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Quick Brew Review: Yeasayer "Odd Blood"

2010-02-08T12:00:00Z

Yeasayer

Odd Blood

Release Date: February 9, 2010

Label: Secretly Canadian

You could describe this Brooklyn band's sound as a blend of hometown mates TV On The Radio with a splash of Animal Collective. Perhaps more precisely, it's a recipe of equal parts 80's electro funk and trippy psych rock mixed to tribal drums and a dash of space alien samples. If that sounds interesting, well, it is. Lyrically, it's more optimistic and less world weary than their debut. With such a long lead time between the release of arguable the best single of the year Ambling Alp, some might be mildly disappointed the rest of the album doesn't reach such lofty heights, but it's awash in sounds that reward repeat listens.

KEY TRACKS:
Ambling Alp

O.N.E.

Listen On (after release):

Pre-release stream on MySpace

Enjoy, GB

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WUASTM Top Twenty Tracks For W/E Feb 5th

2010-02-06T12:00:00Z

Seven new tracks stampeded the chart this week and the top spot is no "mystery zone". Spoon owns the number one track with The Mystery Zone off their recent Transference. The biggest gainer from last week belongs to Charlotte Gainsbourg for Greenwich Mean Time from IRM. The top newcomer is Caribou with their single Odessa off their upcoming album Swim out April 20th. We had several artists appearing again after having left the chart. Field Music, Beach House, Broken Bells and Sleigh Bells are all back with new songs. The Happy Hollows claim a second chart position with another track off Spells. Lastly, new artist Bear Hands lands at #13 with their single What A Drag. Watch for more on them soon.

WUASTM TOP TWENTY TRACKS FOR THE WEEK ENDING 2-5-10

THIS
LAST
# OF

WEEK
WEEK
WEEKS
ARTIST
TRACK
1
2
4
Spoon
The Mystery Zone (Download Link)
2
12
1
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Greenwich Mean Time
3
6
2
Los Campesinos!
Romance Is Boring
4
1
5
Vampire Weekend
Run
5
8
2
The Happy Hollows
We Will Find You
6
3
5
Rogue Wave
Good Morning
7
---
1
Caribou
Odessa
8
4
4
Surfer Blood
Harmonix
9
5
5
Harlem
Friendly Ghost
10
---
1
Field Music
Effortlessly
11
9
5
The Soft Pack
C'mon
12
15
5
Hot Chip
One Life Stand
13
---
1
Bear Hands
What A Drag
14
16
2
Yeasayer
O.N.E.
15
---
1
Broken Bells
Vaporize
16
10
2
Spoon
I Saw The Light (Download Link)
17
---
1
Beach House
10 Mile Stereo
18
11
5
Los Campesinos!
These Are Listed Buildings
19
---
1
Sleigh Bells
Crown on the Ground
20
---
1
The Happy Hollows
Faces

Enjoy, GB

Brewing: Free Energy

2010-02-05T14:33:00Z

We just got some info on Free Energy's upcoming debut and a brand new track. Last year, we already featured the first singles, Dream City and Free Energy. James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) produced the album and his label, DFA Records, in conjunction with Astralwerks, will release it digitally March 9th and physically on May 4th. The band is embarking on a national tour throughout February and March with Foreign Born. Here's the track listing, the mp3's, and cover art for the album. We also have the tour dates below.

Track Listing:

1. Free Energy

2. Dream City

3. Bang Pop

4. All I Know

5. Bad Stuff

6. Dark Trance

7. Young Hearts

8. Light Love

9. Hope Child

10. Wild Winds

Free Energy Tour Dates (* with Foreign Born):

02/22: Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo

02/23: Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland

02/24: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Shop *

02/25: San Francisco, CA @ Popscene

02/26: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *

02/28: Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey *

03/03: Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *

03/04: Madison, WI @ The Frequency *

03/05: Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *

03/06: Bloomington, IN @ Video Saloon *

03/08: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern *

03/09: Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo *

03/10: Buffalo, NY @ Big Orbit’s Soundlab *

03/11: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge *

03/12: Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory *

03/13: Philadelphia, PA @ Marathon Lounge *

03/14: Washington, DC @ DC9 *

Enjoy, GB

Video Cafe: Passion Pit, Julian Casablancas, Cold Cave, Heartless Bastards

2010-02-04T15:59:00Z

So many new videos popped up the past couple of weeks for tracks in our Top 100 Songs of 2009, we thought we would make it our theme for this Video Cafe edition. Here are four videos from our Top 100 countdown with the chart number (#) indicated next to the song name.

This song may be remembered most for the TV commercials, but here's the official video from Passion Pit for Sleepyhead (#56) off their album Manners.

VIDEO Sleepyhead:

Video Link

Before he heads to the studio with his band to record the long awaited new Strokes album, Julian Casablancasas made a new video for 11th Dimension (#67) from his fine solo album Phrazes of the Young.

