The Yes Club - Guitars, Fuzz, Shouting and Drums

Last time I was back home, the little brother was giving me flak for blogging so much "weak" electronic music and indie tunes. While the young one still has a lot to learn, the blog could use the occasional distortion pedal, howl or blistered finger.

The Yes Club self-describe themselves as "garage, psych, punk, bitching, lo-fi" and "New York," but the trio's missing "raw." Don't know too much about these guys, but the '60 psychedelia, Ray Manzarek keys and murky, rambling recording of "Whoa" more than warrant repeat listens--179 seconds of basement verve.

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The Yes Club - Whoa

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Seapony's Summertime Tunes - "Dreaming" + "Blue Star"

Not sure about the rest of you, but Brooklyn's been enjoying lots 'o sunshine as of late (I have a feeling the west coast knows what I'm talking about). As we're all too-well aware, warm weather means, charcoal, short shorts and summer playlists made up of summer-sounding records. In that case, you may want to keep your eye on the debut album from Seattle's Seapony, due out at the end of May.

The band trades in dream-pop, sounding like an syrupy combination of Tennis and Beach Fossils. So yeah, it'll sound good on the beach or wafting over your overdone burgers and burndt hot dogs.

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Seapony - Dreaming

Seapony - Blue Star

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MP3s: The Toro y Moi / Cloud Nothings Split 7"

Late last month, Toro y Moi teamed up with Cloud Nothings to put out a split-single. Toro y Moi contributes a faded series of loops, while Cloud Nothings submit a Hard Days Night-sounding bedroom-rock effort. Been spinning this a lot lately.

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Toro y Moi - I Will Talk to You

Cloud Nothings - For No Reason

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Download Now: Arches' Chill Concept Album

I'm not sure how strong your concept is when you've got to outline it for your audience, but I'm digging the dripping-reverb tracks on Arches' Wide Awake LP.

"This is a concept album about a character who lives alone in a city. Mundane routines drive the character to flee the city and become a drifter. The character’s perspective of reality becomes convoluted with memories and current travels to the point where the character becomes unable to decipher past and present experiences," wrote the Philly duo on their Bandcamp page.

I haven't had enough listens to judge how well each song strings that theme together, but "Headlights" is a hazy standout and the rest is just as good.

Mediafire Link:

Arches - Wide Awake

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Arches - Headlights

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Today's Best Song Ever - "Sailing" by Sutherland Brothers

Just me digging up rare, awesome or obscure tracks.
Today it's stripped-down folk from of the Sutherland Brothers, an early '70s British folk/rock duo...

Rod Stewart recorded a cover of the track in 1975. Though it ended up being his biggest-selling single in the UK, the original is so, so much better.

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Sutherland Brothers - Sailing

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This Monday Mixtape - A Little Something for Everyone

Some old tunes, some new tunes, all good tunes, most Mondays...
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Cults - Abducted
Panda Bear - Afterburner
Metronomy - The Look
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Simple Girl
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home (RAC Remix)
Curren$y - Scottie Pippens (feat. Feddie Gibbs)
Japandroids - Younger Us
Charli XCX - Stay Away (Salem Remix)
Sade - When Am I Going to Make a Living
Burial - Moth

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Theophilus London Released a Major Label EP - It's Good

Theophilus London's shtick has always been Morrissey-inspired art-rap, and while that doesn't always make for hyper-accessible jams, his mixtapes are solid front-to-back listens. With the release of his Lovers Holiday EP however, London takes some cues from basement-parties and the FM dial.

The songs on Lovers Holiday are surprisingly booze-friendly, something you might hear a really annoying blonde request at a club.

Related: "Sand-Castle Black X Blue" and "Humdrum Town" are still pretty great.

