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Band of the Day (4.25.11) Crystal Stilts

25 Apr

It's a Rock. Get out from underneath it and try something good Crystal Stilts


Band of the Day (4.25.11) Crystal Stilts

Call me old fashioned…how dare you age me like that…whatever, but I have an affinity for the lo-fi. The lo-fi guys that keep it authentic, Jack White style, when they enter the recording studio. The mics, the drums, the guitars, even the strings, whatever, just to know that a band respects history is worth the listen. To be frank. which I am clearly not, but ProTools can suck a dick in my mind. Bands who employ drummers that play in the vertical stand-up position deserve a fucking high-five and my $20 for the vinyl. Crystal Stilts is cool 1st Wave new wave reborn under the stripped down garage genre. It’s like taking Jesus and Mary Chain, replacing the shitty electronics and giving them heavy amplification. These guys are not “New” per se, but this new album, In Love With Oblivion, catapults their hipster 2008 status to a new stratosphere. Alight Of Night, their first album after a string of here-today-gone-tomorrow singles and EPs, was good and it captured the hearts and minds of the DUMBO crowd. In Love With Oblivion, stretches them to new areas, good songwriting/crafting, organs, guitars and melody. Good record and good guys. Now go buy the damn thing and spread the word bird.

Vitals:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY, USA
Members:
JB Townsend
Brad Hargett
Andy Adler
Miss Frankie Rose – Was featured on NBD in July of 2010.
Kyle Forester
Sonic Soulmates: The National, Jesus and Mary Chain, Joy Division
Trackables:
“Flying Into The Sun”

“Through the Floor”

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Best New Band of 2011 Band of the Day (4.21.11) Slowness

22 Apr

SF based and ready to gaze - Slowness


Band of the Day (4.21.11) Slowness

Okay okay okay okay….if you read NBD every day you’ve noticed that I’ve been dormant. Well I apologize. My MacBook died. Literally. Photos, music, documents, all locked away behind my hibernating Mac. It was my good friends at Keane Mac repair that 7xed my Mac and brought NBD back to life. So happy today and so happy that I met a place that does something well! Cheers to you my friends!

Coincidently, I’ve been waiting almost a week to post about our new favorite Arizona Turk derived obsession….SLOWNESS! Yes it explains my posting strategy for April, but their music was well worth the wait. You know we love the local music scene in SF, but we’ve never put limits on our posts. We just find it fun to feature bands from our own music backyard, this market for some reason took a shit in the 90’s and 00’s and it’s just now having it’s moment…again. Drone rock can be fun, the shoegaze theme hasn’t really worn thin, but it’s the hipster version of a jam bands. It’s just darker arenas, less patchouli, and heavier distortion. We like to stick our nose down to our shoes to the Phishes of the world, but let’s be honest if you give them an amp and hair in their face you have Phish goes shoegaze. That being said Slowness takes the best of the genre and delivers a perfect EP. Harmonies, wailing whining guitars and eerie vocals. I liken their sound to one of our faves The Raveonettes, even Autoluxie a bit. Really a great band and I’d expect to hear Geoffrey Scott, Julie Lynn and Scott Putnam bouncing around the country and on the festival circuit very very soon.

We’re back, we have a new hard drive and we’re ready to rule the world.
Vitals
Hometown: SF, CA, USA
Members: Geoffrey Scott: guitars, vocals, loops Julie Lynn: bass, keys, vocals Scott Putnam: drums, vocals
Sonic Soulmates: My Bloody Valentine, The Raveonettes, Autolux
Trackables:
“Slowboat”

“Black & White”

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Band of the Day (4.12.11) Code Pie

13 Apr

Who are we fooling, no one, these guys are amazing. Code Pie


Band of the Day (4.12.11) Code Pie

Ready from a new record from a band you’ve never heard but you should have been anticipating since 2007? Are you antsy, anxious but yet unaware of what the hell I’m talking about? Good, because you should curious about Code Pie. Code Pie is a Canadian indie rock band founded in the early 2000’s in Montréal by singer and guitarist Enzo Palermo. Other band members are Salvatore Ciolfi (guitars), Michel Semienchuk (bass), Vince Varano (drums), Eva Boodman (trumpet) and Rebecca Lessard (cello). They’re part Broken Social Scene, with the layered melodic noisy mess all accompanied with a subtle horn. They could also be confused with Architecture From Helsinki, but no matter what you say or how you compare them, Code Pie is a stand-out and they deserve your hopeless Facebook post for more music. So get with the program and follow your new favorite band.

