Son Lux

New Yorker Ryan Lott, aka Son Lux, recorded his second album, We Are Rising, in a month while NPR tracked his every move. He awoke one late January morning to find a message from All Songs Considered titled, "You busy?" The annual RPM Challenge, an international open call to create an album in 28 days, had been issued and Lott had been tapped. He couldn't say no. With modern electronics, unusual pop and classical notions, Lott made the deadline with a little help from his friends (Sufjan, the National, My Brightest Diamond, the Antlers' Peter Silberman just to name a few). The result is pretty extraordinary. The full album drops April 26th on Anticon Records.

Rising [mp3]

Rubblebucket

Rubblebucket makes groovy indie pop with horns. A member recently posted a casting call for the video to their next single, "Silly Fathers," to a mailing list I subscribe to. I'd never heard of them, but the video treatment sounded great and included a link to their previous video, "Came Out of a Lady," which fully sold me.

Formed as a duo in Burlington, VT, Rubblebucket is now an eight-piece based in Brooklyn. They're currently on tour, and keep your eyes peeled for the "Silly Fathers" video and their upcoming third full-length.

Came Out of a Lady [mp3] (iTunes)
Silly Fathers [mp3]

Tour Dates

4/3 - Kerhonkson, NY - Hudson Valley Resort and Spa
4/7 - Boone, NC - Legends
4/8 - Chattanooga, TN - Rhythm and Brews
4/9 - Athens, GA - New Earth Music Hall
4/10 - Asheville, NC - Emerald Lounge
4/14 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall
4/15 - Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theater
4/16 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
4/20 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
4/21 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
4/22 - Ithaca, NY - Castaways
4/23 - Syracuse, NY - Westcott Theater
4/27 - Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall
4/28 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
4/29 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
5/1 - Phoenix, AZ - The Compound
5/4 - Boise, ID - Reef
5/5 - Bend, OR - NW Bond & NW
5/6 - Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
5/7 - Portland, OR - Mt. Tabor Theatre
5/10 - Eureka, CA - Red Fox Tavern
5/11 - Sebastopol, CA - Hopmonk Tavern
5/13 - San Francisco, CA - Boom Boom Room
5/14 - Los Angeles, CA - The Mint
5/15 - Joshua Tree, CA - Joshua Tree Campground
5/19 - Denver, CO - Cervantes Otherside

The Antlers - New album and tour dates!

It was only 2009 that the Antlers exploded onto the scene with Hospice and now they are releasing their second album - Burst Apart - on May 10th. I can't wait! Also: tour dates. And they're actually coming through DC, unlike most of the bands I love. Yay!

05-12 London, England - Heaven
05-13 Manchester, England - Manchester Club Academy
05-14 Brighton, England - Great Escape Festival
05-17 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
05-18 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Sanctuary *
05-19 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg * - 3/31 at 10 am
05-20 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom * - 3/31 at 10 am
05-28 George, WA - Sasquatch Festival
05-31 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall *
06-03 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey * - 4/1 at 10 am
06-04 Pomona, CA - Glass House *
06-07 Austin, TX - Emo's * - 4/1 at 10 am
06-08 Dallas, TX - The Loft *
06-09 Tulsa, OK - The Marquee *
06-10 St. Louis, MO - Firebird *
06-11 Chicago, IL - Metro *
06-12 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick * - 3/31 at 10 am
06-14 Toronto, Ontario - Mod Club * - 3/31 at 10 am
06-15 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe ^
06-16 Boston, MA - Paradise * - 4/1 at 10 am
06-17 Hamden, CT - The Space *

* with Little Scream
^ with the Dodos

Five O Clock Heroes

I was going to write about Five O'Clock Heroes last single as I liked it a lot and it seemed to fit the whole ‘guilt free pleasures’ element of our site. Indie pop with guitars that makes you smile, but gain’s you no credibility with muso hipsters who attend ATP. Thankfully, their follow up single City of Light is just as good. If you get past the opening 15 seconds, which seem to have no bearing on the actual song, then you are well away with upbeat guitars, hummable chorus and a tune so bouncy (yes, I called it ‘bouncy’) that if you’re listening with headphone’s on I assure you it’ll put a spring in your step.

