Fallen in love.

WE ARE AUGUSTINES :: CHAPEL SONG.

Every picture tells a story.

Other Lives :: Tamer Animals

Current favorite.

Young Galaxy - Cover Your Tracks

(Hint: Click the arrow to download.)

Oh Minnows: You'll Never Know Us.

Everything, yes.

The Horrors :: Still Life.

Their new album 'Skying' will be out this month.

Hurry up, I must be dreaming.

I first discovered the French electro-dreampop god M83 (aka Anthony Gonzalez) back in 2005 with the release of his Teen Angst EP. Suffice it to say, I fell head over heels with his uniquely electrifying stylings - and every day since, I continue to fall further. Much to my overwhelming excitement, it was recently announced that M83 will release his new double (that's right, I said double) album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming on October 18, 2011. For a taste of what's to come, I suggest listening to the track below, which it just so happens, that you can also download the track 'Midnight City' for FREE right here, right now.

M83 (aka Anthony Gonzalez) will release his new double album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming on October 18, 2011.

Oh, and to my fellow Los Angelinos, M83 will be playing at the Music Box on November 9th...you can bet your sweet buns I'll be there.

Midnight City by M83

If you keep spinning the dime...

Eventually it will land heads up.

This, unlike many other things, will never, ever grow tiresome to me.

Going Awol.

Aaron Bruno, formerly of Under The Influence of Giants and a founding member of Home Town Hero, has thrust himself into an indie rock solo project he calls Awolnation.

2010 proved to be a good year for Bruno, between signing to Red Bull Records and touring with both Weezer and MGMT, while releasing his first EP, Back From Earth. In February 2011, the band's first single, "Sail," debuted at #30 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart and by March, Awolnation had dropped it's first full-length, entitled Megalithic Symphony.

The album boasts an incredibly impressive mixture of influences: electronica, hip-hop, and punk rock, whilst peppered with a persona of pop that is only to be countered by the gritty wails of Bruno himself. Don't be surprised when you find yourself dancing, fist-pumping or even scratching your head as you try to make sense out of this auditory genius...

C.

AWOLNATION - "Sail" (Official) from AWOLNATION on Vimeo.

AWOLNATION - "Burn it Down" (Official) from AWOLNATION on Vimeo.

Hooray, indeed.

Every once in a while an indie band of this caliber goes undetected on my radar for longer than I can appreciate. Hooray For Earth, an indie quartet hailing from the east coast, surprisingly had it's beginnings all the way back in 1996, though the current lineup has only been together since 2006. I came across them last year after the release of their EP entitled "Momo," specifically with their track "Surrounded By Your Friends."

Hooray For Earth with be touring with Architecture in Helsinki this summer and their new full length LP is set to release next month.

In case you were wondering what you've been missing...

Space Age (i) Love (this) Song

I've always loved The Kills. My l'ove affaire continues.

Don't ever say I never gave you anything.

I haven't posted in a while, so I knew that whatever my return post would be, would have to be a good one. But then I got distracted by this.



You're welcome.

Relatively speaking.

Would you care to meet one of my most recent favorite bands? Of course you would.

Back in September, Shaking Through did an episode on Twin Sister. This is that episode.

And here comes a song I really like, too.

Papercuts: Future Primitive.

RIP Trish Keenan.

Sometimes stepping back is the only way to move forward.

2010: Hear in Review.

In a year of phenomenal album releases such as --

High Violet (The National)
The Suburbs (Arcade Fire)
Teen Dream (Beach House)
Astro Coast (Surfer Blood)
Gorilla Manor (Local Natives)
Sigh No More (Mumford & Sons)
The Winter of Mixed Drinks (Frightened Rabbit)
The Violent Blue (Electric President)
I Learned the Hard Way (Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings)
Disconnect from Desire (School of Seven Bells)
The Orchard (Ra Ra Riot)
and so many more...

-- it's an incredibly difficult feat trying to narrow down the best album of the year. I don't envy editors having to publish their pick by this weekend's deadline. That being said, the past few years, I've challenged myself into compiling a mixtape of my top song picks for the entire year, which has ended up being a much bigger pain in my butt than I care to unload in this space. But, I've finally narrowed down my top 16, with one slot to spare, in preparation for distributing the mixtape amongst my dearest pals (and any others who've requested their own cherished copy.)

It was beyond hard to make the final selections, but alas, it has arrived.

Track Listing (in no particular order-though the order will be finalized before the mixtapes are signed, sealed and delivered):

1. Norway - Beach House
2. Heat & Hot Water - Arms
3. Old Man - Harry's Gym
4. Numbers Don't Lie - The Mynabirds
5. Rococo - Arcade Fire
6. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
7. Mouthful of Diamonds - Phantogram
8. Wide Eyes - Local Natives
9. Bullfighter Jacket - Miniature Tigers
10. Promises - Morning Benders
11. Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
12. Windstorm - School of Seven Bells
13. World Sick - Broken Social Scene
14. Majik Marker - Mini Mansions
15. Twenty Two - Wakey! Wakey!
16. Blue Blood - Foals
17. **TBD**

Honorable Mentions go to:

- Little Golden Age (Wolf Parade)
- Barlights (Fun.)
- Pittsburgh (We Are Scientists)
- The Ghost Inside (Broken Bells)
- On the Line (In Grenada)
- Willis (Sea of Bees)
- Ambling Alp (Yeasayer)
- Safe and Sound (Electric President)
- On Trees and Birds and Fire (I am Oak)
- Phenomenons (Twin Sister)
- Walking Through That Door (Future Islands)
- Kids (Sleigh Bells)
- Mr. Peterson (Perfume Genius)
- Black Crow (Angus & Julia Stone)
- Curves of The Needle (Field Music)
- Journal of Ardency (Class Actress)
- The Curse (Josh Ritter)

Of course, there was an immeasurable amount of incredible music released this year, and I can only skim the tip of the iceberg here.

Can't wait to see what 2011 has in store. My ears eagerly await.

C.

Michel Michel

Amoeba Music sits down with director and creative sensationalist, Michel Gondry, as he discusses his band, visual effects, and more.

Cutting cookies, copying carbons.

The new Arcade Fire music video for The Suburbs, directed by Spike Jonze, was released today.

Also, read this: Why Does Hollywood Hate the Suburbs?

The Late Call.

The Late Call, an indie folk band out of Stockholm, had their new album "You Already Have a Home" release yesterday, October 22, 2010 on Tapete Records...and everything I've heard from it thus far, is pretty spectacular.

http://www.myspace.com/thelatecall

Yulie and Yulia.

In case you weren't sure, yes, this album {WOLF PARADE : EXPO 86} is amazing.