It's the Supersound

Last time we heard from San Francisco’s Grass Widow, they were ripping “Milo Minute” in the zoo for some psyched gorillas. They one-up that infectious previous single with this awesome new jam, taken from their forthcoming limited split 7″ with Nature, out next month on M’lady’s Records. “Disappearing Industries” is one of the best things the band’s ever done, elevated by the girls’ signature bright, exuberant 3-part harmonies and their deceptive, winding, always super catchy melodies. The Grass Widow / Nature split 7″ is out 2/28 on M’lady’s. Limited edition of 100 copies with beautiful hand-marbleized + letterpressed sleeves available for pre-order now.

Grass Widow :: Disappearing Industries

__________

previously:

El día de mañana White Iris Records sacará un 7” azul con el nuevo sencillo de Guards “Do It Again” y el B-Side “Feels Like That”. Aquí pueden escuchar el primero, enjoy.

♩ Guards - Do It Again

Here’s the b-side from Nite Jewel’s new 7″ single: On the dusky, melancholy “Sister,” Cole MGN’s softly lilting bassline anchors what is probably Ramona Gonzalez’s most fragile and emotionally exposed song to date, a direction that she’ll hopefully explore further on her forthcoming Secretly Canadian LP, due in 2012. Nite Jewel’s limited (500 copies) She’s Always Watching You 7″ is out December 13 on yourstru.ly’s Love Letters Ink:

Each physical 7″ includes a handwritten letter from Ramona and a secret link to watch a “making of” video from the recording sessions by yourstru.ly, and perhaps most importantly, a $1 donation to the Lauren Abramson Memorial Fund to benefit Citzen Schools of California. Pre-order here.

“The wonderfully simple lo-fi jangle…perfectly captures the naïve freedom and enchantment of youth, from aimless drives along the coast to late nights in diners to innocent prom-night romance…”–A.V. Club

“Their dreamy, nostalgic pop laps and recedes like waves hitting the shore.”—The New York Times

We are extremely psyched/honored to announce our latest Forest Family Records release: the limited new double A-side blue vinyl 7″ single from one of the most charming bands in existence, Denver’s Tennis. The single contains two of Patrick & Alaina’s best songs to date: the breezy, infectious physical A-side “Origins” features an expanded palette of instrumentation, and will eventually appear on the group’s forthcoming full-length Young and Old, which was produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys:

Tennis :: Origins

Tennis’ Origins / Deep In The Woods 7″ is out next month on blue vinyl via Forest Family, and is available for pre-order now from all of the usual suspects (Insound in the States, Rough Trade in the UK). Limited to 1000 copies, so get on it early.

[PRE-ORDER: U.S.]
[PRE-ORDER: U.K.]
___________

Check out another new song from Tennis, as heard on TV.

Date Released: October 24, 2011
Album Genre: Electronic Rock, House
Album Rating: 7/10

I have to get this off my chest before I start, if you liked anything about the hits from Justice‘s debut album then you’ve got another thing coming. That especially goes for those of you who only listened to Cross for the electro-pop tracks D.A.N.C.E., DVNO, or Tthhee Ppaarrttyy or the harsh electro tracks Genesis, Phantom, Stress or Waters of Nazareth. Did I just name off all the tracks from the first album? Pretty much! This album is more like Audio, Video, Disco, not enough Electro, but to be honest when has Justice ever described themselves as solely electro? We just assumed it as they were riding the French House movement and are signed with Ed Banger who seems to be the principal French label for releasing electronic-house music internationally, but looking at it now I feel this album is more true to Justice than the last one ever was. If you’ve ever heard any of Justice’s mixes, I’m talking about their famous Fabric Rejected Mix, or gone to their off-tour shows where half the people asked “wait, aren’t they going to play D.A.N.C.E.? What is this stuff they’re play now?!”, then you’d understand that they’ve always been this.

The album starts off with Horsepower and Civilization, which you assume is the direction they’re starting to take with all this talk about the album being so different. It is in a sense still similar to some of the harsher sounding electro tracks from their first album, which I actually think sounds great. Little do you know they’re only easing you into how much they’ve changed as you come across Ohio and Canon, which I had to double check that my iTunes wasn’t on shuffle and that I was listening to a Pink Floyd track I had never heard before. I actually had to triple check, so now we hit the 80′s progressive rock section. The tracks are awesome, but sadly I have a feeling they will be criticized for not being “Justice” enough, in other words no one is playing these tracks in clubs. Then we come across the synth rock section with On’n'On, Brainvision, Parade, and Newlands. They’re definitely tracks I’d prefer to chill out or work out to than rock out to in a club. And ending off with one of the better tracks in the album, Helix which actually sounds like Justice and Daft Punk had a child, an awesome child. It’s the only track from this album I’d consider truly electro, it also sounds like it should be in the opening cinematic of a Halo game. The last track to end off the album is Audio, Video, Disco which I have to admit I wasn’t very impressed with when I first heard it. It lacked a lot of what I liked about Justice but it totally grew on me since first listening to it.

Favorite tracks would have to be Horsepower, Civilization, Parade, and Helix, which all seem to be the harder sounding tracks of the album. I’ve never really liked the soft ballad sounding songs in any music so it’s not that the other tracks are bad, just my taste in music. I’ll have to finish this review off by saying you shouldn’t listen to this album expecting the Justice you’ve heard before. Walk in with a blank slate and you’ll enjoy it a lot, the album is solid once you do that. Or maybe you’ll hate it!

Justice – Horsepower

Justice – Helix

Amazon | AmazonMP3 | iTunes

Listen to both tracks from the new single from London’s Trailer Trash Tracys, including a newly re-recorded version of dreamy surf-gaze jam “Wish You Were Red” + new song “Englehardt’s Arizona.” The double A-side 7″ is out November 22 on Double Six / Domino:

Trailer Trash Tracys :: Wish You Were Red

Trailer Trash Tracys :: Englehardt’s Arizona

_________

previously:

mp3:
Trailer Trash Tracys :: Dies in 55

After wearing out one of the best 7″ singles of 2011 so far, we’ve been waiting a minute for this one, and it doesn’t disappoint. These guys are officially 3-for-3. Look for “Belispeak” on Purity Ring’s new split 7″ with Braids, due in October on Fat Possum:

mp3:
Purity Ring :: Belispeak

________

previously:

mp3:
Purity Ring :: Lofticries
Purity Ring :: Ungirthed

Here’s a brand new one from VA’s Eternal Summers, taken from a limited split 7″ with Super Vacations that’s out early next month on Funny Not Funny Records, complete with sleeve art from ES’s Daniel Cundiff. “On My Honor” is a sweet little ’60s-tinged psych-pop number that the band refers to as a “Troggzy jammer.” Grab the Eternal Summers / Super Vacations The Mystic Fortress Sessions Vol. 1 split here while it lasts:

mp3:
Eternal Summers :: On My Honor

Listen to “Abducted” from Cults‘ limited Record Store Day 7″ over at NPR.

Here’s the latest from our dudes at Transparent: the b-side from Purity Ring’s beautiful/brilliant debut 7″ single, Ungirthed. Download the oddly moving “meditative future-ballad” “Lofticries” below, and if you missed the equally great a-side in our January mix, grab that one too:

mp3:
Purity Ring :: Lofticries
Purity Ring :: Ungirthed

Purity Ring’s Ungirthed 7″ is out next week. More info + pre-order here.