City of Lights [mp3]

New York Natives: Freelance Whales new download!

The next time you stop into Starbucks for your morning cappuccino the sounds of Freelance Whales may reverberate from the speakers. Their track "Generator (First Floor) is featured in their new commercial. The ad is to celebrate Starbucks' 40-year anniversary! You can view the video and download the song for free here. Their music has been featured on Grey's Anatomy, Chuck and many other television shows.

I discovered Freelance Whales by chance last fall while surfing through sessions on Daytrotter. Their music has definitely mesmerized me. If you enjoy folky/indie rock music then you may like them.

Spring Tour 2011
4/10 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC*
4/11 - The Showbox at The Market - Seattle, WA*
4/12 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR*
4/14 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA (co-headlining with Foals)
4/16 Coachella, India, CA
4/19 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX*
4/20 - The Loft - Dallas, TX
4/21 - La Zona Rosa - Austin, TX*
4/23 - The Firebird - St Louis, MO*
4/25 - The Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN*
4/26 - Metro - Chicago, IL (co-headlining with Foals)
4/27 - Outland Live - Columbus, OH*
4/29 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH*
4/30 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON*
5/01 - Le National - Montreal, QC*
5/02 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA*
5/04 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY (co-headlining with Foals)
5/05 - Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA*
5/06 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC (co-headlining with Foals)
5/07 - Ottobar - Baltimore, MD*
5/08 - The Met - Pawtucket, RI*

http://twitter.com/Freelancewhales
http://www.freelancewhales.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freelance-Whales/46536195043
http://freelancewhales.wordpress.com/
http://www.myspace.com/freelancewhales

Hayes Carll & Cary Ann Hearst

A profile on NPR's “All Things Considered” recently introduced me to Hayes Carll, country-rock satirist. The title track on Carll's new album, KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories), is a driving and picaresque tale of a young man's misadventures serving his country. (“KMAG YOYO” is army slang for “Kiss my ass guys, you're on your own.”) The NPR piece rightfully compared its style to “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”

Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO [YouTube] (iTunes)

Another highlight is “Another Like You,” which chronicles a drunken political argument turned romantic encounter and features the wonderful Cary Ann Hearst. Turns out Hearst and Michael Trent (as Shovels & Rope) are supporting Carll on tour as well. I've already gushed about Shovels & Rope and included my favorite tunes of theirs, so here's some solo Cary Ann, my favorite track from her 2010 EP of the same name.

Cary Ann Hearst - Are You Ready to Die [YouTube] (iTunes)

Tour Dates
(Hayes Carll supported by Shovels & Rope)

3/31 - Tulsa, OK - Bob’s at Cain’s Ballroom
4/1 - Oklahoma City, OK - Wormy Dog Saloon
4/2 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
4/3 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudville Mews
4/5 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
4/6 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
4/7 - Champaign, IL - High Dive
4/8 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
4/9 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
4/10 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
4/13 - Greenville, SC - Handlebar
4/14 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
4/15 - Louisville, KY - Headliner’s Music Hall
4/16 - Maryville, TN - The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson
4/19 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
4/20 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson, Theater
4/21 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
4/22 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
4/23 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

Jill Andrews

Jill Andrews: The Mirror Preview from Harvey Robinson on Vimeo.

Jill Andrews is a Knoxville, TN singer/guitarist who spent five years touring with her band The Everybodyfields before deciding to release her debut solo album, The Mirror, set to drop June 7th. Merging folk roots with classic-pop sensibility, this album sees Andrews' words wrapped in shimmering piano lines alongside a backdrop of a collage of harmonies. To boot, she sounds exactly like Maria Taylor. For you kids in New York, Andrews will be performing at The Living Room on Sunday March 27th and plans to announce additional tour dates in the coming months.

