Mazzy Star

It's been 15 years since alt-rockers Mazzy Star have released an album, and 18 years since the surprise single "Fade Into You" made a splash on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  With the song's success, the band was able to land a platinum ranking for So Tonight That I Might See, probably the strongest album in their arsenal to date. After a few mini-tours and a performance for Bert Jansch's birthday in the 2000s, Mazzy Star is finally back in the studio making an album.  Their new one is due out in the early half of 2012.  As a huge fan of early '90s alternative rock, this is exciting news. Whether or not it will live up to their earlier releases is yet to be figured out, but they've already given us a taste with the singles "Lay Myself Down" and "Common Burn". Both are slow, dreamy, country-tinged tracks...supported of course with lead-singer Hope Sandoval's ethereal vocals.  Hopefully there's more with these came from!  Take a listen to "Lay Myself Down" below to see what you think.

Lay Myself Down

The Jungle Giants

"Mr. Polite", The Jungle Giants' debut single, is further evidence of the great music coming out of Australia.  The jangley guitar rhythms, mixed with some elements of Vampire Weekend afrobeat, are a great introduction into the musical world for a band fresh out of high school.  It's an addicting little pop ditty, one that catches your ears and pulls you in to listen closely.  "Mr. Polite" is nothing new, experimental, or unheard; but it's the song that turns your head and makes you say, "I like this, who sings it?  Have I heard this before?"  It's fun and cheerful, making it difficult not to grow an adoration for it.  The band is also known for a great stage presence, so while they embark on a tour of the eastern Australian coast I'm sure they'll garner more and more acclaim.  Check out the single "Mr. Polite" below, where you can also download it for free from their Bandcamp.  Enjoy!

Wowser Bowser

Wowser Bowser is doing the best they can to come out with a bang, dropping an energetic near 6-minute dance single to promote their upcoming debut release with Adair Park Records.  The trio consisting of George Pettis, Jake Thomson, and Joe Crabb are a young group of indie rockers taking us on a journey through the scope of an electropop lens with "Water Story", the first track on their future album.  Bowser demonstrate a promising skill on the song; the ability to change tempo and manipulate textures multiple times within one cohesive structure. The result is a crazy good build to the song's climax, which can only be fully appreciated when listening to the whole thing from start to finish.  It's a great first impression for a band readying their debut.  I've posted "Water Story" below, and if you like what you see head over to their Bandcamp to grab it for free (along with the accompanying "October").  Thank you to Wowser Bowser for sending over the track!

 Wowser Bowser - Water Story by Adair Park Recordings

King Krule

Earlier this month, King Krule (who used to go by the name of Zoo Kid) released a single from his upcoming EP, King Krule.  The song, which is going to be the closing track, is called "The Noose of Jah City", and it sounds surprisingly mature for Krule's age.  Archy Marshal, his real name, is only 17 years old.  I was surprised to hear this, not only because he sounds much older, but because his lyrics carry a deeper insight than I would expect from someone so young.  The song isn't a downer though, instead just reflective.  The slow backing drums and dreamy guitar echoes give a sense of mystery, and the song is simple enough to give Marshal's pensive vocals the spotlight.  Check out the SoundCloud below, and watch out for the EP coming your way November 8th.

King Krule- The Noose of Jah City

Guided By Voices

When I first developed interest in starting a blog, my initial intention was to occasionally include posts from older bands or albums as well.  This hasn't really happened; but my obsession with Guided By Voices has warranted a second attempt at this goal.  I also figured it was appropriate since I had just finished listening to 1992's Propeller, which is their earliest release I've listened of theirs thus far. This LP is pretty important for them; not only was it their breakthrough album, but it was a fantastic set up for Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes, two of the most crucial albums in the history of 90s indie rock.  And it's true, Guided By Voices (lead singer Robert Pollard in particular) really are musical geniuses, gathering inspiration from a multitude of sources: rock, punk, psychedelic...you name it, they can be loud and obnoxious or soft and relaxing.  Ultimately, they became pioneers in lo-fi, a style of music characterized by distortion alongside background noise most similar to a "tape hiss"; in other words, GBV sound like they could've been recorded in someone's garage.  That's part of their appeal though, their musical is incredibly pure, raw, and genuine.  It's classic style rock at its best, just a bunch of dudes jamming to the tunes that they love, and you can tell they're having fun doing it.  Another quality that makes GBV unique are the way they set up their recordings; most songs don't even clip the two-minute mark, and so you have albums that are jam-packed with ideas. Alien Lanes contains 28 songs, Under the Bushes Under the Stars has 24, and Mag Earwhig! has 21.  The variety of music that can be covered in 28 songs if astonishing, and GBV are the masters of that craft. Today, they still play live shows together, and while they may be older than 50, they still party like rock stars.  Pollard is notorious for drinking straight from the bottle during their concerts:

