Band of the Day (8.19.11) Craft Spells

19 Aug

Spell Crafted bitch...my pants are way too tight and my 80's are on right now!


Band of the Day (8.19.11) Craft Spells

You know when you haven’t seen someone in a while and you stumble on them….forgeting their name but recognizing their face…you say “Hey Man, what’s up dude???” Well I feel that way almost daily when I hear new bands. I know you look and sound familiar but I just can’t find the name. Craft Spells reminds me of my college buddy that I saw at Peet’s coffee yesterday. What the hell is his name? Well if it’s Craft Spells it’s more like my 7th grade buddy, due to their 1983 modern new wave KROQ stylings. I liken them most to Joy Division oddly cute 18 year daughter. Or if you want to get all weird about it, how about Joy Division’s new spawn having their own child…like Seapony or Beach Fossils. Or what the hell is that band’s name again?

Vitals:
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Members:
Justin Vallesteros
Jack Smith
Peter Michel
Javier Suarez
Sonic Soulmates: Joy Division, Seapony, Beach Fossils
Trackables:
“Party Talk” – We first heard in August of last year…a year ago. The album came out in March.

“After the Moment” – Your Junior Senior moment of the day. Fucking love this song! Just so you know, my hair is plastered to my head, my jeans are way too tight and I just totally blew a speaker in my mom’s Fiero. Wait it’s not 1986.

Follow:
My_____
Facebook

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Band of Day (8.8.11) YOUNG GIRLS

9 Aug

I found this band from a Google search...Young Girls


Band of Day (8.8.11) YOUNG GIRLS

As the Turk told me last night, “Don’t Google search these dudes…” well I did and I got what I expected. Knowing that these Houston lads had a strong single floating around the intertubes in “Mexico In December”, my search was made much easier. The threesome garage rocksters bring happy summer sounds with a 60’s flare and a peaceful warrior approach. I love the echo harmonies, reminds me of KROQ circa 1985 when the first wave literally crashed into the garage punks. Harlem from our 2010 NBD collection is a quick reminder of their sound, but I give the Sonic Soulmate nod to Surfer Blood. Houston isn’t a hotbed for surfers, but I hear that the dudes from Surfer Blood don’t surf either, so here’s to Texas’ surf rock…yeehaw dude!

VITALS:
HOMETOWN: Houston, TX
MEMBERS: Charlie, Luis Carlos, and Pete (SEND ME LAST NAMES PLEASE)
SONIC SOULMATES: Surfer Blood, Cooler than but Vampire Weekend, Fang Island
TRACKABLES:
“Mexico in December”

“Six Pack Back Stab”

FOLLOW YOUNG GIRLS:
MySpace
Facebook
Spotify
Buy it
Book em

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Band of the Day (8.4.11) Shalants or The Shalants

4 Aug

The Bay Area has a scene and it's not non-Shalant with The Shalants


Band of the Day (8.4.11) Shalants or The Shalants

Nothing more homer love for home town heroes. Shalants are bluesy and ballsy and they hail from San Francisco. Their recently released self-titled album is that good. “That Good” means that you must tell your friends that Shalants are your new favorite band. Listen to “The Mercury Twins” below and you’ll be screaming for more. So I posted another track just so you stopped begging. Trust us and we’ll trust you. They’re part of the emerging SF psych surf, garage scene that includes some of our faves like Sonny and the Sunsets, Girls and The Fresh & Onlys.

Grab the album here…support these lads
Vitals:
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Members: Miller Carr Robin Macmillan Jacob Silver Brett Eastman
Sonic Soulmates: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Tom Waits, The Walkmen, The Kinks and Neil Young + Sonny and the Sunsets, Girls and The Fresh & Onlys.
Trackables:
“The Mercury Twins”

“The Deserter” – I promise that this will be the track you talk about to all your friends.

Follow:
MySpace
Facebook —- Come on boys get with the times

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Band of the Day (7.25.11) Brown Recluse

26 Jul

A brown recluse is horrid, Brown Recluse is pleasantly summerific.


