With the whole neighbourhood in tow

I've already spoken confidently that the latest Band Of Horses album could be their best yet. Today, more evidence has emerged to support that theory, in the form of a video to "NW Apt."

NW Apt.

Band Of Horses | MySpace Music Videos

As an added bonus, here's their performance of "Factory" from an episode of Jools Holland a week or so back. Of what I've heard of Infinite Arms so far, this is definitely the standout track, another fine example of the quietly affecting brand of songwriting that has won them such plaudits since their emergence.

And the world laughs with you

Okay, the number of May 3rd releases worth looking forward to is getting ridiculous. But still, add the new Flying Lotus album to the list, because that's also due next Monday. It's also streaming in full, if you head on over to his MySpace page. 2008s Los Angeles was one of the best albums released that year, so my hopes are high for his latest. I'm on my first listen through, and it's sounding good so far.

Cosmogramma track list:

1. Clock Catcher
2. Pickled!
3. Nose Art
4. Intro // A Cosmic Drama
5. Zodiac Shit
6. Cosmic Face // Pure Being
7. ...And The World Laughs With You
8. Arkestry
9. MmmHmm
10. Do The Astral Plane
11. Satelllliiiiiiiteee
12. German Haircut
13. Recoiled
14. Dance of the Pseudo Nymph
15. Drips // Auntie's Harp
16. Table Tennis
17. Galaxy in Janaki
18. Velvet Cake

These things get louder

Once again, NPR have scored an impressive exclusive, with the latest album from The New Pornographers now available to stream in full on the website. Whilst they're another one of those bands that have somehow managed to pass me by, I really enjoyed the last Neko Case solo album, Middle Cyclone, and so I'm much more interested in Together than I might otherwise have been; it helps that Will Sheff (Okkervil River), Zach Condon (Beirut) and Annie Clark (St. Vincent) all make guest appearances. Add it to the list of May 3rd releases worth getting excited about.

Together track list:

1. Moves
2. Crash Years
3. Your Hands (Together)
4. Silver Jenny Dollar
5. Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
6. My Shepherd
7. If You Can't See My Mirrors
8. Up in the Dark
9. Valkyrie in the Roller Disco
10. A Bite Out of My Bed
11. Daughters of Sorrow
12. We End Up Together

Sorrow found me when I was young

Yesterday, I wrote about the recent development of record labels streaming the entirety of a new album ahead of its release. I mentioned The National as a band who are currently benefitting from this approach, knowing that High Violet would be available to hear in full courtesy of The New York Times as of today. I'm listening to it right now, and I'd suggest that you do the same - it's only available until April 27th. The lengthy feature that accompanies the audio is well worth reading, too, telling the story of a band who've had to pay their dues along their way; they've fought long and hard to achieve the kind of success they're now enjoying, and it's hard not to admire the persistence which has seen them develop into one of the shining lights of the alternative scene. Both Alligator and Boxer were superb, and I'm confident that once I've had time to fully absorb High Violet, I'll be speaking of it in exactly the same terms.

Everything You Need, Friday 23rd April 2010

In a recent post, I talked about the decline of Manchester's legendary Night & Day venue. When I wrote that there's practically nothing of interest taking place there over the coming months, I did so knowing full well that the schedule is still capable of throwing up the occasional event worth getting excited about. Case in point: Everything You Need. In their own words, you can expect considerate DJs playing everything you need from naff-pop to math rock, and that mixture proved to be very popular with those who attended the debut of the night last month - it's always wonderful to be part of such a truly enthusiastic dance floor. Run by people who genuinely want you to enjoy yourself, if you're looking for something to do this Friday night, for once the Night & Day is the only place to be.

Would you rather be lonely?

As record labels awaken to the as-yet still untapped potential of the internet as a medium which can be utilised to garner their acts more attention than at any point in the past, it's now becoming more and more common for entire albums to be streamable online, a development I'm very much in favour of. I like being able to form my own opinion of a new album without having to rely on a review to paint an aural picture of it for me; without worrying that they might unconsciously colour my own reaction to the music. At the same time, it undoubtedly helps to create a sense of genuine anticipation; consider how much buzz the upcoming releases from the likes of The National, Broken Social Scene, LCD Soundsystem and The Hold Steady have generated. I honestly believe that people are more likely to head to their local record store having already heard how good these albums are, rather than off the back of an 8.2 Pitchfork review. Which isn't intended as a knock on Pitchfork; they do good work. It's just nice that record labels are displaying a newfound willingness to fully engage with their audience.

