New video for Chiddy Bang's latest single "Truth", featuring samples from Passion Pit

New Music Tuesday!

It's been a few weeks since i've anticipated any of the new releases, but today is a day worth getting excited about because it is a BIG day. The Mynabirds, Avi Buffalo, Jesse Malin & St. Mark's Social, and Gogol Bordello. Whew!

We featured both The Mynabirds and Avi Buffalo in our SXSW round-up, and both are definitely worth your time. Jesse Malin is back with a new band, and if you don't know who he is, it's about time you learned. He's completely underrated and amazing. Gogol Bordello's new release is also amazing, but what else would we expect of a live album from one of the most energetic bands on the planet?

Now go, listen. You have no excuse not to indulge in some great new releases.

Free album streams:
The Mynabirds, What We Lose in the Fire, We Gain in the Flood, here.

Avi Buffalo's self-titled debut. Find it here.

Jesse Malin and St. Mark's Social- sadly not a full stream, but check it out anyway.

Gogol Bordello's Trans-Continental Hustle is here.

The Streets on Fire - Hot Weekend

I literally am incapable of listening to anything but this record by Chicago locals The Streets on Fire. It's called 'Hot Weekend' and if you're a fan of vaguely noisy, vaguely ambling and vaguely terrifying yet accessible rock'n'roll in the vein of Big Black, Scratch Acid and Slint then do yourself a favor and cruise on over to their myspace page and listen. If you don't end up digging it so much that you've played it through completely two or three times, then I'll buy you a beer. A cheap one. This is one of those records whose complexities are only fully appreciated upon several subsequent spins, however, it's music with a poppy enough foundation that I feel just about anyone could easily pick it up and enjoy.

Go!

The Weather Machines

 South Dakota doesn't strike me as having much to offer- but they do have The Weather Machines. Or, did, rather, as the band is currently on hiatus.

No bother though, you can still enjoy the poppy goodness of Jason Ward and company.


The Weather Machines - Modern Text On Love

The Weather Machines | MySpace Music Videos

Mos Dub

Max Tannone did it again! The deliriously talented producer behind Jaydiohead has crafted another smash. This time he's serving up a hot slab of genius mashup awesome in the form of Mos Dub; classic dub/ska/reggae tracks backing up Mos Def's lyrical flow. After showing it to fans of Jamaican music, hip hop fans, rock'n'roll fans and well, people with a slight tendency to enjoy music, the consensus is clear; this project is 100% excellent.

He's once again managed to make two disparate, unrelated and seemingly irreconcilable sounds come together and merge into something greater than the sum of it's parts. This mashup is also something new; a unique statement using Mos Def's words and delivery and essentially, Jamaica's attitude and vibe to create a musical tapestry that is both instantly appealing to almost anyone, and deep and complex enough to satisfy over-analytical geeks and record store crate-divers. It definitely sounds as if it were recorded at one time by a combined, unified effort of like-minded artists and musicians and that is truly where the ultimate success of a good mashup lies; can the producer create and sustain something intentional and true out of what amounts to musical spare parts?

The answer is a resounding "Fuck Yeah." Enjoy the first track here and then go listen to AND download the rest!

Mos Dub - 01 - Johnny Too BeefbyMax Tannone

Band of Skulls and John and Jehn cover "Sympathy For the Devil" live on french tv

This is fucking righteous. A song so epic that it takes 2 bands to do it justice. And boy do they:

BAND OF SKULLS / JOHN & JEHN : Sympathy for the devil - MYTARATATA.COM
TARATATA N°344 (Tour. le 12/01/2010 / Diff. France 4 le 17/03/10 & France 2 le 19/03/10)
   

Mots-clés : bande of skulls band of skull band skulls band skull skulls john and jehn john  jehn john jehn sympathy for the devil sympathy for the devil the devil sympathy the devil 344 pop rock    

   

        Video de mytaratata   

Strange Boys

My friend just sent me this, Austin's Strange Boys "Be Brave". All I can say is "Wow!"
It's raw, soulful garage rock at it's best.

Record Store Day!

Tomorrow is Record Store Day!

Independent record stores across the country will be hosting fun events with live music and other surprises. In support of Record Store Day, many bands are offering limited release items available only at independent retailers.

A few releases that I am excited about:

Bon Iver/ Peter Gabriel- "Come Talk to Me"/"Flume" 7 in.
Gogol Bordello- "We Comin Rougher"/"Transcontinental Hustle" 7 in.
Hold Steady- Heaven is Wherever: Hand screenprinted vinyl- release of 600
Muse- "Exogenesis" Symphony 7 in.
REM- Chronic Town EP, blue vinyl

Get the full list here.

If you don't already have plans to join in the festivities, I suggest you make them now. Go here to find all of the events in your area and support your local, independent record store!

