Stranger Waves' "Too Bright" Makes Me Wanna Go Sailing

Stranger Waves's "Too Bright" sounds a lot like a sea-shanty sung by The Modern Lovers, reminding me of summers on Lake Michigan and sailing to Petoskey. All good things, so bravo, boys.

While lead-singer Ziyad could use some work on his Jonathan Richman impression, the track's buoyed by foaming bass lines and some dangling lead guitar work. Watch the young turks perform the track above or just snag the MP3 below.

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Stranger Waves - Too Bright

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Radiohead Release "The King of Limbs" One Day Early!

It's 1:15 PM and by now, even my grandma knows Radiohead digitally released their new LP today. For those too lazy or poor, I'm hosting The King of Limbs down below.

I already gave it two spins this morning and can confirm that Radiohead again showcase their inability to make a bad record; Christmas has indeed come early.

MediaFire Link:

Radiohead - King of Limbs

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Wavves Releases "TV Luv Song," Announces Love of TV

Yesterday night, Wavves dropped "TV Luv Song" onto the internets. The hounds are shouting Black Flag/"TV Party" comparisons, but I call their bluff. The track's just another slacker anthem from Wavvesbro that finds him returning to self-titled form -- straightforward, homemade garage-punk.

Hosting the song gives me an excuse to play Wavves catch-up, so you can also grab a King of the Beach bonus track and his recently released 7" split w/ Best Coast.

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Wavves - TV Luv Song

Wavves - Mutant (Bonus Track)

Best Coast - When You Wake Up

Wavves - Stained Glass (Won't You Let Me Into Your Heart)

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Gold Panda Remixes Chip tha Ripper, Loves Steel Drums

Gold Panda, peanut butter. Chip the Ripper, jelly. Gold Panda remixing Chip tha Ripper, a peanut butter & jelly sangwich.

Mmmm...

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Chip tha Ripper - (Bitch I) Feel Good (Gold Panda Remix)

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Welcome Back Sailors, More Than Just an Italian Duo

Welcome Back Sailors are Italian.

Oh wait, that doesn't really tell you anything. The band's a duo currently tossing up "balearic, chillwave, electo, indie, tropical" jams onto the interwebs (their words, not mine, but it just about sums things up).

I recently pillaged all the summertime goodness from their Bandcamp page, and while I suggest you eventually do the same, check out my favourites below...

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Welcome Back Sailors - I'll Be There

Casa del Mirto - Deep in Your Mind (Welcome Back Sailors Remix)

Welcome Back Sailors - Season

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Free Gucci (Again)... The Burrrtish Edition

Sometime last year in-between stints of Gucci Mane's jail-time, Diplo co-opted a bunch of friends to release a remix LP of their favourite Gucci tracks. The results were aptly-named Free Gucci and half the tracks were forgettable. As for the other half? Pretty solid, especially that Emynd remix.

Earlier this month Mad Decent released a second volume of icy remixes, Free Gucci 2: The Burrrtish Edition. This time around, some fine British talent injected dupstep flavours behind Mr. Radric Davis' raps.

Again, the results are hit-or-miss, but if you like Gucci and/or bass music, there's something here for you. That, and the These New Puritans remix is the closest thing we'll get to a Gucci Mane/Thom Yorke collaboration (for now).

Grab some Burrrtish highlights below or click the links above to download the respective Free Gucci effort.

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Gucci Mane - Brand New (Rustie Remix)
Gucci Mane - Party Animal (Hudson Mohawke Remix)
Gucci Mane - Dollar Sign (These New Puritans Remix)

Also awesome...

Gucci Mane - Frowny Face (Emynd Remix)

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New Cold Cave Single = The Cure + Sleigh Bells (Kind Of)

Whoa. Loud. Cold Cave's "The Great Pan Is Dead" is the latest flag-bearer in the teeth-rattling war on pop-music sparked by Sleigh Bells last year.

The track doesn't really sound like Sleigh Bells, but "The Great Pan Is Dead" is pretty aggressive for a goth-pop act that last brought you "Life Magazine." I'm not quite sold on the verses, but that chorus is Kevin Shields-level bliss; There's a lot of shoegaze'd beauty behind those walls of decibel-hiked sound.

Load this onto your "Windows Down, It's Fucking Summer" playlists...

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Cold Cave - The Great Pan Is Dead

Cold Cave - Life Magazine

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You Must Download Purity Ring's "Ungirthed"

When I threw the excellent new Purity Ring jam into yesterday's Valentine's Day mix, I realized I never blogged the track on it's own.

