New Music: Parquet Courts- Black And White

I just finished listening to Parquet Courts new album Sunbathing Animal, and I am a little bit surprised. I am not surprised that is it good- and it is very good- but surprised at the length of the LP. I thought it would be like a lot of similar garage artists of their ilk, and it would be a record that is short and sweet. In actual fact, their new record clocks in at over 50 minutes and contains a couple of garage psych jams that push past 6 minutes. The single "Black and White" is the best track off the new album, and its mixture of Black Lips style garage rock blended with Pavement slacker-dom pretty well sums up the whole  record. Watch the video for the song below:

New Music: A Sunny Day In Glasgow- Bye Bye Big Ocean (The End)

Only a could of weeks now until Philadelphia's A Sunny Day in Glasgow drop their new album Sea When Absent, and to prepare us for it the band has released the wonderful track titled "Bye Bye Big Ocean (The End)". This song might be the most anthemic thing they have ever released, thanks in part to the beautiful voice of singer Jen Goma (She is on a role, having contributed her voice to a couple of songs on The Pains of Being Pure At Heart's new album Day of Abandon). That being said, the band's experimental shoegaze is still prevalent, and the track features a very chaotic blend of synths and reverb. Check it below:

Sea When Absent is out June 24th via Lefse.

New Music: Merchandise- Little Killer

Florida post punk band Merchandise are back with a new single, and by the sounds of it, they are anxious to show off the new wave side of their band, If you are familiar with these guys, you know a lot of their songs clock in at over six minutes. Not on their new single "Little Killer", however, as the poppy, 80's sounding tune is just over three minutes long. Maybe their new new wave sound is the influence of producer Gareth Jones, who worked with some of that era's biggest standouts including Depeche Mode, Wire, and Erasure. Check out the music video for the track below, which features the band reenacting that era and doing their best impersonation of the Bunnymen or the Mary Chain.

"Little Killer" is taken from Merchandise's new album After The End, which is out August 25th via 4AD.

New Music: Sharon Van Etten: Every Time The Sun Comes Up + Your Love Is Killing Me

Is there a better female indie singer-songwriter hailing from North America right now than Sharon Van Etten? Other than Feist or Angel Olsen, I cannot think of any. And Feist is between albums right now, so that means Miss Van Etten is deservedly receiving a lot of attention. Just listen to "Every Time The Sun Comes Up" and "Your Love Is Killing Me", two truly majestic songs that are probably going to be on a lot of top 10 lists at the end of the year.

Both tracks are taken from her new album Are We There, out May 27th via Jagjaguwar.

New Music: Total Control- Expensive Dog

After featuring "Flesh War", the new song from Australian post punk band Total Control, I learned something that I never knew about the band. I found out their guitarist is Eddy Current (Mikey Young) from seminal Australian punk band Eddy Current Suppression Ring. ECSR are probably my favourite group to emanate from down under from the last few years.

Getting back to Total Control, these guys recently dropped a second single from their upcoming new album Typical System. The song is called "Expensive Dog" and it is guitar driven raucous track that wouldn't be out of place on an Eddy Current LP. Check it out below:

Typical System will be out June 24th via Iron Lung.

New Music: Beverly- You Can't Get It Right

We first introduced you to new indie duo Beverly back in February, with their song "Honey Do", which they recorded for a compilation put together by their record label. Now, the duo of Frankie Rose and Drew Citron are back with another single, but this time the track is taken from a brand new album. "You Can't Get It Right" is a lo-fi charmer, and sounds like the music Rose made when she was with The Outs. Check it out below:

The track is taken from the album Careers which is out July 1st via Kanine.

New Music: Hockeysmith- Hesitate

A couple of months ago we featured the Hockeysmith song "But Blood", and we told you at the time the sister act had a new EP on the way. We now know that "But Blood" is the title track of the new EP and that it will be out at the end of May. The cute caravan couple from Cornwall have also shared a brand new track from the EP titled "Hesitate". The song starts out with a bit of an R&B swagger reminiscent of some of the music on Warpaint's last album, but as it progresses it morphs into a synth-y, reverb friendly track, complete with the backing of industrial strength guitars. Listen Below:

But Blood is out May 26th via Double Denim.