Bad Rabbits

I can't do any better than the bio at last.fm

Boston’s Bad Rabbits is a unique mix of power and Soul with the definite propensity to explode on stage. They are the surprising combination of New Jack Swing and late 80s/early 90s dance with a hard, hybrid edge—the combined swagger of prince with the intensity of Bad Brains.

The innovative genre is called New Crack Swing, a lively twist on an era they were genuinely influenced by, and perhaps only Dua Boakye has the vocals and presence to pull it off. He has that raw Soul that goes back to Sly and the Family Stone, a rare and unstoppable talent; uncanny, as well, when matched with his ability to sing as hard as any rocker today.

You can download their EP Stickup Kids free and stream the EP here

Live- Muse with Silversun Pickups- 04/09 at US Airways Arena

I admit to having a habit of saying "Best show ever!" about a lot of shows, but this one tops them all. Seriously, the only thing I can compare it to is seeing Pink Floyd live in 1994. The sound was excellent for an arena show, the lights and effects were stunning without being overbearing, and the energy was palpable. Every song was perfect, the set was over two hours long, and I left the venue feeling a little giddy.

Rather than write a trite and factually inaccurate review full of grammatical errors- azcentral.com already did this- the pictures can speak for themselves. They aren't the best quality, but I think you'll get the idea.

 Silversun Pickups

From Muse

Muse- opening sequence

From Muse

More after the jump.

The New Messengers

Sometimes you stumble across a band when you're in a bathroom at a bar. This was one of those times. Last Sunday at Cole's during Cinema Minima I saw a poster for The New Messengers and really decided that I liked their name and that I needed to check them out. I typed them into Google on my phone and went back to watching "Raising Arizona." Fast forward almost a week and I'm finally checking out these Chicago locals. Well, I'm happy to report that I am definitely digging their low key, lo-fi, approachable, and unpretentious indie rock. Give 'em a listen here:



Here's their site, standout tracks include all of them. Go!

Free Energy

Har Mar Superstar covered "Something in Common" at his Chicago show a few nights ago and then posted the video. Thanks, Har Mar, for turning me on to this great band.

If you like laid back friendly rock, check them out:


"Free Energy" from Free Energy on Vimeo.

More music after the jump.

Do do do do do

In honor of the absence of our smitten, starry-eyed, love-struck contributor.
J.Paul, this one's for you.

Janelle Monae- Tightrope

Janelle Monae rocks. She's sassy, has killer style, and an incredible voice. I think i'd like to be her when I grow up. I first heard about her in 2007, when her Metropolis EP was released. Metropolis is five songs of pure awesome, and i've been waiting impatiently for a full length album since then. Finally, after three years, The Archandroid will be released on May 18. Since that's still too far away for my liking, this video will have to do.

They're back.

Fivespeed is from Peoria, Arizona. They have been a band for eleven years and I have known them for many of those. They have an ep and a full length (trade in your halo) released on Arizona based record label "Sunset Alliance Records". They released the "bella" ep on Equal Vision records. And their record 'MORNING OVER MIDNIGHT" was released 2006 on Virgin Records. The band has taken a few years off but is back in the studio writing for their new record that will be available in 2010.

These guys are an amazing band and amazing people. Some of the coolest people I've known.
Generous, gracious, and they fucking rock.

Do yourself a favor and check them out.

myspace/fivespeed

Japan Invasion!

I am fascinated with Japan. The traditions and customs, their strange obsession with all things American Pop Culture, the game shows, the vending machines, and yes, the square watermelons. There are quite a few bands out of Japan that cite the US music scene as inspiration, and here are a couple:

JinnyOops!

Normally, I don't dig all-girl bands. These ladies are an exception.



JinnyOops! on myspace

Okamoto's

This quartet proudly boasts that they want to fill the boots left behind by the Ramones. They've even gone so far as to adopt an identical surname- Okamoto, of course. Whether or not Okamoto's is Japan's answer to the Ramones remains to be seen, but their unique sound of early 70's-inspired rock is fun to listen to.



Okamoto's on myspace

BRAHMS

This NYC band has only been together a short time, but they've made a big impact on the music scene with their fun electro-pop. Their first show was in front of an audience of 2000 people, and they scored an invite to SXSW this year.

Unfortunately, as is the case with many new bands, music is hard to come by on the web. You can find them on their website and myspace, or you can check out the live video below, courtesy of BIG LIVE.

BRAHMS from Big Live on Vimeo.

Givers

Outside of New Orleans, Louisiana isn't exactly a place that screams "musical mecca", but Givers aims to change that. With catchy melodies and poppy fun tunes, you'll be chair dancing in no time. Check em out:



Givers on myspace

The Mynabirds - Numbers Don't Lie

To me, Saddle Creek used to be this incredible powerhouse of a label. So many great bands! So much great music! But then things changed- Bright Eyes disbanded and Conor Oberst left for a country-tinged stint with Merge, The Faint started their own imprint, and Cursive just got weird. Saddle Creek is back on my radar now though, and it's all thanks to The Mynabirds. The band's debut album will be released April 27.