The Mirror [mp3]

Control S Mix

I keep wanting to write something about Control S and their history, but I can't seem to get anything that makes sense, or doesn't make me sound like a dick. You see, these boy's aren't 'fresh on the scene' so to speak, they've been around for a fair few years, producing and remixing for a wide variety of people. They changed tact last year, and the end of 2010 saw them finish their first EP showcasing them as songwriters and performers. The end result is pretty awesome, and the soundcloud for it is at the bottom of the post.
With the EP in the bag, they ain't resting on their laurels, a live show is in the pipeline and across the rest of the year, they'll be releasing DJ mixes fusing indie electro and dubstep, just my cup of tea.

Control S - Origins Volume One [zip]

1. Kavinsky - Nightcall (Boylerz Remix)

2. James Blake - Limit To Your Love

3. Pnau - Baby (Breakbot Remix)

4. Damn Arms - Destination (DCUP Remix)

5. Yolanda Be Cool - Afro Nuts (DCUP Remix)

6. Killa Queenz - Boyfriend (DCUP Remix)

7. Breakbot ft. Irfane - Baby I'm Yours (Aeroplane Remix)

8. Yuksek - I Could Never Be A Dancer

9. Drop The Lime - Sex Sax (MJ Cole Remix)

10. Congorock - Babylon (Dub Mix)

11. Digitalism - Idealistic

12. Axwell, Ingrosso, Angello, Laidback Luke ft. Deborah Cox - Leave The World Behind

13. Danny Byrd ft. Netsky - Tonight (MJ Cole Remix)

14. Justice League - Say To Myself

15. Tom Staar - Console

16. Daft Punk - Technologic

17. Fake Blood - Mars

18. Beatfreaks - Speakerbox

19. Crookers ft. Rye Rye - Hip Hop Changed

20. Claire Maguire - Ain't Nobody (Breakage Remix)

21. Foals - Spanish Sahara

22. Control-S - Start To Fade

23. Daft Punk - Face To Face

24. Phoenix - Liztomania (Alex Metric Remix)

25. Air - So Light Is Her Footfall (Breakbot Remix)

Evolutions EP by Control-S

Clare Maguire

The email I received from Clare Maguire's publicist said "the new Florence and the Machine?" Well, actually, the only thing they really seem to have in common is that they're from the UK. To me, Clare Maguire sounds more like Cher than Florence. She has a deep, belting voice. Her music is very electronica/dance and it has a lot less drama than Florence's music. That being said, I think she has a lot of potential. Her songs are catchy, albeit maybe a little bit sappy/cliche. She has a great voice. And I particularly liked her song "Ain't Nobody," which stood out as lot darker and more dramatic. I think this song demonstrates her potential quite well, and I hope that she goes on to produce more songs along these lines (a little more toward the Florence end of the spectrum and away from the Cher end). I could see her becoming quite popular either way, though, and it does seem that the UK cranks out an awful lot of highly successful female songstresses.

Here's a video of "Ain't Nobody," and you can also download a song or two for free on her website.

Matt Corby

I really wanted to open this post with “Matt Corby is fucking incredible. Fact”. It would have seemed bold, but childish. Still, my point remains, he is incredible. Only in Australia would you get someone who got the the final’s of ‘Idol’, lost, and turns up years later as a credible, incredible artist.

I first became aware of Matt last summer, where Broadcast 2000 had booked him to appear with them at their Wilton’s Hall gig with Hyperpotamus and Matthew & the Atlas (it was an pretty great evening). I’d never seen anything like it before, using a guitar, his voice, two microphones and some pedals to pull of live loops of guitars and vocals to harmonise with himself and slowly and beautifully build up a rich tapestry of sound and at its peak step stand at the front of the stage sing un-mic’d while the track he’d crafted played on.

Fast forward to March 2011, and he’s opening up for Ellen and the Escapades upstairs in a small cold pub in Islington, which is criminal. He should be playing to much larger crowds, not a hidden secret opening for someone I’ve never heard of before (even if they were excellent).

