New Cut Copy!That great Australian electro-pop band, Cut Copy, has finally released some new material. After 2008's "In Ghost Color's" (Modular Recordings) the band has been touring, and touring and touring and touring and well that's about it. Can't blame a band for taking full advantage of the wave of recognition, but let's get some new tunes already! Well, we have one, one. In advance of their summer festival tour (including a prime time slot at Lollapalooza Saturday August 7th) we are greeted with "Where I'm Going". Well worth the wait to be sure.

Download: Cut Copy – Where I’m Going

Better Know a Lolla Band...

We return to our off-and-on series, "Better Know A Lolla Band" with the fabulous Matt & Kim. Created in 2004 by Pratt Institute students Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino, the d.i.y. dance pop band has been featured on several tv soundtracks and commercials. The tune "Daylight" was featured on the FIFA 2010 soundtrack as well as the show Entourage's final credits in season 6. 2 records in and a third on the way. Matt & Kim will be performing at the Siren Festival, Fuji Rock, Pukkelpop as well as our very own Lollapalooza. Their set begins at 5:00pm Friday follwing Devo on the south end of the park. However, *conflict alert*; the Black Keys begin at 6:00 at the North Stage, just as Matt & Kim finish up on the South end. It's a 15 min. walk easy, do the math...
Enjoy the shocking video for my personal favorite "Lessons Learned"

Today, a delicious summer-jam from Milwaukee's Kings Go Forth. Part of this beautiful neo-soul revival that has been bubbling up over the past few years, these guys get it right! So, get in the car and roll down the windows and turn it up, all the way up!

Kings Go Forth - One Day

A Band a Day Keeps the Boredom Away.

I found this band on NPR's All Songs Considered and was lovestruck. The band are Lower Dens out of Baltimore. The band features Jana Hunter who transplanted from Houston to form the group, along with 3 more fine folks. I've seen quite few interesting bands coming out of Baltimore recently, Beach House and Future Islands among them. Must be all those thousand dollar fondant draped Charm City cakes. Enjoy the lead single off the forthcoming record "Twin Hand Movement" (due July 20th on Gnomosong Records) titled "Hospice Gates".

Lower Dens – “Hospice Gates”

My top 10 records of 2010 thus far.

With the first half of 2010 officially in the books, it is time to recap. We've been blessed with another bumper crop of amazing music so far. Here are a few favorites I've found along the way. The 2nd half of looks to be just as solid with records due from The Arcade Fire, Blonde Redhead, !!!, Of Montreal and others, stayed tuned!

1. Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Download: The Cave

2. The Black Keys - Brothers
Download: “Everlasting Light” by The Black Keys

3. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
Download: LCD Soundsystem : Dance Yrself Clean

4. The Apples in Stereo - Travelers in Space and Time
Download: “Dance Floor”: mp3

5. Sleigh Bells - Treats
Download: Sleigh Bells – Tell ‘Em

6. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
Download: Neon Indian - Terminally Chill

7. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night
Download: Besnard Lakes – And This Is What We Call Progress

8. The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Download: The Morning Benders – All Day Daylight

9. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - I Learned the Hard Way
Download: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - I Learned The Hard Way

10. Tarlton - Evergreen's
Download: "Learn By Example"

5 bands i would sell a limb to go see at Pitchfork next month. It's a one festival summer for me unfortunately...

1. LCD Soundsystem
Download: You Wanted A Hit – LCD Soundsystem

2. Best Coast
MP3: Best Coast – “When I’m With You”

3. Neon Indian

melophobe | Neon Indian - That Tent (Bonnaroo 2010; June 10)

DOWNLOAD: Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer (MP3)

4. Sleigh Bells

"Rill Rill"

5. Why?

WHY? - The Hollows (MP3)

Alright, back to business! Today's selection for "Better Know A Lolla Band" is the wonderful Dawes. I first heard of these fine fella's via Minnesota Public Radio 89.3 The Current (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/) and have been hooked ever since. Their beautifully vintage sound hearkens back to the CSNY/Neil Young Laurel Canyon style digs of the late 60's/early 70's. Recorded 100% on lush analog reel-to-reel, the debut record "North Hills" is the sound of the summer for me. One posted on YouTube that this song will "I feel confident that this is one of those songs that will define a time in my life. When I listen to this twenty years from now, I will be transported to this exact moment", I don't believe any finer comment can be had! Dawes will likely fall into the "also played" category for many festival-goers this year being scheduled across from The XX and Grizzly Bear. I suppose it will depend on how the day plays out, but i certainly hope to catch at least a portion of the show. Interesting side note, Dawes has a local connection, with Wilco's Pat Sansone appearing on the debut record. So enjoy Dawes "When My Time Comes", my dear fiends!