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Theophilus London - Girls Girls $
Theophilus London - Why Even Try
Theophilus London - Sand-Castle Black X Blue
Theophilus London - Humdrum Town

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Ty Segall Covers T. Rex and I Applaud the Glam Results

Ty Segall, scuzzed-out garage rocker. Marc Bolan and T. Rex, glam jammers. While the combination isn't too obvious, these two go together like peanut butter and honey (I was never a big jelly fan).

Segall recently put out a six-track EP of T. Rex covers slyly titled Ty Rex--see what he did there? The lo-fi aesthetic suits Bolan's songs well, but you'd already know it if you listened to Smith Westerns' first LP or Burnt Ones. Regardless, Segall's shaggy covers tow that must-hear line: conventional enough to warrant a curios listen, convincing enough to sound original.

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Ty Segall - Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart
Ty Segall - Buick Mackane
Ty Segall - Salamanda Palaganda

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Yeasayer's Record Store Day Tracks Aren't Half Bad

Yeasayer was one of many bands to release "new" music on Record Store Day, dropping two unreleased cuts from their Odd Blood recording sessions.

Despite lackluster critical praise, I was a fan of that LP's retro-avant pop (anyone who has been around me when "Ambling Alp" plays can attest to this), so it's nice to hear the band return to that well, albeit briefly, one more time.

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Yeasayer - Swallowing the Decibels
Yeasayer - Phoenix Wind

And for good measure, why not...

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

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Beastie Boys' "Make Some Noise" Rad Video + an MP3

I was lukewarm when I first heard that new Beastie Boys single, "Make Some Noise." Or I was, until I saw the pretty great video featuring Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, Elijah Wood, Will Ferrel, John C. Reilly, Jack Black and cameos from the usual suspects who run with that crew.

The video's part of the Beastie's soon-to-be-awesome Fight For Your Right Revisited short film. Watch it above and dig the song below.

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Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise

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Yes, That Is Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV Album Cover

At this point, I'm just regurgitating the mainstream press, but that album cover is too amazing not to blog myself. You can view artwork in high-res by clicking here, but pressing play on the YouTube box shows off Tha Carter IV photo plus a sampling of an unnamed track.

Lil Wayne FTW.

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MP3s: Radiohead's Record Store Day 12"

As Radiohead fans were already well aware, the band released two new songs on Record Store Day: the Supercollider / The Butcher 12". You were able to stream vinyl rips of both tracks as early as last week, but HQ MP3s have unsurprisingly found their way onto the interwebs.

Anyone who thought The King of Limbs was too brief can find the solid tracks down below...

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Radiohead - Supercollider
Radiohead - The Butcher

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Com Truise Preps Debut Album, Drops a New Single

Is there anything Ghostly International puts out that isn't electronic goodness? Com Truise is the latest producer to hook-up with the label and they'll be putting out his debut record of spaced-out keyboards and drum-machine riddims, Galactic Melt.

The LP is Truise's full-length follow-up to last year's Cyanide Sisters EP. If that disc is a barometer, then Galactic Melt should scratch your hazy, retro-electro itch until Neon Indian puts out another record.

"Polyhurt" is the first low-key slice of new material and it sounds like something Patrick Bateman might put on while cruising the street for ATMs, cats and/or prostitutes.

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Com Truise - Polyhurt

Twin Sister - Castles in the Snow (Com Truise Remix)

Com Truise - Innerfacer

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Springtime or Time to Download Citizen Mix Vol. VI

Springtime's here. I think. Growing up in Michigan, I try not to get too excited when the weather starts getting warmer. And who knows, maybe I'll begrudge the heat once New York turns into a oven of humidity like last year. In honor of my recently-dusted air-conditioner, a decent start to the Detroit Tiger's baseball season and the return of skirt weather, I put together this mixtape...