So, anyone who heard and dug "Ungirthed" can now grab it below. If you haven't experienced the pop-by-way-of-dubstep stylings, it's a must hear.

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Purity Ring - Ungirthed

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Radiohead Announces New Album, "The King of Limbs"

In news that’s by now ubiquitous, Radiohead is releasing a new album on Saturday. As in February 19th. As in five days. It’s titled The King of Limbs. Wow.

Sadly, In Rainbows' "pay what you want" model has been abandoned, but the band is offering a limited-edition LP, chock full of clear vinyl and exclusive artwork. All that physical goodness doesn't ship out until May, but anyone who pre-orders the soon-to-be collector's item gets a digital download come Saturday.

Details here + quoted below...

"Radiohead's new record, The King of Limbs, is presented here as the world's first* Newspaper Album, comprising:

- Two clear 10" vinyl records in a purpose-built record sleeve.
- A compact disc.
- Many large sheets of artwork, 625 tiny pieces of artwork and a full-colour piece of oxo-degradeable plastic to hold it all together.
- The Newspaper Album comes with a digital download that is compatible with all good digital media players.
- The Newspaper Album will be shipped on Monday 9th May 2011.You can, however, enjoy the download on Saturday 19th February 2011.
- Shipping is included in the prices shown.
- One lucky owner of the digital version of The King of Limbs, purchased from this website, will receive a signed 2 track 12" vinyl.
- *perhaps"
Yeah, I already pre-ordered mine.

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Citizen Mix Vol. IV - Valentine's Day (Oh Yes, I Did)

Unless you've somehow managed to shut out every single advertising platform known to man, you're well aware that today is Valentine's Day. To celebrate such an ostentatious afternoon and evening, I've whipped up a mix that is sure to please the happily in love, the blissfully ignorant, or those who've got a date with their Xbox/ice cream/cats tonight. Chaucer would approve.

Um, this mix probably won't get you laid though. For that, may I recommend D'Angelo's Voodoo?

Click here to download Citizen Mix Vol. IV - Valentine's Day
Tracklist:

1. Purity Ring - Ungirthed
2. Alessi Brothers - Oh Lori
3. Weezer - You Gave Your Love to Me Softly
4. Robin Pecknold - On a Good Day (Joanna Newsom Cover)
5. Beirut - Postcards from Italy
6. Rusko - Hold On
7. Cloud Nothings - Leave You Forever
8. James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream
9. Van Morrison - Sweet Thing
10. Thom Yorke - Videotape (From the Basement)

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Hercules & Love Affair's "My House" Is a Dance Party

When the incredibly campy awesome video for Hercules & Love Affair's "My House" dropped last month, I watched it on repeat. The early-90s MTV production made me envious of the disco dance party on display (see: above).

Why can't my Saturday nights look like that? Someone find me a silk Versace bomber with a gold Medusa on the back ASAP.

Anyways, house-favourite Tensnake decided to remix the retro track, adding his own brand of 90s flavour to the proceedings. I wouldn't say it's better, but things get pretty epic around the three-minute mark. Don't believe me? Listen to both and decide for yourself...

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Hercules and Love Affair - My House

Hercules and Love Affair - My House (Tensnake Remix)

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New Ying Yang Twins - It's Exactly What You'd Expect

It's closing in on Friday night, so I should probably give the (party) people what they want... New Ying Yang Twins? Yes, I'm just as surprised.

A "Whisper Song" it is not, but "Boomerang" does get the job done. Feel free to dagger away to the baritone vocals, bubbling bass, and sexual innuendo the Twins are known for. For more inquiring minds, the track's off an upcoming mixtape from ATL producer Mr. Collipark, which, based on the beat alone, I'll be downloading.

I can totally see my high school self awkwardly grinding to this at a dance in the gym, so I think that's a win.

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Ying Yang Twins - Boomerang

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Panda Bear Drops a Mastered Track from Tomboy, Sweet

Panda Bear's forthcoming Tomboy is such a highly anticipated record because 1. Person Pitch was amazing 2. He's part of the Animal Collective and 3. There's few things better than Brian Wilson harmonies juxtaposed with liquidy samples.

The LP doesn't drop till April 12, but Noah Lennox (his real name) has been releasing singles since last summer, which also happen to make up six of the album's 11 tracks. "Last Night at the Jetty" is the first taste of officially mastered goodness and it doesn't disappoint.