To add this to your catalog, here is the mp3.
http://www.box.net/shared/static/djfd2tfty8.mp3

I hear a good deal of vintage Veruca Salt circa Sleeper Car/Twinstar etc in today's"Better Know a Lolla Band" entry, Warpaint. A 3 piece described as experimental post punk, these young ladies have been favored by several of the Hollywood set including Heath Ledger and John Frusciante. Warpaint performs mid-day Saturday on the Grove Stage @ 2:15. The Grove Stage provides a fairly compelling lineup Saturday with The Morning Benders (a MUST see!), Harlem, Deer Tick and Edward Sharpe (and Dawes, I'll pass on that one). Warpaint have put out only but one record on Manimal Vinyl, and have already garnered quite a following for their dreamy performances. I plan on visiting the Grove to check out the show despite the amazing Stars performing at the same time.

I am momentarily breaking with the Lollapalooza theme to bring you the new Blonde Redhead track "Here Sometimes".


Go to http://www.blonde-redhead.com/ to pick up a free copy of the MP3

Without a doubt, my most anticipated show of the entire festival is the incredible Mumford & Sons. The debut record, by this English quartet, "Sigh No More" has been on heavy rotation since first being introduced to me by the equally amazing 89.3 The Current (Minneapolis/St.Paul) earlier this year. The band is wildly ambitious blend of bluegrass and indie folk pop, with an undeniably infectious sentimentality coupled with the fiery delivery akin to that of early Bill Monroe or the Carter Family. The lyrics tread upon fairly well worn themes of the aching of an unrequited love, loss and the longing there-of, however are dealt to the listener with such genuine anguish and fire that one cannot help but to become fully engulfed in his turmoil and rise to the occasion as a brother in his struggles. And then, in 4 minutes or so, it's over and on to the next track. The record plays like that of an PBS Masterpice Theater episode or perhaps a drug-store paperback, i'm not sure which, but the power in each and every track is infectious. I've run through this record no less than 2 dozen times and am as equally moved each and every time. The reports flooding in of their triumphant set at last weeks Bonnaroo festival have only served to ratchet up the anticipation. Sunday looks to be a fairly intense afternoon of contiguous amazement with The Antlers, The Dodo's, Blitzen Trapper, our blessed heros Mumford & Sons, and Frightened Rabbit finally culminating in the Arcade Fire (the topic of the antagonistic cruelty of the Lolla schedulers placing them across from Soundgarden will be saved for another day...). Ready yourselves for an intense afternoon not unlike that of a southern revival. The following film clip will serve to only minimally convey the power of this band. Enjoy "Little Lion Man".

Few things more irritating than a band for whom i care less, puts out a song that despite my efforts to the contrary, i like. It's is further irritating when this band has been putting out crap for 30+ (with a 20 year gap) and comes up with a solid tune. All this is compounded by having this band play Lolla during a time-slot for which i thought i had made up my mind... This band, of course, is Devo. Yes, that Devo. Now i cannot swear as to the merits of the new record, more often than not another writer, produced or what-have-you comes in to "brush things up" (or Whip It Up if you will. What, that's not funny? Puns are the forgotten step child of humor.), but what i do know is that the new single is good. So for your review i present "Fresh" from the new record titled "Something for everybody".

http://kickkicksnare.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Fresh.mp3

Better Know a Lolla band...

As one with a wee cherub, the opportunity to see many (most) of the bands that interest me are very few and VERY far between. Fortunately for me (and YOU) we have here in Chicago the beautiful Lollapaloozea festival. As a result of my parental condition and musical addiction, the whole of my calendar year revolves around the festival. This years lineup, once again, does not disappoint. Of course there's the ultramega (2 points if you get the reference) huge headliners, but this is hardly the draw from my perspective. So to peek your interest, should you be attending, i am going to partake in a daily (more or less) "Better Know a Lolla Band" post, giving some insight to a few of the other bands gracing the stage in August.

Kicking things off, we have the fabulous These United States, who incidentally are kicking off the festival as well. These fine fella's hail from D.C. and Lexington Ky. Having been around for a bit now, they have their 3rd record coming out in July. These United States have a local connection as well, having recorded bits of the first record "A Picture Of The Three Of Us At The Gate To The Garden Of Eden" in various places in and around Elgin and Chicago. These guys are a lot of fun and should start things off in a great direction. Hopefully they will fare a bit better than last years kick-off band Hockey, who's rain-soaked set was plagued with sound issues (they'll get their chance to redeem their ill-fated set this year with a prime slot Sunday on The Grove stage (seriously heavy duty lineup for that stage Sunday, by the way).

So to kick things off for the festival and my little blog, enjoy These United States "Honor Amongst Thieves"