On that note, kudos to Sub Pop, who've made Avi Buffalo's self-titled debut album fully streamable ahead of its April 26th release. Before they did so, this band were barely on my radar. Having listened to it once through, I'm taken aback; it's absolutely stunning. As much as anything else I've touted recently, I'd recommend listening to this. Or, to put it another way: now, you can get on the bandwagon before the bandwagon gets moving.

Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo by subpop

I believe in waking up together

I can't get enough of LCD Soundsystem's "Drunk Girls" at the moment; it's probably my favourite track of the year so far, a wonderfully raucous party anthem that I'm certain will be incredible live, so much so that I'm likely to take the unusual (for me) step of trying to get hold of a ticket at a potentially extortionate price outside the venue when they play Manchester on May 1st. The song deserved a fantastic video, and thanks to Spike Jonze and (a very game) James Murphy, it has one. And if you haven't already done so, head over to their website, where This Is Happening is streaming in its entirety.

Solipsists Anonymous, Monday 19th April 2010

Just a quick word to let you know that, if you happen to be in the Manchester area this evening, you should head to Fuel in Withington, for Solipsists Anonymous. One of those rare nights that manages to successfully showcase music and humour side-by-side and hand-in-hand, tonight's line-up may well be the strongest yet. From the little I've heard of it, Reginald Winter's comedy is possessed of a wonderfully dark, somewhat twisted quality that I'm keen to hear more of. Headliner Ste McCabe, meanwhile, is starting to get noticed for his highly confrontational, overtly politicised reinterpretation of punk - so much so that his performance tonight will be preceded by his very own tribute act! I think I'm most excited about The Thyme Machine, though, a supergroup comprising of Kriss Foster and Homemade Lemonade, who together should be perfect in such an intimate venue. A venue we should make an effort to pack to the rafters!

You won't get every girl

Now that my dissertation is handed in I'm officially a free man, so I should be able to dedicate a bit more of my time to this blog and, most importantly, actually start reviewing things again. However, the effort involved in getting the dissertation handed in has worn me out, so for now, here's a round-up of things that have caught my eye over the last few days:

For starters, NPR Music are now streaming the new Broken Social Scene album, Forgiveness Rock Record, here, and Heaven Is Whenever, the new album from The Hold Steady, here, which is fantastic news if you're as excited about both releases as I am. I just need to be careful not to overplay them before May 3rd.

Next, I'd like to recommend reading this excellent feature on Werner Herzog's incredible Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call - New Orleans. Then go out of your way to find a copy of it somewhere, in order to experience an absolutely stunning performance by Nicholas Cage, who would have won this year's Best Actor Oscar if I had anything to do with the process. People seem to like his performance in Kick-Ass, too, so hopefully his career will see something of a resurgence (i.e. perhaps he'll stop starring in so many obviously godawful movies).

Listen to Surfer Blood pay tribute to one of their most obvious influences, as they cover The Beach Boys "Don't Worry Baby," and do a pretty reasonable job of it, in fairness. Having only heard their debut album Astro Coast once, I was reasonably impressed, and I'll probably end up spending a bit more time with it at some point.

And on a similar note, whilst everyone else might be getting excited by Thom Yorke covering "Love Will Tear Us Apart," or possibly Conan O'Brien's version of "Creep," the best cover version to emerge this week comes courtesy of Titus Andronicus and and Vivian Girls guitarist Cassie Ramone, who absolutely nail Weezer's classic "Undone (The Sweater Song)". So that's what I'm going to post. Enjoy:



Hopefully at some point this week I'll have reviews of Kill Shakespeare #1 (if I can get my hands on a copy) and possibly Kick-Ass, which has gotten such strong reviews that I'm genuinely excited about seeing it.

Record Store Day, Saturday 17th April 2010

If you head on over to Pitchfork, you'll find yourself confronted with a comprehensive, and somewhat intimidating, list of all the releases due tomorrow for the now-annual international celebration of the independent record store. It's hard not to admire the obvious enthusiasm that surrounds the campaign, one which is obviously worth getting behind; were it not for the pressures of having a dissertation due in on Monday, I would definitely have ventured out to Piccadilly Records and picked a few things up. The highlights are numerous: the split single featuring new songs by The Thermals and The Cribs that I have previously mentioned; a dirty as hell new track from Crystal Castles; a collaboration between Hot Chip and Bonnie Prince Billy; the first new release from The Get Up Kids since 2004 (featuring "Your Petty Pretty Things," which they performed for their Daytrotter Session); and a DVD of John Darnielle performing 2009s The Life of the World to Come in its entirety, directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom). Oh, and a new Beach House song...

...you know, the more I look at that list, the more I wonder whether I should just bite the bullet and get out of bed early as hell, buy a few 7"s and then get back on the work as quickly as possible.