Click here to download Citizen Mix Vol. VI - April 2011
Tracklist:

1. Deerhunter - Hazel St.
2. Beach Fossils - Calyer
3. Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
4. Zoo Kid - Ocean Bed
5. Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
6. Junip - In Every Direction
7. A-Trak - Ray Ban Vision (Luckybeard Remix)
8. Burnt Ones - Gonna Listen to T. Rex (All Night Long)
9. Donnis - Ring My Bell
10. Toro y Moi - Leave Everywhere
11. The Fresh & Onlys - Don't You Be Half-Hearted
12. Fleet Foxes - Montezuma

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MP3s: That New Burial 12" Doesn't Disappoint Whatsoever

Well, finally. After lying low* for four years, Burial has released some new solo material. Coming in the shape of a three-track 12", the Street Halo EP is everything you'd come to expect from the clandestine UK producer.

Burial's still playing with his usual pallet of fuzzy hi-hats, tinny snares, gooey bass and haunted vocal samples, but there's subtle evolution buried in each songs' hazy mix. The 4/4 thud of "Street Halo," anemic yearning of "NYC" and lung-heavy, house-vibes of "Stolen Dog" all showcase a delicate refinement to Burial's distinct formula; the latter being one of the strongest singular tracks he's ever produced.

This isn't Untrue.5, it's better.

* He released a 12" with Four Tet in 2009 and a 12" collaboration with Thom Yorke and Four Tet in March.

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Burial - Stolen Dog

Burial - NYC

Burial - Street Halo

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Lisztomania: Seven Unabashedly Loud Foo Fighters Songs

Lisztomania - Because everybody loves lists...
Two days ago, Foo Fighters released their seventh studio album, Wasting Light. Unfortunately, most of the record finds Dave Grohl and co. retreading familiar FM-rock ground. C'est la Foo Fighters.

While the band's been in a creative nosedive since One by One dropped in '02, Grohl occasionally rallies the troops to ditch the Tom Petty-safeness, put on some Sambas and crank the tube amps to 11. Wasting Light's "White Limo" is the album's black swan (the Lemmy-starring video is equally awesome) and a reminder that the band can do something different, loud and good when it wants to.

I submit the seven tracks below as evidence, your honor...

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1. Foo Fighters - White Limo
2. Foo Fighters - Wattershed
3. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape
4. Foo Fighters - Low
5. Foo Fighters - FFL
6. Foo Fighters - Iron and Stone
7. Foo Fighters - Stacked Actors

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Why Aren't You Listening to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Already?

Back when I threw together my Top EPs of 2010, there was no question Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.'s Horse Power would make the list--baroque electro-pop out of Detroit? Count me in.

The duo's got a full-length due out in June, so until then we're left only with the four-track EP, miscellaneous remixes--like their re-work of Junip's folky "In Every Direction"--and their latest single, "Morning Thought." Keep up the good work, bros.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Vocal Chords

Junip - In Every Direction (Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Remix)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Morning Thought

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A Lil Wayne Mash-up Album Actually Worth Downloading

I get it, we're all sick of mash-ups. Unless they're really good. Is that how it works now? I thought Girl Talk's All Day was pretty great, The Hood Internet are still doing their thing well and Black Glove impress me every now and again with their basement interpretations.

Regardless, I'll always have a soft spot for the crypt-robbing genre and this Tumblewoof mini-mixtape was a surprise. It's five songs off Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix paired with choice Lil Wayne verses, but more than that, the DJ does your ears right by sampling/cutting/reordering the Phoenix tracks--the songs are more than simple A+B couplings.

The warmer the weather gets, the more I add to my BBQ playlist. These will do just fine.

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Tumblewoof - MoneyMania

Tumblewoof - Officer Lasso

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Purity Ring Drops the B-Side to Their Upcoming 7"

Back in February, I posted Purity Ring's "Ungirthed." The track, which sounded like Burial at the mall, came out of left field--the unknown band dropped it on their unknown Tumblr. Well, "Ungirthed" will finally see a vinyl release next week and it officially has a b-side: "Lofticries."

Good to hear more Purity Ring, good to hear more dubstep/pop genre clashing.

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Purity Ring - Lofticries

Purity Ring - Ungirthed

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