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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: ManiacListen to “Maniac” here DOWNLOAD HERE The eclectic and sometimes beautifully awkward Clap Your Hands Say Yeah five-some are back. “Maniac” and fellow single teaser, “Same Mistake” off the to-be-released album, Hysterical debuts a more tame version of lead singer, Alec Ounsworth’s typically pubescent and off-kilter vocals–which I must say are sorely missed. However, the revisited take [...]
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Portugal. The Man: So AmericanListen to “So American” here BUY HERE Man, oh, Portugal. The Man. Is it the Alaskan air you were bred in? Is it the small town musicophilia? Is it your hippie roots? I don’t know what gives you that stand-out flair, but if you can’t tell, I’m more than smitten with your newest single, “So [...]
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The Rapture: How Deep is Your LoveListen to “How Deep Is Your Love” here DFA, DFA, DFA. That little hand-drawn lightning bolt is so symbolic of good music releases these days. To name a few you may have heard of, the label represents Yacht, Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost!, Free Energy, Hercules & Love Affair, and last, but not least [...]
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CSS: Hits Me Like A Rock (Dillon Francis Remix)Listen to “Hits Me Like A Rock (Dillon Francis Remix)” here These Brazilians are “tired of being sexy,” a direct Portuguese-English translation of CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy), but we are not tired of them. Their electronic hits keep on hitting our music spots. “Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex” was 2006′s and maybe even [...]
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Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Waiting for the…Listen to “Waiting for the Man” here BUY HERE Flashback to the big-haired 80′s, around the time when Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) covered a famed song about a drug deal on the corner of Lexington and 125th in New York City–”I’m Waiting for the Man,” by a little band we like to call [...]
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Pepper Rabbit: ‘Rose Mary Stretch’Listen to “Rose Mary Stretch” here BUY HERE The first 3 seconds of “Rose Mary Stretch” beguiles the listener, planting electronic expectations of the likes of Justice, but then comes the rapid switch up into a happy guitar-filled and lighthearted indie pop-rock treat.
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Little Dragon: Ritual Union (Tensnake Remix)Listen to “Ritual Union (Tensnake Remix)” here BUY HERE Little Dragon could make a geek feel badass. That bass. Oh, that bass. It is the fire-spitting bands’ signature beat dropping on a smooth surface of cool and collected vocals and tribal sounds that we know and love so much. “Ritual Union” is certainly not the [...]
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Memory Tapes: Today Is Our LifeListen to “Today Is Our Life” here BUY HERE Memory Tapes is New Jersey-native Dayve Hawk, a man that musically knows the art of rolling ranging tempos, genres, and moods into one track. From the slow, yet steady 1st verse uprising to meet a surprisingly climactic chorus, to a radically trembling electric guitar serenade, to [...]
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Generationals: Dirty Mister DirtyListen to “Dirty Mister Dirty” here BUY HERE When they make a hit, they make a hit, and Generationals have no difficulty making a catchy tune to cruise the streets to. Sticking to their chant-like American roots of uplifting piano basses, the New Orleans’ boys–Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer– have followed up their last EP, [...]
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Bon Iver: TowersListen to “Towers” here BUY HERE Glorious, Bon Iver. From the heavenly falsetto harmonies to the folk-rock break downs and violin-made apexes, ears go paralyzed with pleasure from Justin Vernon’s stunningly beautiful and intimate music. It is rare to find such a raw and gorgeous collection of songs found on his newest gift to the [...]
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Adventure: Smoke and MirrorsListen to “Smoke and Mirrors” here BUY HERE Adventure is a Baltimore-based band that had an internal battle between Duran Duran and Depeche Mode, and the winner was a victorious and 2011 hybrid of the two influences. Benny Boeldt, Mark Brown, and Dave Fell are the vocals, beats, and electronic decorations, which can be enjoyed [...]
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Gene Chandler: Duke of EarlBUY HERE No one can stop a “Duke of Earl.” As an R&B predecessor and major stylistic influence, Gene Chandler is remembered fondly for this hit song. A darling among all the solid gold oldies, the dumbed-down background doo-wops made for a catchy classic. The soulful chart-topper was his big break and led him into [...]