Vitals:
Hometown: Montreal, CN
Members: Enzo Palermo. Other band members are Salvatore Ciolfi (guitars), Michel Semienchuk (bass), Vince Varano (drums), Eva Boodman (trumpet) and Rebecca Lessard (cello)
Sonic Soulmates: Broken Social Scene, Architecture in Helsinki, South, Lord Huron
Trackables:
“Morning After”

“Love Meets Rage” – The title track and quite possibly my favorite track of 2011. SO f’n good.

Grab the new record Love Meets Rage …you won’t be disappointed…promise it’s full of songs culled from 2-3 years worth of jam sessions.

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Band of the Day (4.11.11) Early Winters

11 Apr

Great new global artist of 2011 Early Winters


Band of the Day (4.11.11) Early Winters

Maybe it’s the anticipation for our NewBandBaby or it’s our Spring mood, but we’re in the mood for some fun loving soulful folk sounds. The Civil Wars were our last post, soft, acoustic XX/XY duetables. Today we have Early WInters, with Carina Round sounding a whole heck of a lot like Norah Jones, Stevie Nicks or even a little Dolly Parton with a strong backing band. The members of Early Winters are not college bandmates, or from the same town, they’re British born singer-songwriter Carina Round, Canadian artist Justin Rutledge, L.A. Producer Dan Burns and Pedestrian bassist Zac Rae. They decided to form this group, they had to figure out a way to get everyone in the room at the same time…Skype was the answer.

Vitals:
Hometown: Los Angeles / Toronto / England
Members:
Carina Round
Justin Rutledge
Dan Burns
Zac Rae
Simon Smith – Bass
Scott Seiver – Drums
Sonic Soulmates: Norah Jones, Cardigans, Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton
Trackables:
“Spanish Burn”

“Tough Love”

Grab the new album

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Band of the Day (4.6.11) The Civil Wars

6 Apr

The Civil Wars are a duo in harmony. No War Here.


Band of the Day (4.6.11) The Civil Wars

Sometimes fate does get involved when it comes to hearing you favorite new band. This morning it was Facebook and one of my trusted music mavens to introduce me to The Civil Wars. They’re a combination of The Swell Season and some of our favorite XX/XY duos. WIth a classic folk slant that would make our Southern roots happy, hence the band name. The two started as strong solo artists, but it was a chance meeting, fate, that brought the two together. Though, I wouldn’t say that attending a song-writing camp is fate. “We actually met at what’s considered a songwriting camp,” Williams laughs. They were actually assigned roommates, that’s the fate part. They have a strong melodic harmony, but they shine better when they sing to one another. It’s very Starsesque, but add in a little Swell Season emotional sexual tension.

Vitals:
Hometown: Santa Cruz, Calif./Florence, Ala.
Members: Joy Williams and John Paul White
Sonic Soulmates: The Swell Season, Buddy & Julie Miller, Ray LaMontagne. Stars
Trackables:
“Barton Hollow” – Title track, a little

“Poison and Wine”

Watchable:
“Poison & Wine”

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Band of the Day (4.1.11) Goblin

1 Apr

Tyler the Creator is Goblin is cool is ready to take over the hip-hop world


Band of the Day (4.1.11) Goblin

Seriously this is no April Fool’s joke. Tyler, the Creator, is amazing, he is a founding member of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA), the 10-person hip hop collective that are roaming around your inbox. Tyler, the Creator, has made a splash of his own. On December 25, 2009, Tyler self-released his first album, Bastard. The album, quickly buzzed for its dark energy and punishing beats and eventually ranked 32nd on Pitchfork Media’s list of the Top Albums of 2010. In early March Tyler released his new single “Yonkers” and since that time, Kayne obsessively called it the video of 2011, and Diddy has called him the future of the music industry. Now it’s your turn to be the judge, watch the video of “Yonkers”, listen to a few tracks and grab his new vinyl here.

