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[MP3] Owen – “I Believe”

August 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Mike Kinsella strikes again, and I don’t know how this escaped my eager ears for so long— a shamefully long two weeks— but a new Owen track by the name of “I Believe” can be streamed below. Presumably, it’s the instant MP3 download included with each pre-order of the forthcoming album, Ghost Town, due November 8th via Polyvinyl Records.

Listen as Kinsella begins his religious discourse over an intricately-plucked guitar and light percussion, and as he ups the tempo and offers his closing argument— “I believe there is only one truth / It resonates different in me and you / so don’t try to sell me yours.” Full lyrics are available over on the Owen bandcamp and are worthy of a thorough read-through, like most every Owen song.

[bandcamp track=163826137 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

BONUS: yesterday, Alternative Press premiered an exclusive track in the form of “No Place Like Home.”

Filed Under: Indie Folk, MP3, Owen, Polyvinyl

[Video/MP3] The Dean’s List – “Burn It All” + “Kryptonite Sanity Room”

August 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment

This post shares an eerie similarity to the last OnCue mp3/video combo post. Both were originally just about videos the respective artists had released, but then morphed to include a recently released song as well. If I were more timely, I’d have four posts written instead of only two, but this way offers more bang for you buck? Maybe? Let’s roll with that.

The Dean’s List slows it down in “Kryptonite Sanity Room,” adding a bit more introspection than their typical tracks and the results are undeniably phenomenal. I have to admit that, at six and a half minutes, “K. S. R.” tested my patience the first few listens, but lately I’ve been seeking this track out in my iTunes hourly.

The Dean’s List – “Kryponite Sanity Room”

In a complete turnaround, the video for “Burn It All” is 100% party-fueled fun: flashing lights, friends, some class D substances, and a giant inflatable monkey. The Elan Alexenberg-directed clip for this The Drive In standout, which can be seen below, premiered last week over on Good Music All Day in conjunction with the tour dates for the Pledge to Rage Tour— featuring Gilbere Forte, and previously mentioned OnCue.

There’s only one date that matters on that tour: October 1st at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. Seriously? Hynes Convention Center? Has there ever been a concert there? With all the universities and colleges in Boston, there had to be a better place willing to host this tour than the HCC. Don’t take that as a complaint though, I’m just a little confused.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XIj3ggOBHQ]

Filed Under: Hip Hop, MP3, The Dean's List, Video

[Video/MP3] OnCue – “Feel Tall” + “Don’t Fall For That”

August 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

OnCue‘s forthcoming Can’t Wait mixtape has been a long time coming, but each song I hear from the project makes the wait that much more tolerable. Last night, Cuey shared “Don’t Fall For That” via SoundCloud— it’s a short, live-sucker-free anthem with smooth production courtesy of Justin W. Listen below.

The young Brooklyn-based (by way of CT) rapper also released a video for the single “Feel Tall” in the last few weeks, which can be seen below. It’s simplistic in its approach, switching between visuals of Cuey on the mic and stop-motion photography of him goofing around. Proves he’s still having fun, handling whatever new-found fame he has well. Can’t Wait should garner him even more attention.

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/22097641"]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRbEj-AQcM]

Filed Under: Hip Hop, MP3, OnCue, Video

[MP3] Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – “Can’t Hold Us”

August 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Seattle MC Macklemore teams with long-time collaborator and producer Ryan Lewis again, releasing a high-octane blast in the form of “Can’t Hold Us.” The piano-driven song is a rush of adrenaline, with tribal drumming and a formidable horn section melting together seamlessly thanks to the talents of Lewis. As for Macklemore, his usual penchant for story-telling takes a bit of a back seat here. Instead, this end-of-summer anthem is all style and flowing delivery— proving that this young MC has a myriad of talents and knows how to use them.

The song was released to radio a little while ago, and should find easy success over the air waves. Below, you can stream and download the studio version of the track. I don’t know what future project “Can’t Hold Us” will end up on, but it promises to be fantastic.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – “Can’t Hold Us”

“Can’t Hold Us” is also the debut of Seattle native Ray Dalton, whose silky smooth vocals in the chorus add that indescribable ‘x’ factor to the song.

Filed Under: Hip Hop, Macklemore, MP3

[MP3] Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know”

August 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Gotye appeared as a tiny blip on my radar with his video for “Eyes Wide Open” last November, but has been flying in stealth mode since then. Or maybe I just wasn’t looking hard enough. In either case, I’m delighted to hear that his third album, Making Mirrors, is released tomorrow (August 19) via Eleven: a music company.

Current single “Somebody That I Used To Know,” which first started making the music-blog rounds in July, features the vocal talents of New Zealand-born Kimbra, allowing a brief, passionate interplay to take place between herself and Gotye as they tell of opposing sides of a hard break up.