I hope that he comes out of this years SXSW with glowing reviews, I don’t think it’d be a stretch at all to label his as a ‘major new talent for 2011’. Check out the video below of him live and I’m sure you’ll agree.

christianoshi

Fresh from his debut performance at SOS in Shoreditch last week I managed to bag a GFP exclusive from christianoshi. It seems suitable that it's here his first track is posted as he told me "my artist ethos is very much about guilt free pleasure as I am so unashamed of being pop that I often forget prejudice against it exists"

The great thing about the track for me is it's ambiguity, it could easily be judged as dark and moody, with it's low bassline and hypnotic drum loop, or alternatively, it's an upbeat track with classic pop staples; a damn catchy chorus centred the object of the singers affection.

Like Drugs [mp3]

Benjamin Francis Leftwich

"Pictures" is the lead track from acoustic-pop Benjamin Francis Leftwich's follow-up EP that was released on March 7th through Dirty Hit. Like his debut EP, A Million Miles Out, released late last year, Pictures is produced by Ian Grimble (Mumford Sons, Beth Orton). Coming off his tour with Noah The Whale, this EP melds Benjamin's flair for delicate and beautiful songwriting with layers of resonating breadth and dignified ease. Give it a listen, and if you like what you hear, you can purchase his work on iTunes.

Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Pictures by Mud Hut Digital

Tyondai Braxton's "Central Market"

Tyondai Braxton's Central Market came out a year and a half ago. As a fan of Braxton's band Battles, I was curious at the time, but after listening to a few clips online and some blurbs about its "classical music" nature, I wrote it off as a likely unnecessary and self-indulgent side project.

Then a couple of weeks ago I was noticing a buzz about Lincoln Center's inaugural Tully Scope music festival, particularly that Braxton, joined by Brooklyn's Wordless Music Orchestra, would be performing the album as part of the festival's program.

Investigating further, I discovered that Braxton has left Battles to pursue his solo career. And upon finally giving the album an honest listen, I discovered that it is actually the perfect follow-up to Battles' Mirrored. This was surprising in light of Battles' "supergroup" status, which notably owes to the illustrious careers of its members that are not Tyondai Braxton. (Credits include Don Caballero, Lynx and Helmet.)

Central Market retains the filtered kazoos, guitar effects and distorted vocals that seemed to reluctantly take center stage on Mirrored. But it places them in an entirely new setting, tossing out the 90s-math-rock rhythms that truly defined Mirrored and replacing them with orchestrated compositions. When "Opening Bell" starts to hit its stride about a minute and a half in, it feels like it could be the score to a new Legend of Zelda game, as I imagine myself swashbuckling my way through Hylian fields.

I'm glad I gave the album a second chance, and there's no need to feel ashamed about being late to the party, but I do now feel like a heel for missing the Tully Scope show.

Tyondai Braxton - Opening Bell [mp3] (iTunes)
Battles - Rainbow [mp3] (iTunes)

The Dodos' "No Color" out today + tour dates!

This is an album that I've been listening to on repeat for the last few weeks, as you may be able to tell because I've posted about The Dodos twice -1, 2 (with mp3s!) - in the last month or so and it's finally out today! I love The Dodos' intense percussion and jangly guitars. Since I've already posted quite a bit pertaining to this album, I'll just let say buy the album and see how awesome it is for yourself! ( Amazon / iTunes )

Obviously they're playing tons of shows at SXSW (damn you, day job! I swear some day I'm going to make it down to Austin...) and then launching right into a massive tour across the US, Canada and Europe. Unfortunately it looks like they're missing the entire East Coast (seriously, Fargo and Omaha but no NYC?), but here are the dates for those of you fortunate to be at SXSW or have them coming through your city:

 03-16 Tiger Mountain and Noise Pop Present - Brooklyn vs. the Bay Day Party at Red Eye- 5:10pm-6pm

 03-16 French Kiss Night Showcase at Parish - 1am-1:45am

 03-17  Under the Radar Day Party at Flamingo Cantina - 12:45pm-1:30pm

 03-17 Pitchfork Party at East Side Drive Inn - 3:30pm-4pm

 03-18  Food Panel at Convention Center - 11am - 12:30pm- 

 03-18 Brooklyn Vegan Day Party at Swan Dive & Barbarella - 5pm-5:45pm

  03-18  Orchard Night Showcase-at Cedar Street Courtyard - 10pm-10:45pm

  03-19  AOL Pop Up Show- secret location- 1pm - location announced 24 hours beforehand