Vitals:
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Members: Tyler the Creator AKA: Wolf Haley, Ace
Sonic Soulmates: Seriously, it’s deep dark and unique enough to say, can’t find one. MellowHype? Maybe?
Trackables:
“French (Toro Y Moi Remix)”

“French” – Great track from TTC Goblin’s first record.

Watchables:
“Yonkers” ‘

Follow:
Twitter @fucktyler
Facebook
MySpace
Buffalo-Bill Site

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Band of the Day (3.29.11) Iroha

29 Mar

Birmingham's Iroha brings supergroup melancholy shoegaze to our ears.


Band of the Day (3.29.11) Iroha

I’ve always been a big fan of shoegaze, mostly the moody kind that fits a rough day. Jesu was a perfect mix of power chord shoegaze filled with walls of electric guitars, slow beauty that is accompanied by slowly paced beats.
Former members of Final, Jesu, Godflesh and Napalm Death have created something melancholic and surprisingly good be it that came from such a mix of metal heads. See we all knew those rock dudes had broken hearts. Hear the brilliant tracks from their new record now….hell stream the whole thing below. Thank you to the Arizona Turk…we’re missing your music. Send some more brother.

Vitals:
Hometown: Birmingham, Midlands, United Kingdom
Members: Andy Swan, Nic Bullen, Justin Broadrick,
Sonic Soulmates: No Joy, New Order
Trackables:
“Last Day of Summer (Jesu Remix)”

“Eternal”

Stream the Album for Free

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Band of the Day (3.28.11) Mechanical Bride

28 Mar

The prettiest voice of 2011 - Mechanical Bride


Band of the Day (3.28.11) Mechanical Bride

I’m a sucker for a pretty voice. Aren’t we all though. If you really think about it, a pretty voice just makes your day so much better. She can make sad moments more uplifting and can make happy moments happier. Fine, I’m softening up in this so called Year of Rock Revival, but what do I care…really. Mechanical Bride’s label Transgressive sent over her lead track this morning and it took me approximately 18 seconds from the moment I hit play to start this post. That’s fast folks, super fast because I think the 25 year old songwriter and self-taught maestro Lauren Doss has something special, a very pretty voice and a history some great music. I doubt I’m the first to write about her sound since she was the owner of 2009’s beautiful folkish Rihanna cover of “Umbrella”. Much like Belleruche last week, Lauren Doss AKA Mechanical Bride, has a voice that really is special. Thank God they coupled her music with some fantastic production, layered self-harmonies, splash drums and a simple piano structure. She’s released some EPs, that have awarded her some critical acclaim, but she still needs our love to gain the fame and riches. Take a listen and spread the word. Her voice is one part PJ Harvey a whole lot of Bat for Lashes and maybe a dash of Björk

Vitals:
Hometown: Brighton, UK
Members: Lauren Doss
Sonic Soulmates: Bat for Lashes, PJ Harvey and Björk
Trackables:
“Colour of Fire” – Soft piano driven tune with beautiful production.

Grab the exclusive stream. ‘Colour Of Fire’ is available to download for free from the Mechanical Bride official site now. ‘Colour Of Fire’ is taken from Mechanical Bride’s debut album ‘Living With Ants’, released June 7th via Transgressive.

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Band of the Day (3.23.11) Belleruche

23 Mar

Belleruche is was and is our Hummingbird for 2011...GREAT!