New Music: PS I Love You- For Those Who Stay

With a new and cleaner look plus a new and cleaner sound, Kingston Ontario indie rock duo PS I Love You have returned with a brand new song. "For Those Who Stay" is the title track of their new album, which will be out in July via Paper Bag, and it finds the band progressing from their noise rock roots. The sonic palette of the track features various textures, Neil Young-like guitar solos, and (I could be wrong) a hint of synth throughout the six and half minute track. There is one thing that hasn't changed- Paul Saulnier continues to be one of the best guitarists in indie rock today. Check out the track below:

New Music: Austra- Habitat

Austra have announced a new four song EP,  and "Habitat" is the title track and first single from the release. If you are a huge fan of the band you may recognize the song. The track is something they have been playing live for a couple of years now, but they never got around to releasing it. "Habitat" sounds like their darker, older material, and lacks the shine of the songs off of Olympia. That's okay, I prefer the icier, gloomy version of Austra. Listen below:

Habitat is out June 17th via Paper Bag.

New Music: School- Easier

School are back, and there here to "school" you on making really good music. If you may recall we posted a couple of the Swedish band's songs, "SoLong" and "Clouds Aside" back in January and now they have provided us with their newest track "Easier". The new song keeps the same sound of those earlier tracks, in other words, extraordinary indie pop for people who like their music with a side of jangle guitar. Check it below:

New Music: Beta Frontiers- So Cold (featuring Carmen Elle)

If the voice on this track sounds familiar, you are probably a fan of synth pop band Diana, and their lead singer Carmen Elle. (also the singer for the under appreciated Toronto indie rock band Army Girls). Toronto producer Beta Frontiers (Michael Butler) has enlisted Elle for his newest track, " So Cold", and the singer has never sounded so smooth. The title may be "So Cold", but the music of the this song is anything but.

Check it out below and if you like it buy it from Buzz Records Bandcamp.

New Music: Christopher Owens- It Comes Back To You + Stephen

Early last year former Girls front man Christopher Owens released his solo debut album, Lysandre, an inconsistent effort, but the album did contain a couple of treasures- most notably the lead single "Here We Go".  No word on a new album from Mr. Owens, but there are rumours that an announcement on the new LP could be forthcoming in the very near future. To tease us the singer-songwriter has dropped a couple of new songs over the past few weeks. First, is the beautiful " It Comes Back To You", a heartbreaking song reminiscent of the music from his old band. And even more heartbreaking is the soulful "Stephen", which according to Stereogum, is an ode to Owen's late brother, who passed away at the age of two, when their family was living in a cult. Check both tracks out below:

New Music: Papertwin- Alkaline

Some nice synth pop from Brooklyn band Papertwin. The band already have a couple of EPs under
their belt and are poised to release a third, Vox Humana, which will come out on June 17th. Listen to "Alkaline", the dreamy lead track from the new release.

New Music: The Luxembourg Signal- Distant Drive

Okay...the warm weather has been holding off for way too long. It is time for some summer music and The Luxembourg Signal are here to fulfill that need. The Luxembourg Signal are an indie pop group made up of former members of seminal UK twee bands Aberdeen and Trembling Blue Stars. By the sound of their latest single "Distant Drive", that twee-ness has stuck around from their former musical incarnations. Perfect jangle indie pop for warm summer days, if they ever come. Check it out below:

New Music: Jack White- Lazaretto

I went to see the Jim Jarmusch flick Only Lovers Left Alive this weekend, a rock & roll vampire movie starring Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton. The movie was pretty amusing and featured some strange moments. One of the weird scenes had the two vampires taking a night tour of Detroit and ending up at Jack White's boyhood home. In front of the house Hiddleston's Adam character explains to Swinton's character Eve that Jack was his mother's seventh son ("Ball & Biscuit" reference?) and then Eve imagines Jack White as a boy, "Little Jack White" she exclaims. I sort of knew that Jarmusch was a big Jack White fan but I still find it funny that he would feature a scene in his movie about a 300 year old vampire worshipping the rock star.

