Arcade Fire‘s official release date for their new album is August 3rd, aptly titled ‘The Suburbs’ a place I fear most. When Thoreau said, ‘the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation’ I believe he spoke of all men who retreat into the suburbs each evening from the city. It’s a quiet, unnerving space. It’s a place of unquantifiable boredom and routine. Maybe that’s not what they were going for? Its just my opinion.

The two new tracks from The Suburbs has that brooding contemplation, that quiet fear of domesticated life. I’m excited for another melodramatic release from this Canadian indie empire.

Arcade Fire- Suburbs

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Arcade Fire- Month of May

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Suckers‘ new album ‘Wild Smile’ is out June 8th and it’s got that danceability, the whole safari, heavy percussion thing with (yes) wild vocals. There’s a substantial amount of weird too. It includes the two previous hits ‘It Gets Your Body Moving’ and ‘Black Sheep’. The track ‘Before Your Birthday Ends’ is a breezy falsetto track and ‘You Can Keep Me Runnin Around’ is another great anthem with lots of yeah yeah oh yeahs.

Suckers- You Can Keep Me Runnin’ Around

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Suckers- Before Your Birthday Ends

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What a wonderful surprise to grab the new Kurt Vile EP for free last week via. Matador. Since then, I’ve been listening to it on repeat, it’s such a lovely follow up to Childish Prodigy. I love the song, ‘I Know I’ve Got Religion’ and ‘Ocean City’ it’s the perfectly hazy psychedelic acoustic stuff that always gets me, especially during these summer days. It’s complimentary to the woodsy scenery that invades my immediate horizon, just miles and miles of forests. I’ve been walking through them, deep, just listening to this EP makes it all so magical.

Kurt Vile- Ocean City

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The new Tokyo Police Club record is phenomenal. They’ve got these great pop songs, electronic beats, sharp and smart lyrics for dudes who aren’t trying to be anything other than themselves. It seems they stick quite loyally to the ethos of their band’s sound, they’re not trying to assimilate and in that, I think they’ve created some tracks of substance that’ll outlast the hype.

I especially love ‘Favourite Food’ that starts slow and sad, a song about death and old age, and it picks up halfway and releases as this power jam, like a revival, a second chance at life. It’s beautiful. I also really love ‘Hands Reversed’ a song I’d first heard played acoustically, with the expansive sound of a full band, it sounds complete. The lyrics are charming as he sings, “you were always the first, but I think you’ve got your hands reversed”.

I’m so excited about the direction this Toronto-based band is going. I think they’re going to be the rare case to break through the Toronto music shell that so selfishly hoards some of our best artists for native ears. You guys really don’t know what you’re missing up here. Anyway, check out their new video for Breakneck Speed, edited by my friends over at Humble Empire.

My friends over at Swapdoodles, the San Diego-based analog art empire have teamed up with FWBA for a little campaign to get you to draw a ‘respectable animal’ with a hat, send it in and you get a sweet-ass mixtape from me! For those of you who are still terribly uncool, Swapdoodles encourages anyone and everyone to start doodling, send in whatever you want (WHATEVER) to the HQ, and in return you get someone else’s doodle. So, the challenge, or perhaps, request, is that you draw an animal with a hat, it should look pretty spiffy. Andrea was going to draw a bunny, but oh wait- she killed one this weekend up at her cottage. Murderer!

Anyway, if you want the mix, and like to draw- send your ‘respectable animal w. hat’ doodle to:

Swapdoodles

3930 Utah Street Suite D

San Diego, CA 92104

Thanks! Hope you like the jams.

Lately, it seems I can’t tell the difference between any of these bedroom projects, the ambient noise samples, soft enough to mellow you out for an afternoon, but not distinct enough to remember.

Quite honestly, Blackbird Blackbird sets itself apart somehow, not sure, maybe a bit more melodic? The songs all have their own vibe, but it’s entirely happy, hence the  EPs name ‘Happy High’ I really think you guys should grab this one, and why not? It’s free. Check out their tumblr page too, it’s pretty sweet! I really like the Coma Cinema remix too.

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Blackbird Blackbird- Kings

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Blackbird Blackbird- So Sorry Girl

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Menomena‘s album ‘Mines Final’ drops July 27th via Barsuk- be prepared for something a little darker, a little more anxious, sweeping, and expansive! There are elements of beat-driven, electronic songs but there is still that full instrumentation, of feeling like the two coexist, machine and instrument, and they blend is an eerie way, with echoey vocals and a fair amount of strange sounds and tinkerings in the background. I would liken this record to Yeasayer, but a little more accessible, a little more rock. Right now, I’m really feeling ‘Dirty Cartoons’ it reminds me a little of Arcade Fire, the whole song feels like sad and slow, mixing minimalistic acoustic parts that build and retreat, something of a journey.

Menomena- Killemall

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Menomena- Lunchmeat

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All I know about this man is that his name is Joe Pruitt and he’s apart of Family Trees, he plays fuzzed out psych-pop music that I just recently, and immediately fell in love with. There isn’t much information that I can find other than he’s giving his album away for free. So I strongly urge you to do so HERE.

Son of Rams- 7th Wonder

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Son of Rams- This Wisdom

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Thanks to Stephen (Cosmic Sound) for sending this my way. This ambient project of ‘lost vhs tapes, forgotten sounds and lucid dreams’ has a beautiful, cascading dream-like quality. And the video posted up on his page is phenomenal, it’s a visceral experience, blending strange old-school clips to move to a rhythm. You can download his EP VHS VISION on his MySpace.

Cosmic Sound- Night Owl

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Mountain Man Records is a Long Beach-based label that has a growing roster of stellar independent artists. My particular affection for all LBC music continues to likewise, grow, with a few good finds from their collective including Brown&Blue and French Quarter, which I’m delighted to share with you all.

Brown&Blue

Brown&Blue is a Long Beach band that plays ‘dad rock’ music, although I’m not sure my dad is cool enough for this. Their latest album ‘Second Chances’ is an decidedly unpolished rock album that reminds me of radio songs of the seventies, I’ve been really into it lately. You can stream the full album HERE.

Brown&Blue- Track 6

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Brown&Blue- Track 5

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French Quarter

French Quarter (Steven Steinbrick) is one of my new favorite dudes, simply because his discography is impossibly prolific, and he includes FULL contact information on his MySpace should you feel the need to talk to him immediately. With consistent touring, while pounding out that much music, this dude is a machine. His latest effort, ‘It’s Not Just Kissing’ is haunted, minimalistic and echoey, like Woods. He’s got the saddest falsetto voice. I found a track (although I’m not sure off where) called ‘For Andy’ and I’ve been listening to it on repeat, it’s so sombre and lonely, perfect for me ! He’s also got a live DVD out called ‘Live at the Sandlot’ that you really need to check out, and while you’re there- check out the tour dates.

French Quarter- For Andy

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French Quarter- Neighbours in the Bedroom

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