Band of the Day (3.23.11) Belleruche

It was 2009 when we went to see Belleruche. We heard good things, but we weren’t sure what to expect. Well we got something incredibly awesome. But time passed and we got busy. So when we saw them at SXSW last week we couldn’t help but take our love and re-post it. If you don’t know Belleruche — First, the DJ spins a intoxicatingly hip but dark backing track. It’s Portishead on crank. Then the vocals are sexy, and Kathrin deBoer of Belleruche pushes her to the top as my favorite female vocalist. The tracks waste no time, they get in and get out. They perfect pop perfection. deBoer is accompanied by DJ Modest on turntables and Ricky Fabulous on bass and guitar (occasionally you’ll find backing vocalists, more decks, cellists and, a typewriter…). I’ve posted three tracks and I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll love Belleruche as much as I do. I thank Ed of MudHut for keeping Belleruche at the top of my email inbox. Paid off brother, they kick a$$ and their dusty turntable soul music should be on every NBD fan’s rack.

Vitals:
Hometown: Established in 2005 from London, UK
Members: Kathrin deBoer vocals, DJ Modest on turntables and Ricky Fabulous on bass and guitar.
Sonic Soulmates: xx, Portishead, PJ Harvey, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Christian, Cut Chemist bass lines from Metallica, DJ Modest rivals DJ Shadow and others
Trackables:
“3 Amp Fuse” – PJ Harveyesque and the most recent single from 270 Stories, GOOD!

“Northern Girls” – Released in 2009, quite possibly still my favorite song 2 years later.

“Clockwatching”

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Band of the Day (3.22.11) Charles Bradley

22 Mar

Modern day classic soul from Charles Bradley...A hummingbird is waiting.

Band of the Day (3.22.11) Charles Bradley

Born in Gainesville, Florida in 1948 and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Charles spent the better part of his childhood living on the streets. This is probably the first time we’ve had an artist make his debut at the youthful age of 63. But as I’ve read many times, age is only a number and Bradley brings a timeless classic to our ears with his new debut record No Time for Dreaming. Soulful, heart-wrenching vocals make you feel as if the 60’s never ended. Charles heals his broken heart on this record and you can hear every painful to healing moment.

Charles is, was heavily influenced by James Brown, having toured for 20 years under the Black Velvet moniker. Through hard times and incredibly strong determination, Charles, down on his luck, was approached by Gabriel Roth of Daptone Records. After several singles, bands disbanding, etc. Charles met Thomas Brenneck, songwriter and guitarist for the Bullets they hit it off and began working together. They released two singles on Daptone under the name “Charles Bradley and the Bullets,” but the Bullets soon dismantled. Charles lost his brother in a tragic shooting, that emotional loss led to the core of his songwriting. Putting words to paper to the microphone, Bradley and Brenneck created a masterpiece with the Menahan Street Band. The album is a beauty and Bradley deserves the love. His SXSW sessions were amazing and I thank Rafi (Tenacious Hand Stamp) and The Marina Machine for this artist rec!

Buy No Time For Dreaming on Vinyl

Vitals:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY (Bushwick)
Members: Charles Bradley, The Menahan Street Band (Leon Michels, Toby Pazner, Nick Movshon, Aaron Johnson, Mike Deller, Daniel Fodder, Dave Guy, Homer Steinweiss, Fernando Velez, Bosco Mann)
Sonic Soulmates: James Brown, Bill Withers, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Tyrone Davis
Trackables:
“The World (Is Going Up In Flames)”

“Golden Rule”

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Band of the Day (3.21.11) If By Yes

21 Mar

If By Yes is a creative collaboration that is brilliant!


Band of the Day (3.21.11) If By Yes

he buzz from Austin this year centered around last year’s buzz bands like Cults or James Blake. I also saw a ton of Mexican Summer artists’ like No Joy, etc. It was also a hip-hop reunion event with Snoop, De La Soul, etc. What wasn’t obvious was that the female lead is taking over 2011. With bands like Puro Instinct, Gypsy Death and You, Wye Oak, La Sera and many many more. I didn’t hear the buzz from our favorite females which means they need more love. That’s why today we present the incredible If By Yes and their debut LPSalt on Sea Glass, a collaborative project created by two fairly well known indie pop leads. Petra Haden, the vocalist behind the groundbreaking vocal projects Imaginaryland and Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out, is Elizabeth Frazeresque with her complex vocalizations and searing falsetto harmonies. Yuka Honda is the electronic wizard behind Cibo Matto, but she’s dabbled in jazz, and hip-hop over the past decade and half in NYC. These ladies and men are accompanied by David Byrne and Nels Cline of WIlco and their debut album is shockingly good.

