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)

Stream The Magnetic Fields' Distortion In Its Entirety

Download: The Magnetic Fields - "Three-Way"
Download: The Magnetic Fields - "Too Drunk To Dream"

Over at the AOL Spinner page. It's no longer on the band's MySpace page. Expect an MFR review in the next few days.

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 Dethklok's DethAlbum

Download: Dethklok - "Duncan Hills Coffee Theme"
Download: Dethklok - "Awaken Mustakrakish"
Download:Dethklok: "Birthday Dethday"

The blackest, most brutal, most metal band of all - Dethklok - (and stars of Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse") will be holding an exclusive listening party for its new album,Dethalbum, on Sept. 25th at 12:01 AM. You can stream the new album - which will undoubtedly strike fear and darkness into all of our hopeless, barely beating hearts - here, when the time comes.

The new season of "Metalocalypse" doesn't start until January, but the album comes out tomorrow, with the DVD of season one to follow one week later (Oct. 2nd).

Brutal.

MySpace Page

Two more Dethklok MP3s here

(Jonathan Graef)

Stream Mannequin Men's Fresh Rot

Download: Mannequin Men - "Weekender"
Download: Mannequin Men - The Boys (They Don't Mind)
Download: Mannequin Men - "Grapefruit"

Chicago proto-punk revivialists Mannequin Men released their second album, entitled Fresh Rot, yesterday on Flameshovel. For those of you who are cautious consumers, or just like to listen to music for free over the interweb, the album is available for streaming. Just click here to listen away. If you like what you hear, then buy the album from Flameshovel here.

For those of you who like live music, you're in luck. Mannequin Men will play a show this coming Friday, the 21st, at the Triple Rock. Show is 21+ and costs ten dollars on the day of the show. Buy tickets for 8 dollars in advance here.

(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 John Vanderslice's Emerald City

Download: John Vanderslice - "White Dove"
Download: John Vanderslice - "Tablespoon of Codeine"
Download: JJohn Vanderslice - "The Tower"


Along with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Tegan and Sara, the other big indie release was Emerald City by John Vanderslice. As of last night, you can stream all nine of the tracks from Vanderslice's album at his MySpace Page. After a couple of casual listens, I will say that this is a reasonably solid album. It's not floating any boats of mine (which, at my income level basically boils down to either proverbial or toy), but it's a pleasantly executed piece of melodic indie-pop revolving around the emotions of 9/11.

I think that the record's strongest sequence of songs are square in the middle of Emerald City and I have posted them here for your listening pleasure. Check out "Tablespoon of Codeine," one of Emerald City's highlights. It's a highly addictive, electronically enhanced, song.

(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)

Stream the new Queens of the Stone Age Album

The album comes out tomorrow, but if you want to get a taste of Era Vulgaris in its entirety, click here and listen away.

(Jonathan Graef)