We've Moved!

Dear readers,

We are now full-time at www.minneapolisfuckingrocks.com.

- Ian

Tonight: Youth Group at the Triple Rock

*MP3: Youth Group - "Shadowland"

Sydney-natives Youth Group are playing tonight at the Triple Rock.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

New Local Music: Magic Castles, Red Pens

Two of Minneapolis' more promising psychedelically-inclined bands (and that's saying something, considering you've got Daughters of the Sun and Vampire Hands running round the MPLS) have recently uploaded new music to their MySpace profiles. For Magic Castles, the new songs represent a substantial sampling of their upcoming second record, the self-recorded, self-released Dreams of Dreams of Dreams.

Based on the wide variety of mellow psych-rock presented by the band (including the Mamas and Papas-esque "Letterbox," and the comperatively uptempo, shuffling "The Ones We Love") the reality of Dreams seems to be that it will be another solid effort from the band. Check out more at the band's MySpace page.

Like Magic Castles, experimental nu-gazers Red Pens have a new album coming out, one that will be released in June. So it would seem that "Kick Me" (with its biting refrain "Who cares about tomorrow?/it will just kick me") and "Blue Lighters" would be a taste from said record. Bearing a strong similarity to Chicago's Star, both songs shine with a lo-fi tinge which should appeal to fans of uber-hyped bands like Wavves. Check them both out here.

Magic Castles MySpace Page
Red Pens MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Best New Releases for May 5, 2009

Akron/Family - "Set Em Wild, Set Em Free" (Dead Oceans)

*MP3: Akron/Family - "River"
Buy it on iTunes.

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - "Outer South" (Merge)

*MP3: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - "Slowly (Oh So Slowly)"
Buy it on iTunes.

St. Vincent - "Actor" (4AD)

*MP3: St. Vincent - "Save Me From What I Want"
Buy it on iTunes.

Really, I highly recommend picking all of these up today.

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: I'm In New York at the Mercury Lounge

*MP3: Now, Now Every Children - "Cars"
*MP3: Gliss - "Beauty"

Tonight I'm with Now, Now Every Children at the Mercury Lounge in New York. Gliss, The UK Takeover and Parachutes are also playing. It will be a great night. I'll be behind the merch booth and wandering around shmoozing, so please come say hi.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by at the merch booth at Bamboozle to show some love, it's great to get to meet so many readers - it's much appreciated!

Music starts at 7pm and Now, Now Every Children goes on at 8pm, so be punctual.

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: Crystal Antlers, His Mischief, Building Better Bombs at the Triple Rock

*MP3: Crystal Antlers - "Andrew"
*MP3: His Mischief - "Freaks Up Front"
*MP3: Building Better Bombs - "Death Ships"

What a great bill. Crystal Antlers, His Mischief, and Building Better Bombs at the Triple Rock. Not only are Crystal Antlers a welcomed touring act, but I think everyone would be hard-pressed to find better support than His Mischief and Building Better Bombs. I think you should do this.

Crystal Antlers MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Top Ten Songs on Elbo.ws Reviewed in 50 Words or less: 4/15 to 4/30

Hey, this is a couple of days late, so you get an extra track. Yay for everyone!

1. Download: Sonic Youth - "Sacred Trickster"

The legendary noise-makers first track for Matador aptly demonstrates that Sonic Youth are capable of sounding both youthful and sonic, even after nearly 30 years. Kim Gordon-sung track belies the band's punk influence, but melodies always remain the focus, even amongst suddenly-shifting chords and non-traditional song-structure.

Grade: B+

2. Download: Passion Pit - "Moth's Wings"

"Moth Wings," as compared to past singles from the rafter-hyped, college-formed blog-band, features a more carefully-considered variation (more subdued vocal work, less pronounced synths) on the band's excitable electro-pop sound. Maturation suites the band reasonably well. Some of the energy is gone, but if "Moth" is indicative of the group's new album, the passion remains.

Grade: B

3. Download: Dinosaur Jr. - "I Want You To Know"

On 2005's Beyond, the alt-rock pioneers musically picked up exactly where they left off their proto-grunge, burying all hatchets. The reunion continues, but without a compelling melody, the merits of "I Want You To Know" (taut band interplay, Mascis' sinewy solos, fuzz, fuzz, fuzz) don't quite shine through.

Grade: C+

4. Download: Sunset Rubdown - "Idiot Heart"

One of two off-shoots Wolf Parade offshoots, "Idiot Heart" revolves around a steadily building new-wave riff, constantly adding and subtracting new musical elements to augment a tale of an "idiot heart." Despite passionate singing, nothing here adds up to a pleasing whole.

Grade: C

5. Download: The Field - "The More I Do"

Axel spins his compositional wheels to create another hypnotic, minimalist (in song structure, if not actual sound) masterpiece of ambient techno. Absolutely gorgeous and shimmering.

Grade: A

6. Download: The Sounds - "Dorchester Hotel"

Chiming guitar chords, and an unabashedly dance-rock sense of rhythm, helps propel "Hotel"'s neo-new-wave-isms to a catchy climax. Not quite a lovely place, the "Dorchester Hotel," but all in all, worth a visit.

Grade: B-

7. 7. Download: John Vanderslice "Too Much Time"

The second single from the indie troubadour's upcoming Romanian Names, "Too Much Time" emphasizes the singer's more austere electronic inclinations to help buoy his tale of romantic woe. Another solid track from a solid singer-songwriter.

Grade: B

8. Download: Great Northern - "Houses"

Why does the chord progression and melody of "Houses" remind me of "Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz? In spite of expansionist chorus, so little else of "Houses" seems distinctive enough to pick out of a hat of past alt-rock hits.

Grade: C

9. Download: Passion Pit - "Little Secrets"

Ah, here's that uber-synth-sound and yelping vocals that Passion Pit is known for. "Little Secrets" doesn't really divulge its pleasures until later in the song, when a good-time disco bridge helps almost lift "Secrets" into the stratosphere of satisfactory listening.

Grade: B+

10. Download: Major Lazer - "Hold The Line (DJ Edit)"

Gatling gun guitar-lines and dancehall vocals are sure to have people crowding the dance floor everytime. But what's with the horse sample?

Grade: B

11. Download: Iron and Wine - "The Trapeze Swinger"

Originally written for the film In Good Company, Iron and Wine's b-side acoustic-strumed guitar work bears similarity to Ryan Adams' "Oh, My Sweet Caroline." The easy-going folk-cum-soft-rock harmonies are a bit much, but additional touches (auxillary percussion, slide guitar) make the song palatable.

Grade: B

Tonight: Dan Deacon at the Triple Rock

*MP3: Dan Deacon - "Build Voice"

Dan Deacon is in town tonight playing at the Triple Rock. I highly recommend this show if you are looking to get good and sweaty. Last I saw deacon was at a Pitchfork after-party in Chicago and was impressed by his ability to get up in everyone's face.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: Cloud Cult at First Avenue

*MP3: Cloud Cult - "Everybody Here Is A Cloud"

Cloud Cult is playing at First Avenue tonight. However, this bad boy is sold out. If you don't have tickets yet, call some friends.

(Ian Anderson)

The Hood Internet - "Two Weeks Of Hip Hop" (Grizzly Bear vs. Dead Prez)

*MP3: The Hood Internet - "Two Weeks of Hip Hop" (Grizzly Bear vs. Dead Prez)

The Hood Internet owns. It's that simple. Get more hood.

(Ian Anderson)