Band of the Day (7.25.11) Brown Recluse

Back is back and I won’t apologize. Busy and the music has dried up…really the music coming out really is weak. It’s not an excuse, it’s just the truth. A ton of sophomore albums from our favorites have hit the streets…list coming soon. Today’s band, Brown Recluse, was on our radar last year with an EP that turned our heads. Now with Evening Tapestry hitting the eplaces, including Spotify, we’re finding much love for them again. They’re a little XX/XY with that Belle and Sebastian edge. Is that an edge? A brown recluse is probably the most disgusting spider on the planet. It’s poisonous bite eats away at your skin and creates quarter-sized craters in your skin, especially grotesque when conducting a google search for the band…the band not so disgusting. They pleasant summer breezy sound will get you through the long hot or oddly globally warmed American landscape. Give em your love. I’m gonna start adding Spotify links too.

Vitals:
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Members: Tim Meskers | Mark Saddlemire | Herbie Shellenberger | Daniel Steinberg
Sonic Soulmates: The Beach Boys, Belle and Sebastian, The Zombies
Trackables:
“Impressions of a City Morning” – Summer love

Follow:
Spotify
Facebook

Another Digital Album

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Best of 2011…SO FAR — The List

24 Jun

Battery about to die and it's at :11 minutes for the 11 best of 2011...eerie.


I can’t wait until next week. I’m anxious and excited and I just want to get it over with…you understand, the anticipation to tell someone some good news. So I’m all alone in a dark hotel room, I think the electricity just crapped out on me, so it means I have :11 minutes on my Mac to make this shizzle fo real. SO here it is, 11 Bands for 2011 in all it’s glory… THE BEST OF 2011…SO FAR

11. Other Lives – This is the band that won’t leave my playlists for 2011. I love them hard.
“Tamer Animals”

10. Suuns – 2010 year end dandies have captured our hearts in 2011.
“Arena”

9. Code Pie – The BSS of 2011. Canadian love children with layered sounds.
“Love Meets Rage”

8. Widowspeak – We were there in the beginning. We’ve heard from the fans and we’ve watched them skyrocket up our PAGEVIEW list. Wow. They have more traffic then all of the 2011 bands combined. Just listen.
“Harsh Realm”

7. Sun Airway – Found them to be the most delightful band of 2011. I think they’ll move up the charts by year end.
“Waiting On You”

6. The Vaccines – They are the ROCK darlings of 2011 and if you haven’t heard their singles then you’re trapped in a Chilean coal mine.
“Blow it Up”

5. The Antlers – One word “FINALLY” they’ve hit the hipster mainstage. We love them.
“Rolled Together”

4. The Donkeys – The Turk found these San Diego stoney garage boys.
“I Like the Way You Walk”

3. Seapony – The Trio from Seattle is our Tennis of 2011. So Spectory good.
“Always” – A little early Cure guitar riff.

2. James Vincent McMorrow – Do you know me? Really have you been reading us for awhile? Then you know we love Singer/Songwriters and JVM is better than them all this year.
“If I Had A Boat” – Try not to tear up.

1. Star Slinger – Dude has been a DJ for less than a year and his stuff is otherworldly.
“Mornin'”

GIVING YOU THE BIRD…THE WHOLE 2011…SO FAR PLAYLIST —>

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Band of the Day (6.24.11) Statue of Liberty

24 Jun

I feel like it's already July 4th celebrating XX/XY sparklers with Statue of Liberty


Band of the Day (6.24.11) Statue of Liberty

I’m a sucker for the XX/XY duo, especially when they have that wailing folky guitar. I write and I write and I write about these girl boy bands and it never ceases to amaze me that I just can’t get enough of them. Statue of Liberty hail from Des Moines, IA. They started as a solo project and then they joined forces to create a quick EP with an album on it’s way. Their two tracks are below. I liken them to this new and watered down version of TV On The Radio with a sprinkle of Paste Magazines finest bands. They do a lot of jockeying for vocal leads, but Bobby seems to always win. They’re male led and they sound great. Enjoy them.