If By Yes also includes guitarist Hirotaka “Shimmy” Shimizu and drummer Yuko Araki, both long time members of the Japanese band Cornelius. For Salt On Sea Glass, special guests include David Byrne (vocals & lyrics) on “Eliza”, guitarist Nels Cline, and remixes by Keigo “Cornelius” Oyamada. Also…you’ll find Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle/Fantomas/Madlove) on bass, Michael Leonhart on trumpet and Courtney Kaiser on backing vocals.
Buy the debut album on 3.22.11 (My Birthday) here

Vitals:
Hometown: New York
Members: Yuka Honda, Petra Haden, Hirotaka “Shimmy” Shimizu, Yuku Araki and guest appearances from David Byrne and Nels Cline
Sonic Soulmates: Sia, Cocteau Twins, Zero 7, Dead Can Dance
Trackables:
“You Feel Right (Cornelius Remix)” – Beautiful etherial mix.

“Eliza (Featuring David Byrne)” – David Byrne makes this a classic track. Yuka Honda shines here.

“Adrift” – It’s peaceful

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Band of the Day 3.16.11 – Nicolas Jaar

16 Mar

Santiago, Chile is called home for Nicholas Jaar


Band of the Day – Nicolas Jaar

James Blake is our modern day soul singer. Saying that, so is Bon Iver. It’s heavy electronic chillwave background instead of, let’s say, Ray Charles’ piano. Nicholas Jaar takes it up a notch by adding some international flare. He was born in NY, then quickly moved to Santiago, Chile. His love of electronic experimentation started at the ripe age of 14 and now he’s perfected the sound on Space is Only Noise. The latest fare from Jaar sounds a whole hell of lot like James Blake a sprinkle of Roger Waters’ Pink Floyd and a dash of Bon Iver. It’s brilliantly produced and it’s what will make 2011 a stand-out year.

Grab Space is Only Noise on Vinyl

Vitals:
Hometown: NY and Santiago, Chile
Members: Nicholas Jaar
Sonic Soulmates: James Blake, Bon Iver and Roger Waters’ Pink Floyd
Trackables:
“Colomb”

“Too Many Kids FInd Dust In The Rain”

“I Got A Woman” – Crazy way to give us Ray Charles..Jamie Foxx free…thank God.

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Official Site

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Band of the Day 3.15.11 The Luyas

15 Mar

Montreal is not just Arcade Fire land...it's home to the coolest band of 2011 The Luyas


Band of the Day 3.15.11 The Luyas

Another Canadian band, and this time it’s an ensemble with three records to their credit. The Luyas performed live for the first time in December 2006, released their first record, Faker Death in August 2007, and now have Too Beautiful To Work , one of the coolest records of the year. Buy it here on Vinyl please. They’re part Stereolab’s cool free form electronic rock/jazz with the simplicity of Architecture of Helsinki and the celebration of Los Campesinos! At times I think I’m listening to a clever Bjork album with Jessie’s vocals, but really I find her vocals to be right in line with our past BOD La Sera. It’s a moody album and the band definitely shows it’s Arcade Fire DNA. If you’re already a fan, then pass the link along, if not let them know how cool they are.

Vitals:
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Members:
Pietro Amato
Mathieu Charbonneau
Stefan Schneider
Jessie Stein
Sonic Soulmates: Los Campesinos!, La Sera, Stereolab, Tortoise and a little Arcade Fire
Trackables:
“Tiny Head” – My favorite track from the new record!

“Canary”

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