Listen to the skittering Beach Boy vibes below, plus a few related tracks including "Slow Motion," which is also Tomboy bound.

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Panda Bear - Last Night at the Jetty

Related...

Panda Bear - Slow Motion
Atlas Sound -Walkabout (feat. Panda Bear)
Panda Bear - Bros

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OMG Interwebs, New Strokes, New Strokes, New Strokes

If you opened up Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Internet Explorer today, you may have seen that The Strokes have released their new single, "Under Cover of Darkness."

If you tried to download it, you also might've noticed that it's taking forever to get the MP3 sent to your inbox, so I'm hosting it below.

The song's a pseudo-return to form, but still has a lot of that dislikable polish last heard on 2006's disappointing First Impressions of Earth. Then again, it's got a handful of riffs, solos, and charms that haven't been heard from the band since their first two LPs. One thumb up.

MediaFire Link:

The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness

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XXXY's New Electronic Tune Is Anything But Ordinary

"Ordinary Things" by Manchester's XXXY is, hands down, the best electronic chorale I've heard since Tensnake's "Reckless (With Your Love) remix.

While James Blake is out challenging what elecronic music can be, it's nice to see a producer pushing boundies is a far less avant garde fashion -- "Ordinary Things" is a bunch of pitched-vocal snippets, cheap beats, and trickling arpeggios rolled into one club ready tune.

Hey Friday, what's going on, I have tonght's jam all cued up...

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XXXY - Ordinary Things

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Well Look at That, Citizen Mix Vol. III - February 2011

So it's February, the Midwest just had a snowpocalypse, and I'm sure New York is due for another one sometime soon. I decided to throw together a quick mix of songs to get you through those long nights spent in a tauntaun or if you live on the west coast, I don't know, a mix for your morning sunblock application?

Click here to download Citizen Mix Vol. III - Feb. 2011
Tracklist:

1. Destroyer - Kaputt
2. Chris Brown - Look at Me Now Remix (feat. Twista & Lil Wayne)
3. Zoo Kid - Out Getting Ribs
4. MillionYoung - Love Is All Around
5. The Hood Internet - No Hands x Crystal Castles
6. The Cave Singers - Beach House
7. Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt

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A Whole Bunch of Girls Release Some Brand New MP3s

Don't call it a comeback because, well, it's not really, but both the Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls have released some new tunes.

It's been awhile since the blogosphere's heard from the Vivian ladies. Their last record dropped back in fall '09,  but "I Heard You Say" has all the lo-fi, doo-wop charms the band's been know for. I'd call it a win.

On the other hand, Dum Dum Girls released a record just last year. "He Gets Me High" is the title track off a new EP that's due in March and fits in nicely with the band's retro discography.

If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on the Vivian Girls track, but I've got both down below.

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Vivian Girls - I Heard You Say

Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High

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Fleet Foxes Debut Helplessness Blues - Yep, Still Great

Folkies rejoice, Fleet Foxes have returned. "Helplessness Blues" is the first taste of the band's eagerly anticipated sophomore record, aptly titled Helplessness Blues.

I press play, close my eyes, and instantly picture July. I'm back home for the summer, driving the wooded, winding roads from Harbor Springs to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. I can smell the birch trees. I can feel the sunlight on my skin.

Keep and eye out for this one, the beards and baroque harmonies are officially back on May 3rd when the album drops via Subpop.

Yeah I'm tongue tied and dizzy / And I can't keep it to myself / What good is it to sing helplessness blues? / Why should I wait for anyone else?

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Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

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Holy Ghost! Step on Some Ghost Traps, Drop "Do It Again"

Holy Ghost! are a part of DFA Records, which means they champion that whole neo-disco dancefloor schtick pioneered by labelmate/boss James Murphy (aka LCD Soundsystem). They also have an album prepped for launch come April 5th, blah, blah, blah, blah.

There are really only two important notes here. First off, the band collaborated with Michael McDonald (!) when putting together the LP and that can only mean great things. Second, "Do It Again" is some damn fine danceable electro.

And is it just me, or does this song sound perfect for the Ghostbusters 3 soundtrack?

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Holy Ghost! - Do It Again

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Children Singing Ariel Pink: Adorable? Hipster? Awesome?

Well the YouTube video speaks for itself: an elementary school chorus peforms a stright-jam from Ariel Pink's Before Today, "Round and Round."

Dear Teach for America friends, get on this ASAP.

Listen to the cherubic voices of PS22 do the track justice, then compare it to the original...

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Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round

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