Don’t forget on July 1st…look for “The Best of 2011…So Far” and the secret link to our “Giving you the Bird Vol. 1 Playslist” to celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

Vitals:
Hometown: Des Moines, IA
Members: Bobby Bradford, Miss Marywood Kate
Sonic Soulmates: This new softer version of TV on the Radio, interesting XX/XY duos Tweedy and Feist, Plant and Krauss, John Heart Jackie, The Civil Wars
Trackables:
“Back To You (Demo)”

“Days Gone By (Demo)”

Follow:
Facebook
MySpace
Official

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Band of the Day (6.22.11) The Dø

22 Jun

One of our new faves are The Dø


Band of the Day (6.22.11) The Dø

Amazingly enough bands these days bands still have that raw association with The Beatles. The goofy British humor, the lightly distorted guitars, the eco-sounds of trains and cars all make The Dø much like The Beatles. They claim to be a folk/pop band that formed in 2007. The members hail from Paris, France and Helsinki, Finland and the music plays with hip-hop, eco-sounds, classical and a little goofiness similar to Architecture in Helsinki. Think MIA with one part Beatles, one part Bjork and a whole heck of lot of CocoRosie. The band’s debut record was called A Mouthful and was released within Europe in 2008 and was released in the US last April. The new record “Both Way Open Jaws” just hit the streets and

Don’t forget on July 1st…look for “The Best of 2011…So Far” and the secret link to our “Giving you the Bird Vol. 1 Playslist” to celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

Vitals:
Hometown: Paris, FR and Helsinki, Finland
Members: Dan Levy and Olivia B. Merilahtin
Sonic Soulmates: The Cardigans, Blonde Redhead, Bjork, The Fiery Furnaces and CocoRosie
Trackables:
“Smash Them All (Night Visitors)” –

“Too Insistent”

Follow:
Facebook
MySpace
Official — Listen to the entire album here!

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Best of 2011…SO FAR

21 Jun

So it’s here, well almost here… July 1st marks the 182nd Day of the Year. Thats the official 50% day, the half-time of 2011 and our time to post the best new bands of 2011…SO FAR. So get on it and let us know who you love and who we missed.

COME ON….let’s do this!

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Bitch is back — Band of the Day (6.20.11) Sun Airway

20 Jun

Sun Airway is to music as beer is to summer...f'n perfect!


Band of the Day (6.20.11)

We’re buried in bands and electronically buried in MP3s. So many tracks, bands and albums to wade through, we really don’t know where to start. Arizona Turk had a mild stroke with our hiatus, but we’re back and the bitch is ready to burst with some tracks and bands that will blow your mind. Let’s begin with our schedule for this week. Starting tomorrow we will be counting down the Top 10 Band of 2011…SO FAR. We’re also celebrating our 1 year anniversary so as a gift to our loyal readers, we’re “Giving You the Bird”…literally, the playlist for download. Let us know your email and the playlist will be in your inbox. Happy listening and thank you for being here for the ride.

Our Band of the Day Today is Sun Airway. If you’ve followed our little blog since 2010, you’ll know we had a little band crush on Lord Huron. Actually we still do…but he’s so big now, we’ve sent him off to the masses for their enjoyment. A happy graduation of sorts. We compared Huron to the layered “Pet Sound” for the Little Mermaidians. That oceanic version of Animal Collective. Well Sun Airway is like being on the ship that sails over Lord Huron’s underwater dream. Click here to hear a little Huron. Sun Airway is the comfortable pun intended blanket of sunshine that envelopes you when you hear great summer tunes. It’s relaxing layered psych pop that makes for a great Saturday afternoon in the heat of summer. I love Sun Airway and they will hopefully get past the hipster union and make a name for themselves. Enjoy the tracks below, because we’re in love…again.

Vitals:
Hometown: Philadelphia-based project
Members: ex-A-Sides Patrick Marsceill and Jon Bathmus
Sonic Soulmates: Lord Huron, Animal Collective, Here We Go Magic (Featured on NBD 3.25.10)
Trackables:
“Waiting On You” – Love the summer sound

“Oh, Naoko” – From their original EP, and as Pet Soundy as you can get. Great track

“Swallowed By The Night” – Here is my description…the soundtrack to a bearded hipster Carnival Cruise line to Ensenada

Follow:
Band Official Site
MySpace
Facebook

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UPDATE: The Documentary “All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records”

1 Jun

All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records

As many of you know, I have a storied history with Tower Records. I was the head of marketing for many years and the day we shut the doors was one of the toughest days of my life. It’s history and the story needs to be told. Trust me, it’s a great story. Colin Hanks started a the process and he needs us, those who loved the culture of Tower Records to bring this documentary to the screen. Check out the KickStarter page here and give a little if you can.

