind the Weezy F. Baby

Tonight at 10:00 pm, VH1 will finally have some worthwhile programming: Lil Wayne's Behind the Music. If his appearances on Letterman, The View, or Katie Couric are any indication, hearing and watching Weezy incoherently mumble through life stories is going to be Barney Stinson-level legendary.

Set your DVRs and listen to Wayne's new collaboration with Drake, plus a few recent tracks off The Mixtape Weezy.

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My Darlin' Baby (feat. Drake) - Lil Wayne

Steady Mobbin' (feat. Gucci Mane) - Lil Wayne

We Like Cars - Lil Wayne

Million Dollar Baby - Lil Wayne

Neon Indian Remix Au Revoir Simone

It's only been a few days and I've already found another reason to blog about Neon Indian. This time around, he's remixed the opening track of Au Revoir Simone's excellent Still Night, Still Light, which came out earlier this year.

All of the Electrelane-with-keyboards-and-a-drum-machine elements that make up Au Revoir Simone still come through in the remix, though Neon Indian ups the tempo and infuses his lo-fi 80s synths, transforming the somber track into a dance hit.

Hear the remix and the original down below. Now excuse me while I go celebrate Beatles' Day in style, with Rock Band and the stereo box set...

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Another Likely Story (Neon Indian Remix) - Au Revoir Simone

Another Likely Story - Au Revoir Simone

A Kid Named Cudi, MGMT, and a Ratatat

Ever since the Crookers remix of "Day 'n' Nite" took house parties by storm, KiD CuDi has been building up quite a bit of hype. In fact, it seems that all "unsigned, upcoming, hip-hop prodigy" blog coverage is split between CuDi, Drake, and Wale. Editor's Note: Theophilus London should be in that list, and he no doubt will be in the next few months, but more on him in a future post.

While this has been fairly warranted in each case, it leaves a hell of a lot of room for disappointment, especially for CuDi, who strikes me as the weakest of the three. However, unlike Jay-Z's Blueprint 3, the first leak from CuDi's forthcoming Man on the Moon: The End of Day isn't awful.

Titled "Pursuit of Happiness," the track is a slow burn and definitely not the most club ready. Maybe CuDi can call up on Crookers again to step up with another up-tempo remix? Regardless, the real draw is the production for Ratatat and, depending on your feelings toward them, guest vocals from MGMT.

MGMT's guest spot is vaguely present and Ratatat's beat is stereotypical 9 Beats fair, but the track nonetheless shows promise. Listen to it below and look for CuDi to perform the song with Ratatat as his backing band come September 11th on Letterman.

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Pursuit of Happiness (feat. MGMT and Ratatat) - KiD CuDi

And for the sake of showing up the Crookers remix...

Day 'n' Nite (Party Ben Remix) - KiD CuDi

This Is a Prison for Penguins

I first heard of Penguin Prison when his remix of Marina & The Diamonds' "I Am Not a Robot," found its way onto the blogosphere. The NY electronic producer/musician has released little since then, but he's working on a double A-side for Neon Gold, due out in the fall.

Moving on up from solely producing, Penguin Prison's solo work finds him singing, writing absurd lyrics about Mike Tyson, and clapping his hands, with great proficiency I may add.

The label is pretty proud of their "one man pop machine" and thus shared one of the single's elevated tunes before autumn stakes summer in its sleep. Listen to "Animal Animal" and the remix that started it all down below.

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Animal Animal - Penguin Prison

I Am Not a Robot (Penguin Prison Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds

New A Place to Bury Strangers LP Rises from the Dead

What do you get when you mix The Jesus and Mary Chain, industrial sampling, and a "passionately loud volume"? A Place to Bury Strangers, of course.

Since releasing their self-titled debut that mixed My Bloody Valentine with Ministry, the proclaimed "loudest band in New York" have had me nothing but eager to hear a sophomore effort.

Come October 6th, their second record will drop and it doesn't disappoint. Titled Exploding Head, its just as powerful and abrasive as their first LP, except in this second go around, vocals are substantially present, MBV influences are even more obvious, and their sound is expanded via Dick Dale-esque lead riffs and slowed tempos.

Ultimately, APTBS retread the same ground, but in retracing these steps, they've smoothed out their melodies and given all the noise and distortion purpose. No longer loud for loudness sake, the subtle refinements better showcase A Place to Bury Stranger's songwriting, which turns out to be a good thing.

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It Is Nothing - A Place to Bury Strangers

Keep Slipping Away - A Place to Bury Strangers

Deadbeat - A Place to Bury Strangers

HEALTH Hotline: 1-999-GET-COLOR

Way back in 2007, HEALTH released their excellent self-titled debut and t-shirts that confused every party-goer I ran into on the weekend.

Overflowing with avant-noise and incredibly proficient drumming, that initial LP bombarded the listener in all right ways. Next week, the band's sophomore effort officially drops, but it isn't as non-linear or experimental as its predecessor.

Sure, the zoothorn, feedback shrieks, and raw synthesizers still assault the ears, but more focused drumming and the addition of vocals give their songs structure, so much so that HEALTH songs actually sound like songs now.

The single for "Die Slow" has been out for awhile, but the epileptic and bloody video premiered on the web today and is worth a view, if only for its eerie infomercial feel. Check it out here and get a feel for some of the forthcoming record's best tracks below.

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Die Slow - HEALTH

In Heat - HEALTH

We Are Water - HEALTH

Sing Along With All Yr Songs

"All Yr Songs" by Diamond Rings may very well be the most catchy song I've heard all summer, which is saying something given how goofy and insultingly simple it is.

Made up of a tinny drum loop, cereal box romance, and sunny oohs and ahhs, the song's repetitive simplicity is infectious.

What really sells the track for me is its public access-looking music video; its aesthetics are somewhere between the Saved by the Bell intro and Robin Sparkles' "Let's Go to the Mall." The campy video and exaggerated acting manages to highlight the song's already addictive hooks.

Check out the video and download the MP3 below.


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All Yr Songs - Diamond Rings

Michael McDonald + Grizzly Bear = Awesome?

Grizzly Bear's over-hyped, but still pretty damn good, Veckatimest dropped this past May and leaked onto the web long before that. It should then come as no surprise that most fans of "indie" music already have their hands on the record and heard album highlight "While You Wait for the Others."

What they haven't heard is the Michael McDonald version.

As labels are apt to do, Grizzly Bear just released a single for the aforementioned track. As one would expect, the a-side is nothing new. The real treat is the b-side, which has McDonald (of The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, and 40 Year Old Virgin fame) taking over vocal duties from Daniel Rossen.

The result is perplexing, to say the least. McDonald's soulful croon is as radical a departure as possible from Rossen's subtleties, but the track inexplicably retains some level of success.

Hear McDonald's lead and the original for yourself down below...

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While You Wait for the Others (feat. Michael McDonald) - Grizzly Bear

While You Wait for the Others - Grizzly Bear