Anyhow, some of Jack White's popularity might be due to some of the odd and different things he has done over the years. Appearing on reality TV shows, recording with The Insane Clown Posse, or doing a Bond song with Alicia Keyes are just some examples. More recently, White attempted and succeeded in releasing the world's fastest record at his Third Man studio in Nashville. Even though that was a hokey thing to do, the song he made is pretty good. The studio version of the "Lazaretto" came out a couple of days after his stunt and you can hear it below. It features some of White's fiercest guitar work since his days in The White Stripes and there is even a fiddle solo (could that be White's cousin Ashley MacIsaac making an appearance???) near the end of the song.

"Lazaretto" is the title track of the new album and it will be out June 6th via Third Man.

New Music: Alvvays- Archie, Marry Me

It has been a while since we've heard from Toronto indie band Alvvays and their particular brand of reverb friendly sunshine pop. Their first single "Adult Diversion" was released way back in the fall of 2013, and since then the track has gotten them a lot of attention including heavy rotation on a local Toronto radio station. That success led the band to a new record deal with Polyvinyl, and that means that we are finally going to get their debut album. The new record will be out in the summer but for now the band have shared "Archie, Marry Me", a love song featuring a dreamy chorus that is also the title of the song. Who would ever turn down a marriage invitation from someone who's voice is as beautiful as Molly Rankin's? Check out the song below:

New Music: Gold-Bears- For You

With a name like Gold-Bears you think these guys would hail from California when in actual fact the band makes their home in Atlanta Georgia. They are set to release their forthcoming new album titled Dalliance and have shared "For You", the first single from the LP. The track starts off like any great indie rock song with a wall of guitars and yelp-y lyrics, but about half way through the band goes into overdrive, and the song turns into something quite brilliant. The quick tempo change seems simple, but the change of melody, driving bass and drums, plus added chimes turns this from a really good tune into one of the best indie rock songs I have heard all year. Check it out below:

Dalliance is out June 3rd via Slumberland.

New Music: Peter Murphy- Hang Up

Last week, Bauhaus bassist David J released a new album that featured a bonus track, a cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic". That song is a jazzy take on the pop princess' hit and features a music video starring goth porn star Sasha Grey. This week J's bandmate, Bauhaus lead singer Peter Murphy, has come out with the first single from his forthcoming new album Lion. "Hang Up" sticks to a more conventional goth sound thanks, in part' to the production from Killing Joke bassist Youth. Killing Joke's industrial punch is also apparent, but this is unmistakably classic Peter Murphy, with his crooning shining darkly throughout the track. Check out the video for the song below:

Lion is out June 3rd via Nettwerk.

New Music: Ummagma- The Road To Lees

Canadian/Ukrainian dream pop duo Ummagma are back with a brand new music video for their song "The Road to Lees". We already know from previous posts that this band has an eclectic sound with splashes of shoegaze, post rock, psychedelica and electronica heard throughout their body of songs. "The Road To Lees" is no exception and is a song that showcases the electronic side of their talent-the mesmerizing track might even be considered trip hop.

The music video for the song is a shimmering kaleidoscope of colours interwoven with scenes of mid  20th century American life. Shauna from the band sees this video as somewhat of a juxtaposition: “unfortunately, apart from that which was familial or community-based, what we knew as the good old days did indeed seem ‘real’, but it was based on a faulty foundation, which we’re only hearing about now. Just the same, this is still a happy place for many”.

Ummagma are also releasing a remix LP on May 16th with several reworkings of their excellent single "Lama". You can preview that LP right now on Soundcloud.

New Music: Wolf Alice- Moaning Lisa Smile + Storms

Wolf Alice are a UK based noise pop band out of London who are getting plenty of buzz from their home country, and deservedly so. These guys are fairly new but they did release an EP back in 2012 and at the same time garnered some attention from NME's Radar.  Now they are back with couple of songs that will shatter your ear drums and knock you against the wall if you are not careful with the volume button. Unfortunately, they haven't got the same attention in North America, but with a little help from this blog, that all might change.

Both "Moaning Lisa Smile" and "Storms" are tracks from the band's new EP Creature Songs which is out on May 26th in the UK. Check them out below: