New Video: TRAMA - "Numbers Game"

A song from his recently released .zip tape Mr. T, which has seen press everywhere from Midwest Broadcast (where we got this video), to City Pages, to even Idolator, the video for "Numbers Game" incorporates footage from Menace II Society to tell its tale of, um, the numbers game. Watch it at the top of the post.

Trama MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Video: Ratatat - "Shempi" and "Gettysburg" (Live in Paris)

I generally agree with the assessment that listening to Ratatat's latest album LP3 was like hearing an entire album of car commercials, I have to admit that "Shempi" is my jam, despite the fact that it's perhaps the most car commercial-y thing on the album. How's that for an early morning paradox? Mmm,mmm,mmm! Here's some impressively shot footage from Paris of the band performing "Shempi" and "Gettysburg". Enjoy!

Watch the whole show here.

Ratatat MySpace Page

New Plastic Chord - "Weathervanes and Lightning Rods"

Minneapolis-based septet Plastic Chord have posted a new song from their upcoming EP Electric Tendrils, which will be released on Dec. 13th, over at their MySpace Page. The song is called "Weathervanes and Lightning Rods", and its an upbeat number that's very personable, with horns and a loose drumbeat suggesting a swing influence. Check it out here.

New Music Streams: Bloc Party, TV on The Radio, Annuals

(Bloc Party)

Download: Bloc Party - "Trojan Horse"
Download: Bloc Party - "Mercury" (CSS Remix)

Yesterday, it seemed like there was an explosion of music streams happening. First off, on the heels of the very-sudden, Radiohead-esque announcement that their third album, Intimacy, is out TOMORROW, Bloc Party put up a stream of a new song called "Trojan Horse". Listen to it at the band's MySpace page, or stream a copy of it above. Next up is TV on The Radio. Their new album arrives late September, and it is called Dear Science,. Late yesterday afternoon, the band put up the first song from Science. It's called "Golden Age", and it is a notably departure in many ways, but still excellent. Listen to it here.

Sticking to what they know best (sunny psychedelia with quirky song-structures and luminescent harmonies) blog pet band Annuals put up a song from their upcoming sophomore album, Such Fun. The song is called "Confessor", and you can listen to it here.

(Jonathan Graef)

The Deaths Post New Songs on MySpace

The Deaths have posted three songs on their MySpace Page, each one taken from their latest release, Centralia. The band, whose brand of psychedelic indie-pop recalls seminal groups like The Beatles and Pink Floyd, and even more contemporary examples like Air (though without the ambient influences), put out Centralia in April, but if you haven't been able to pick it up until now, heading over to the group's 'Space is the best opportunity to hear the new music. The songs are called: "Peter Duncan", which is very Meet The Beatles, music wise; "To The Start", which begins with ominous organ sound before settling into a mid-tempo groove which highly recalls Pink Floyd's "Breathe"; and, lastly, "It Takes Time", which kicks off with a minor-key riff doubled by bass and guitar before settling into another Beatles influenced pop verse.

Hear all of the songs on the band's MySpace page. Listen to "Stay", one of the better tracks from Centralia, at the top of the post.

span style="font-style:italic;">Centralia is out now.

The Deaths MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream The Helio Sequence's Keep Your Eyes Ahead In Its Entirety

Download: The Helio Sequence - "Keep Your Eyes Ahead"

Lost in all of the Vampire Weekend madness of the past few days (OMG! It's finally here! Praise Be To Jebus!) is the fact that The Helio Sequence, a none-too-shabby band themselves, have just released a record titled Keep Your Eyes Ahead. If you fine readers are interested in said record, The Helio Sequence's fourth, then head on over to their MySpace page where you can listen to Keep Your Eyes in its entirety. Before you do so, listen to the title track at the top of the post.

Buy Keep Your Eyes Ahead here.

The Helio Sequence MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream Celebration's The Modern Tribe

Download: Celebration - "Pressure"
Download: Celebration - "Heartbreak"

Over at their MySpace Page. We've posted two of what we consider the better tracks from The Modern Tribe, Celebration's second album - "Heartbreak" and "Pressure". Both successfully dabble in TV On The Radio's otherworldly soul psychedelia, which is not surprising if you consider the fact that Dave Sitek produced it.

However, a first listen doesn't reveal whether or not Celebration are adeptly riding the sonic coattails of that band or using Radio's blueprint as a jumping-off point for their own template.

Judge for yourself when The Modern Tribe is released next Tuesday on 4AD.

Buy it here.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon In Its Entirety

Download: Devendra Banhart - "Saved"
Download: Devendra Banhart - "Seaside"

Over at his MySpace Page. Check out two MP3s from the album at the top of the post.

(Jonathan Graef)

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream Rogue Wave's Asleep at Heaven's Gate In Its Entirety

Download: Rogue Wave - "Christians In Black"
Download: Rogue Wave - "Chicago x 12"

Right now, over at the band's MySpace Page. Asleep At Heaven's Gate won't be out until Sept. 18th, so this is essentially your sneak peak at the album.

Pre-order Asleep At Heaven's Gate here and receive a free 7" or here if you want your copy ofAsleep to have a autographed CD booklet from the band.

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream Liars In Its Entirety On MySpace

Download: Liars - "Houseclouds"
Download: Liars - "Pure Unevil"

Liars are just five days away from releasing their fourth, self-titled, album. Drums Not Dead was one of my favorite albums of recent years, so the anticipation on my part is quite heavy. Well, guess what, gangstas, the wait is over. You can stream the entire new album on the band's MySpace Page. Upon first listen, I have to say that the album is very, very good, but doesn't quite have the earth-shattering impact for me that Drums did.

Still, it's quite admirable that the band has found a happy medium between using more straightforward song structures and keeping their atmospheric, highly conceptual, sonic adventurousness. Of all the songs on the album, I think that "Houseclouds", "Clear Island" and "Cycle Time" are the most clear-cut rock/pop tracks, whereas "Leather Prowler" and "The Dumb In The Rain" resemble Drums material of echoing vocals and booming percussion. Then, there are songs like "Pure Unevil" that effectively combine both approaches. There isn't a moment on Liars that is as sublime as "The Other Side Of Mt. Heart Attack" or as bloodcurdling as "Let's Not Wrestle, Mt. Heart Attack", but there still is a lot of material here that showcases a band still engaging in fruitfull creativity. My tentative, first listen, grade is B+.

Stream the album here. We've posted two tracks, which you can listen to at the top of the post.

Band Website

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream Rilo Kiley's Under The Blacklight

Download: Rilo Kiley - "Under The Blacklight"
Download: Rilo Kiley - "Silver Lining"
Download: Rilo Kiley - "Breakin' Up"

Though tomorrow, as an album release date, is a cornucopia of highly anticipated records, perhaps none is more awaited than Rilo Kiley's Under The Blacklight. "The Moneymaker," the first single, wasn't exactly beloved by a lot of long term fans (I, myself, thought Kiley sounded like a Steve Miller cover band), follow-up "Silver Lining" proved to be much more favorable. You, yourself, can hear how these songs fit in the context of an album by streaming Under The Blacklight in its entirety over at the band's MySpace Page. Then and only then will you be able to tell if jumping to a major label was worth it for Jenny Lewis and company.

Buy Under The Blacklight here.

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream Okkervil River's The Stage Names

Download: Okkervil River - "Unless It Kicks"
Download: Okkervil River - "Hand To Take Hold Of"

The week has started off awfully well for Austin, TX's Okkervil River. First, the band just got a Best Music Nod from Pitchfork Media. Tomorrow, they will of course release the record that was the subject of Pitchfork's praise, The Stage Names.

We'll have a review of The Stage Names up on the site in the next few days, but in the meantime check out a few MP3s at the top of the post. Or, if you want to listen to The Stage Names in its entirety, just check out the band's MySpace Page. There you'll find a stream of the album.

(Jonathan Graef)

Interpol's "Heinrich Manuever" Remixed for MySpace

Download: Interpol - "The Heinrich Manuever" (Phone Remix)

MySpace has posted a remix of Interpol's "The Heinrich Manuever," which you can now listen to by clicking the link above. Enjoy!

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream New Chemical Brothers Album

Are you a fan of block rocking beats? Sure you are! In that case, stream the upcoming album from the Chemical Brothers from their MySpace page. The album will be released July 2nd in the UK and July 17th in the States.

(Jonathan Graef)