Listen below, check out the video for the song over on youtube (simple and creative use of body paint to stunning effect), and somehow get your hands on Making Mirrors when it drops tomorrow.

Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know”

Filed Under: Gotye, Indie Pop, MP3

[Video] Boy & Bear – “Milk and Sticks”

August 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In Boy & Bear‘s latest video, for second Moonfire single “Milk and Sticks,” a cast of rodent-like, forest-dwelling creatures stalk the band, who are out for a pleasant day trip in the country. The song’s lyrics, of blending reality and dreams and the possible danger therein, play out nicely in the end, but you’ll have to watch the video below to see if the predators catch their prey.

Moonfire was released last week (August 9th), head over to iTunes to pick up your copy.

[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/27184787]

Filed Under: Boy and Bear, Indie Rock, Video

[MP3] Kevin Devine – “Off-Screen”

August 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It’s been nearly ten months since we’ve heard new material from prolific indie-folkster Kevin Devine as part of the Manchester Orchestra-affiliated outfit Bad Books, and over a year since Devine last released a short EP under his own name (She Stayed As Steam).

Now, on September 13, KDev returns with his sixth “solo” album, Between the Concrete and Clouds, via Razor & Tie/Favorite Gentlemen Recordings. Lead single “Off-Screen” premiered over at Spin not too long ago— its enticingly slow build-up and beautifully layered vocals make this a track that should leave you eager for more.

Perhaps most impressive is the flushed out, full-band sound— a rare occurrence on Devine records before 2009′s Brother’s Blood— provided by the six-person team known as The Goddamn Band, who provide backing support on every track on Between the Concrete and Clouds. When that opening build-up climaxes just before the two minute mark, the vocals take a back seat, allowing the song to be carried by the instrumental.

Kevin Devine – “Off-Screen”

[via]
[photo credit: Andreas Hornoff]

Filed Under: Favorite Gentlemen, Indie Folk, Kevin Devine, MP3

[Video] Man Overboard – “Montrose”

August 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Last week, Man Overboard and We’ve Got You Covered teamed up to premiere a video for Real Talk standout “Montrose,” which can be seen below.

The next few months are vital for the band, with their self-titled album due out September 27th via Rise Records and a slot on the “Pop Punk’s Not Dead” tour with New Found Glory, Set Your Goals, The Wonder Years, and This Time Next Year. While Man Overboard already has a solid following, this record and pop-punk dream tour could launch them to new levels of success.

On October 27th the tour pulls into Boston for a stop at the House of Blues. Tickets are $20 + fees, and can be ordered through Live Nation.

[brightcove vid=1099827868001&exp3=88099121001&surl=http://c.brightcove.com/services&pubid=85688275001&pk=AQ~~,AAAAE_NrUDk~,9UfhLajbcOlyPMfj8agIezIfOO7dbe4P&w=300&h=225]

[via]

Filed Under: Man Overboard, MP3, Pop-punk

[MP3] Make Wave – “Dune What I Want”

August 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Summer’s winding down quickly, but don’t fret! There’s still a month to fit in all the cookouts, beach time, and outdoor concerts you can. There’s also time for one last push of summer jams, and today’s comes courtesy of the western MA-based trio Make Wave— purveyors of infectious surf-pop in the vein of Real Estate or Surfer Blood, but crisper and less reliant on distortion and feedback.

There’s a shroud of mysterious air hanging over the band, with relatively little information available about them. From a quick search and some reading, it appears that several members spend some time recording as Chalk Talk, an indie-emo revival act. No amount of searching, however, reveals plans for a physical release of their debut album Yeah, So or upcoming tour dates.

“Dune What I Want” is all fun from the start, relentless in its charm and an irresistibly good listen. Check out the rest of Make Waves’ tunes over on bandcamp.

[bandcamp track=476205477 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Filed Under: Make Wave, MP3, Surf-pop

[MP3] Misser – “Just Say It”

August 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I don’t like posting Youtube streams of songs, so let’s hope the guys in Misser— Brad Wiseman of This Time Next Year and Tim Landers of Transit— don’t mind me posting a ripped MP3 stream instead. If you’re a fan of either of the affiliated bands, you should get into this easily. If you don’t know either of the affiliated bands, you should know that I’m on a huge pop-punk kick lately and Misser is one of the most promising bands in the scene.

They’re working on a new EP, with a goal of releasing it later this year but there’s not an exact release date just yet. All I can say is I hope they get it out soon, and find some time to tour in support of it. Working from opposite coasts, and around their full-time projects’ schedules, is no easy feat, but Brad and Tim seem more than capable of managing it.

Misser – “Just Say It”

Youtube stream can be found here.

Filed Under: Misser, MP3, Pop-punk
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