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Band of the Day (6.1.11) The Antlers

1 Jun

Long Overdue, Brooklyn Hipsters Bring A New Record and More Love


Band of the Day (6.1.11) The Antlers

Long overdue is how I describe our band for today. Their 2007 “In The Attic of the Universe” and 2009’s “Hospice’ were quality rock/electronic records. They have an inventive sound, recording extended tracks in their bathtubs, with the dueling XX/XY vocals. Their sound has evolved into a mature electronic sound. I’m proud to post The Antlers and they deserved the nod so long ago, but we weren’t here so long ago, so don’t blame us. The best way to describe their sound, one part moody brit electronics of South, one party Elizabeth Fraser, and a drop of Grandaddys lo-fi electronic sound.

Buy the new album now Burst Apart and get “Hospice” on MP3 for free…
Vitals:
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Members:
Peter Silberman
Michael Lerner
Darby Cicci
Sonic Soulmates: South, Cocteau Twins, Grandaddy, Air
Trackables:
“Rolled Together” – A mellow Airish track that will pull you way up to the clouds

“No Widows” – Cocteau Twins meet South

Follow:
MySpace
Official Site
Twitter

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Band of the Day (5.23.11) Seapony

23 May

Seapony are what make music. Spector soul with a lot of dreamy spice.


Band of the Day (5.23.11) Seapony

There was a time last year where all we could talk about at NBD was the power of Tennis. The married Denver couple that sailed the high seas of the Atlantic, wrote amazing songs about inlets and seaports and then crushed it with a fantastic record. We missed that series of knock-offs, that usually follow successful indie trends. Days, months and almost a year went by before we heard a knock-off or at least a band that sounded similarly good. Seapony does the dreamy, female led 50’s pop that made 2010 a great music year. Seapony does that Phil Spector sound so well, you almost forget that you’re listening to contemporary music. The Seattle trio, give us one of our favorite tracks of 2011…so far. You’ll be getting this in your email box if you a fan on Facebook. The album releases on 5/31…pre-order it here. By the way we love them even more for their midwestern roots..Oklahoma and of course Lawrence, KS home to our Music Muse.

Vitals:
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Members: Seapony is songwriter Danny Rowland, singer Jen Weidl, and bass player Ian Brewer
Sonic Soulmates: La Sera, Tennis, Eternal Summers, Emily Haines
Trackables:
“Always” – My fave from these lads…one of our 5 for 11.

“With You” – Tennis served well in 2011. Good solid Spector 50’s pop track

“Dreaming”

Follow:
MySpace
Facebook

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Band of the Day (5.16.11) The Donkeys…are RAWSOME!

16 May

San Diego is not a whale's vagina it's home to The Donkeys


Band of the Day (5.16.11) The Donkeys

The Turk was on fire last week, sending me some true gems. He’s a sucker for being the guy that finds the Gem of the year. He almost did in 2010, but The Radio Dept. was my find. Haha, all said and done, he’s a master of the dig and finds some amazing bands. The next several weeks will be peppered with his new favorites. Check out The Donkeys today. These boys from San Diego, Timothy DeNardo, Anthony Lukens, and Sam Sprague first played together as teenagers, and Jessie Gulati joined later in a band named the Moon and Sixpence soon after graduation. They have three albums under their belts, full of tunes sparkled with “Dad listened to this when he was in college” sound. It’s raga mixed with garage guitars and a Doors keyboard underpinning that makes me wonder whether these guys are 24 or 64. Born With Stripes which is a marvelous collection of tunes or an album of psych-rocking Sixties style geared most for the Indian in the desert exploration. Buy it on LP here. There is a track on this record that is probably my favorite of 2011, and the record is skyrocketing up our list at the NBD office. Listen to “I Like The Way You Walk” and tell me you love it! Hell they actually are self described as “Rad and Awesome had a baby.” or as we call them RAWSOME. Love the San Diego vibe and the psych-rock groove. 1111 Facebook fans so the band is gaining traction.

Vitals:
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Members: Timothy DeNardo, Anthony Lukens, Sam Sprague and Jessie Gulati
Sonic Soulmates: Pavement, Wilco, The Thrills
Trackables:
“I Like The Way You Walk” – Might be my favorite track of the year. DOWNLOAD IT HERE

“Born With Stripes” – Retro-psych rock —- Title track.

Follow:
MySpace
Facebook
Dead Oceans – Label Site

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