GBV are another example of a band more widely recognized as time goes on, it wasn't until 2001 that they even charted on the Billboard 200....at #168.  Yet, as long as they get the recognition they deserve at some point, I suppose it'll suffice.  Nowadays, some of the original limited edition vinyls of Propeller are sold for thousands of dollars. That's definitely giving them some props.  I've posted some songs below to show what they're all about.  Take a gander at a few of them, it won't take long...they're only two minutes each.

I Am A Scientist (from Bee Thousand)

My Valuable Hunting Knife (from Alien Lanes)

Quality of Armor (from Propeller)

Rhine Jive Click (from Under the Bushes Under the Stars)

As We Go Up, We Go Down (from Alien Lanes)

John Maus

I feel like what a lot of John Maus does flies under the radar.  Earlier this year I was heavily into his 2007 LP Love Is Real when, without any notice, I read on Drowned In Sound that he had released a new album.  I attribute this to two possible factors; either I just blatantly missed any press about the album, or his fan-base is limited to a very concise population.  Maus is kind of a cult figure, occupying a distinct following with his off-kilter tendencies (he may be the only artist I've heard of that is happy to see record stores disappearing).  Maus is also the creator of some very interesting music.  He's short spoken, rarely using lyrics and instead letting his insanely bass-heavy '80s synth melodies take over.  When he does sing, most of the time it's either drowned out in distortion or his deep, peculiar voice makes an important statement...a lot of the time in the most cryptic ways.  It's not radio friendly in the least, and would immediately turn off a large percentage of listeners.  Most people expect simple, identifiable, and upbeat rhythms - that's why those songs are on the radio, it's easy to pick up.  Maus, though, is a perfect example of how warranting an artist multiple listens is so crucial, because that's when you really start to see his magnificent musicianship.  This can really be seen this year's We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves, where he really demonstrates his range.  At first listen, it may seem like Maus overdosed on cheap synth tricks, while in truth he touches upon a large spectrum of moods and melodies.  "Cop Killer" is dark and foreboding whereas "Matter Of Fact" is surprisingly blunt and playful.  Maus's brilliance really gets to show through on "Hey Moon" though, arguably the highlight of the album.  Driven by piano instead of bass, we also get great insight into his lyrical ability.  One of the most talkative songs I've heard from him, "Hey Moon" establishes a definitive atmosphere alongside creative symbolism.  Take a listen to it below, and to give you an idea about his '80s style, I have also posted "Head For the Country"...both from We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves.

Hey Moon

Head For the Country

Inspired and the Sleep

This one comes to you from Max Greenhalgh, who has kindly sent me his single "While We're Young" from his album Teenager, which was released earlier this summer for his "revolving musical project" called Inspired and the Sleep. Greenhalgh draws a lot of inspiration from a recent rise in bliss beat, which has recently been shown appreciation with such releases as w h o k i l l by the tUnE-yArDs...it's kind of like a crazy mix of freak folk, lo-fi, and maybe even some hip-hop influence.  When I first listened to "While We're Young", the band Rafter also came to mind, another group whose melodies seem so loosely tied that the songs almost sound like improvisation.  Greenhalgh seems to follow suit, allowing his desire to experiment with different sounds and instruments mix with a certain playfulness.  Similar to the bands like tUnE-yArDs and Rafter, "While We're Young" is driven by catchy loops which continue to layer upon themselves.  Take a listen below, where you can also snag it for free!