Kid Cudi - Pursuit Of Happiness ft. MGMT, Ratatat

Many of us are experiencing tough times, myself included. Whether it's political, social, economic, even personal. And, every once in a while there is a song that moves you, helps you drive on, put one foot in front of the other. An anthem that not only helps you to move forward, but makes you dance forward. Kid Cudi's Pursuit of Happiness from 2009 is one of those tracks. I'm singin' in with him:

"I’m On The Pursuit Of Happiness And I Know Everything That Shines Ain’t Always Gonna Be Gold; Hey, I’ll Be Fine Once I Get It; Yeah; I’ll Be Good"

MUSE live at SXSW

It's no secret that MUSE is probably my favorite band ever, and finally seeing them live last December just cemented that. These guys are incredibly talented of course, but there's just nothing better than having every one of your ridiculously high expectations exceeded at a live show. I'll be seeing them again in 19 days when they roll through Phoenix, and here's a little something to keep the anticipation up.

MUSE live from SXSW, via myspace.


Muse - Live from South By Southwest 2010

MUSE | MySpace Music Videos

SXSW picks, day eight

We have more great bands from SXSW today and you win, because I couldn't narrow it down to 5. Enjoy! 

After the jump: Master Shortie, The 88, Jonna Lee, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Maverick Sabre, The Boxer Rebellion, and Instrumenti.

Gavin Castleton, What the Hell are You?

Gavin Castleton. I discovered him while listening to artists at the last SXSW. And I can't seem to figure this guy out. His latest album is love gone bad/zombie movie. His tweets are a continuing story: twitter/gavincastleton
His music is indefinable. I really don't know what to make of it. I like it. A lot. But what the hell is it? Not that music necessarily has to be defined in a genre, but, I really would like to know what the hell is going on.
His latest album, Home, is described as "an album about the process of healing from massive heartbreak. Written over the course of a two- year breakup, this 14-song narrative blurs the line between fact and fiction as it details the extreme highs and gut-wrenching lows of Castleton’s first bout with love, presented in the motif of a zombie film."

Here is one of the songs, “Coffeelocks” a "50’s doo-wop/dub pop of - a love at first sight introduction in the coffee shop"



Listen to his entire new album HOME here: http://www.gavincastleton.com/

I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks about it.

SXSW picks, day seven

It's day two of the SXSW festival in Austin, and the Beards picks continue. Here are some highlights from today's performances.

After the jump: Avi Buffalo, Tigersapien, Le Loup, These United States, and Horse Feathers.

SXSW picks, day six

Today marks the official start of the music festivities at SXSW. While we can't be there to document all of the great music in person, the picks continue.

Check out today's selections after the jump: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., Hyperpotamus, Jill Barber, Surfer Blood, and Miles Kurosky.

SXSW picks, day five

The annual SXSW festival in Austin, TX starts tomorrow. We here at Beards would love to be there but alas, the magic ticket fairy didn't visit us this year. Fortunately, The SXSW website has a complete list of performers, so we'll be bringing you our picks over the next couple weeks.

Check out today's picks after the jump:

New Holy Fuck song! "Latin America"

Yes, it's completely badass and chair-danceable if you're stuck in the office. No, the embed code does not want to behave itself so instead, please have this delightful link:

http://holyfuckmusic.com/

Enjoy or die~!

"Kings of the basement party jam"

Straight outta Philly is Chiddy Bang, who some bloggers say is a "hipsters wet dream". Combining hip-hop and electronica with samples from MGMT, Passion Pit, even Mary Poppins, Chiddy Bang is the self-proclaimed "Kings of the basement party jam".


Opposite Of Adults (HD)

Chiddy Bang | MySpace Music Videos

Their story is as great as their music: http://my.sxsw.com/events/eid/11148

SXSW picks, day four

The annual SXSW festival in Austin, TX starts next week. We here at Beards would love to be there but alas, the magic ticket fairy didn't visit us this year. Fortunately, The SXSW website has a complete list of performers, so we'll be bringing you our picks over the next couple weeks.

Check out today's picks after the jump: Kaiser Cartel, Lost in Holland, Nico Stai, Suzanna Choffel, The Young Republic

SXSW picks, day three

The annual SXSW festival in Austin, TX starts next week. We here at Beards would love to be there but alas, the magic ticket fairy didn't visit us this year. Fortunately, The SXSW website has a complete list of performers, so we'll be bringing you our picks over the next couple weeks. 

Check out today's picks after the jump: Choir of Young Believers, Monarchs, More or Les, The Hounds Below, The Minutes