ARCADEFIRE ARCADEFIRE ARCADEFIRE

Ok, so the new songs in their entirety are up on the web and I’m pppprrrreeeettttyyyy stoked. “The Suburbs” and “Month of May” are from the yet to be titled upcoming LP from Arcade Fire, due out at some point this summer. The plan was for them to debut on NPR tomorrow, but they ended up on BBC Radio and then some blog and then every blog, go figure.

MP3 Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
MP3 Arcade Fire – Month of May

The Suburbs sounds like a really polished song from their first EP, pretty minimal instrumentation by AF’s standards, relying more on Win Bulter’s lyrics. I can’t make them all out yet, but I like what I hear so far, and this is already on the list of “songs I actively want to listen to”. The other track, Month of May, I am officially dubbing The Arcade Fire Punk Song (©2010). I wouldn't say it’s a bad song, it’s just kind of silly for me to hear a straight punk song from a group of kids who dress like puritan farmers.


As we near June I’ve been thinking about the music that has come out in the past year, and as I love lists I’ve made a few.

5 Favorite Albums

Liars – Sisterworld
Owen Pallett – Heartland
Sleigh Bells – Treats
Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
These New Puritans - Hidden

5 Favorite Songs
Liars – Scissor
Owen Pallett – Lewis Takes His Shirt Off
Flying Lotus – Computer Face // Pure Being
Massive Attack – Babel
The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio

These are in no particular order, except that I can definitely say Scissor from Liars is my favorite song of 2010 thus far. Give me a week w/ these AF tracks and I might change my mind.

Whats In My Ears:

MP3 Sleigh Bells – Run The Heart
MP3 Tobacco ft/Beck – Fresh Hex
MP3 Liars – Scissor

[Album] Grizzly Bear – Live @ Pitchfork Festival ‘09

~David Ballou

Hhhaaazzzeee

I concluded my last post talking about some hazy rock from Deerhunter and My Bloody Valentine. This sent me on a bit of a kick, trying to find a new shoegaze group I could get into.

Enter: Autolux



Autolux are a 3 piece from Los Angeles, and while they’ve been a band for over a decade now, they’ve only ever completed a single EP and LP. But that EP and LP are both fucking brilliant, combining the general malaise and detachment of The Pixies or Pavement with the freewheeling pedal work of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. If any of those four bands mean anything to you, Autolux is right in your wheelhouse. And lookie there, they have a new album (only their 2nd and their first release since 2004) scheduled for an August release.

The Horrors are another band that scratches the volume/pedals itch, although theirs is more in the form of Joy Division cranked to oblivion (there’s a Spinal Tap joke here that I’m not going to make). Their 2009 album Primary Colours was one of my favorite releases of 09, and I really regret not making the trek to ATL to see them at The Earl. That much noise in that small a venue would be either life threatening or otherworldly, or maybe both?

In other music news, Janelle Monae’s release The ArchAndroid might be my favorite album of 2010 so far, and is certainly the most complete. Every song is good, and she blends genres better than anyone this side of Outkast. Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes helped with production and the whole band quest spots on a track. Saul Williams, Big Boi, and others also guest. Shit is hot.

Also, Arcade Fire are teasing us with snippets of two new songs. I refuse to listen to them until they are available as complete tracks, so come on let them leak somewhere already. “The Suburbs” and “Month of May” are the two tracks, available for cockteasing at Arcade Fire’s website. Enjoy or endeavor on in your insistence on actual AF-related sustenance

What’s In My Ears:

My Bloody Valentine – Sometimes

Autolux – Turnstile Blues

The Horrors – Sea Within A Sea

Janelle Monae – Mushrooms and Roses