 03-19 Mess With Texas Outside Festival at East Side Drive Inn – 4:15pm - 4:45pm

03-21 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar 

03-22 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room

03-23 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center

03-24 Fargo, ND - Aquarium 

03-25 Winnipeg, MB - West End 

03-26 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo’s 

03-28 Calgary, AB - Republik 

03-29 Edmonton, AB - Starlite

03-31 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw

04-01 Victoria, BC - Sugar

04-02 Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo 

04-04 Seattle, WA - Neumo's 

04-05 Portland, OR - Doug Fir

04-07 San Francisco, CA - Filmore

04-08 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theater

04-09 San Diego, CA - Casbah 

04-27 Spain, Donostia - Gazteszena

04-28 Spain, Vigo - University

04-29 Spain, Madrid - El Sol

04-30 Spain, Barcelona - Plaça de la Odissea (Free Outdoor show)

05-02 Grenoble, France - Le Ciel

05-03 Milan, Italy - Salumeria Della Musica

05-04 Rome, Italy - Circolo Degli Artisti

05-05 Ravenna, Italy - Bronson

05-06 Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff

05-07 Munich, Germany - 59-1

05-09 Berlin, Germany - Magnet

05-10 Hamburg, Germany - Prinzenbar

05-11 Cologne, Germany - Blue Shell

05-12 Nijmegen, Holland - Doornroosje

05-13 Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg

05-14 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique Festival

05-16 Vendome, France - La Chapelle Vendome

05-17 Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie

05-18 Paris, France - Divan du Monde

05-19 London, UK - Scala

05-20 Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute

05-21 Glasgow, UK – Arches

06-15 Montreal, QC - Le Tulipe

06-16 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre

Boy & Bear

As of writing this post, Boy & Bear only appear on Hype Machine 7 times. It would seem this band are flying well under the radar. They certainly flew into London under the radar for their gig the other week, and I, as you will be after listening to Mexican Mavis, was kicking myself for missing them.

Aside from the slightly infuriating opening harmonisation a la Fleet Foxes, this track is one that I have been listening to on repeat for the last week. It’s basically made of win, and includes the core elements which make for a Keith friendly song with a great guitar hook, some ‘whoo whoo’s’ and succinct drum fills in the chorus, adding, rather than owning the song. With Mumford & Sons making waves in the mainstream last year, 2011 should be the year for act’s like Boy & Bear and Matthew & the Atlas to gain the broad appeal and adulation they deserve.

Mexican Mavis [mp3]

If You Aren't Obsessed With Childish Gambino By Now, What Are You Doing?

As if the world needed another reason to love Donald Glover (old 30 Rock writer and currently portraying the hilarious Troy on Community), Donald Glover's music escapade as rapper Childish Gambino has completely taken over the interwebs as of late, or, as he puts it, "music was my side chick, but now we're moving in together." You can download his EP for free here.

Freaks and Geeks [mp3]

Glee's Darren Criss gets together with old friend Charlene Kaye

Darren Criss and Charlene Kaye have worked on songs together before, but now Charlene is working on a sophomore LP, merging a unique blend of pop, folk, jazz and rockabye swing, set for release later this year. As a little sample of what's in store, Charlene and Darren have released this track, which has already climbed into the Top 200 on the iTunes Pop Chart. Take a listen and enjoy!

Dress and Tie [mp3]

New single from The Dodos

Here's another mp3 from the Dodo's upcoming album, No Color, out March 15th. There's something about it that kind of reminds me of certain Radiohead songs, though I can't quite pinpoint what. I suppose to some people that would be the highest compliment you could give a song, haha. It has some crazy frenzied guitar playing that I would almost have to see in person to believe and I like the rumbling rhythm.

Don't Stop [mp3] - ( pre-order on Amazon / iTunes )