VIDEO 11th Dimension:

Video Link

I think this looks like the cover guy/girl(?) on Cold Cave's debut Love Comes Close. Not really sure of that, but we do know this is a new video for the hit song Life Magazine (#83).

VIDEO Life Magazine:

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Video Link

Lastly, Heartless Bastards performed Out At Sea (#47) on Jimmy Kimmel Live recently. The song appears on one of our recommended albums last year The Mountain.

VIDEO Out At Sea:

Video Link

Enjoy, GB

Quick Brew Review: Toro Y Moi "Causers of This"

2010-02-03T12:00:00Z

Toro Y Moi

Causers of This

Release Date: February 2, 2010

Label: Carpark Records

This South Carolina newcomer joins the chillwave movement staked out most prominently last year by Neon Indian and Washed Out. He integrates some world music and funky bass grooves into the synth's ebb and flow, but many tracks lack a distinctive identity, blending together. That's not altogether bad for your first at-bat, but it makes it worse when it's released during a glut of great new albums and big hitters of electronica like Hot Chip and Yeasayer are on deck next week. Still, he's got real potential.
KEY TRACK:
Blessa

Listen On :

Causers Of This - Toro Y Moi

Enjoy, GB

DISCOGRAPHY:

Quick Brew Review: The Soft Pack s/t

2010-02-02T12:00:00Z

The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack

Release Date: February 2, 2010

Label: Kemado

Lots of indie bands these days are riding the wave of garage surf rock. Few are practicing it with such intensity as this San Diego band. Sure, it's all been heard before, but that can said for most music today. Like our review of Surfer Blood a couple a weeks ago, it's fine to show your influences, as long as you execute as well as they do. Even the slower track Mexico, a fine Bossa Nova, is just a breather before the punky Parasites rocks it to a close. While not anything ground breaking, just turn it up and ride the wave.
KEY TRACKS:
Answer To Yourself

C'mon

Listen On :

The Soft Pack - The Soft Pack

Enjoy, GB

DISCOGRAPHY:

Quick Brew Review: The Happy Hollows "Spells"

2010-02-01T12:00:00Z

The Happy Hollows

Spells

Release Date: January 26, 2010

Label: Autumn Tone Records

This LA band honed their eclectic garage rock for several years and it shows on this terrific debut. They draw easy comparisons to in-state cohorts Deerhoof, both female fronted bands with arty ambitions, although less experimental than them. Singer Sarah Negahdari has great vocal range and control and a buzz saw of a guitar. She's been compared to Kim Deal in her Pixies/Breeders days and it's not hard to connect the dots. Charlie Mahoney's slinky bass runs abound, but he's not an emotive lead vocalist which drags down two tracks, Delorean and A Man, A Plan, A Canal. Still, a marvelous opening salvo from an up and coming indie band.

KEY TRACKS:

We Will Find You

Faces

Listen On :

Spells - The Happy Hollows

Enjoy, GB

DISCOGRAPHY:

WUASTM Top Twenty Tracks For W/E Jan 29th

2010-01-30T12:00:00Z

Five new tracks hit the chart along with a new #1 this week. Vampire Weekend made a "Run" for the top spot. It's from their highly recommended, album Contra. The very next track made the biggest gain from last week. Up 12 spots is Spoon's The Mystery Zone off another of our recommended albums Transference. Spoon also had another track to enter the chart with I Saw The Light. Two other acts placed a second track on the chart this week, Los Campesinos! and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Those are both off brand new album releases, Romance Is Boring and IRM, respectively, and both are...wait for it...recommended! The newbie this week is from Los Angeles band The Happy Hollows with We Will Find You from their just released debut Spells. Watch for a review of that album next week.

WUASTM TOP TWENTY TRACKS FOR WEEK ENDING 1-29-10

THIS	LAST	# OF
WEEK	WEEK	WEEKS	ARTIST	TRACK
1	2	4	Vampire Weekend	Run
2	14	3	Spoon	The Mystery Zone (Download Link)
3	1	4	Rogue Wave	Good Morning
4	3	3	Surfer Blood	Harmonix
5	4	4	Harlem	Friendly Ghost
6	--	1	Los Campesinos!	Romance Is Boring
7	5	3	Besnard Lakes	Albatross
8	--	1	The Happy Hollows	We Will Find You
9	8	4	The Soft Pack	C'mon
10	--	1	Spoon	I Saw The Light
11	9	4	Los Campesinos!	These Are Listed Buildings
12	--	1	Charlotte Gainsbourg	Greenwich Mean Time
13	12	4	Local Natives	Camera Talk
14	6	2	M.I.A.	Space Odyssey
15	7	4	Hot Chip	One Life Stand
16	--	1	Yeasayer	O.N.E.
17	15	2	Gorillaz	Stylo (f. Mos Def & Bobby Womack)
18	13	3	Field Music	Them That Do Nothing
19	20	2	She & Him	In The Sun
20	11	4	Broken Bells	High Road

Enjoy, GB