photo by: austinistdotcom

Yeah, I tried to sum up Warpaint in a manner that would suit them but I failed. And they’re awesome. So, I’m resorting to copying and pasting a passage from their bio below so you get the full effect… it’s only fair to anyone who might read this. But before I do that, I’ll just add that I love the beginning of “Beetles” because it sounds like what I would imagine sitting at the bottom of a glass of seltzer would be like.

“Warpaint is an all-girl quartet from Los Angeles. They weave intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals, and driving post-punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between the soundscapes of psychedelia and intimacy.”

The National‘s High Violet came out yesterday and it’s all kinds of lovely. I’ve had an advance copy for a bit and I can hardly put into words how great it is other than to say it motivates me in the most comforting way. It makes me happy to clean the entire house, happy to sit with boring company, happy to visit the dentist… you get the idea.

Tune into YouTube on May 15th to watch a live stream from their concert in Brooklyn, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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Unfortunately I missed Sleigh Bells at Santos last year [watch this clip] and have yet to make it out to one of their shows but I think I can still attest to their awesomeness. Their new album Treats comes out Tuesday and I can’t wait. Listen to the first single below and do yourself a favor and buy the album. Buy their first album too. And after you do, place a comfortable chair directly in front of your speakers, turn them up to 11, press play, and kick over the goddamn chair.

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I love this band… Hardly Art is giving away a free GOLDEN TRIANGLE track… hurry up and download “Cinco de Mayo.” It will only be up for a week!

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Are people really confusing Marina and The Diamonds with Florence and The Machine? How the hell is that possible? Aside from similar monikers and Marina being Welsh and Florence English, there’s really nothing strikingly comparable about their sound except maybe their large vocals. Florence is euphoric and lush and Marina is calculated and while textured, a bit more simple in composition. We’re talking dance pop here. However, her lyrics are far deeper and analytical than her sound suggests.

Marina’s debut release The Family Jewels will be out in the states on May 25th. It’s already been well received across the pond and rightly so. It’s a vibrant pop album full of synthetic textures and octave jumping vocals that can be likened to Siouxsie Sioux but barely. What she lacks in musical edge and ability to push into uncharted territory like Sioux, she makes up for with energy and a downright unapologetic tone. Definitely a fun album all around that will surely rocket Miss Diamandis into the indie stratosphere. Looking forward to hearing more from her.

This is a really awesome alternative video for “I Am Not A Robot.” I think it’s better than the original.

M.I.A.‘s third album is out in June. Listen to the title track below and head over to her website where the video has been unveiled. It’s definitely NSFW so watch with caution.

Yesterday, Andrew W.K. posted a song he wrote when he was 17 on the Guardian and claimed the track earned him “a juvenile restraining order.” He says he wrote the song for a girl he was “obsessed with” at the time and upon hearing the song, the girl called the police.

Having listened to the song myself and being familiar with Andrew and his work, I doubt it was recorded when he was 17. But whether this is real or not doesn’t really matter. What is reality, anyway, except what we perceive it to be? Yeah, I went there. Whatever. This song is awesome. It’s dark and intense and has moments that are reminiscent of early Peter Murphy/Bauhaus. It’s creepy as all hell. I could use an entire album of tracks like this.

Listen to Andrew W.K’s stalker anthem below.

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Congratulations is the sarcastic title of the new MGMT record, which is set to be released next week. Sounds like a culmination of their mass success has left a bittersweet taste in their mouths. The whole album was leaked last month which prompted the band to set up a stream on their site and, in turn, left many fans of Oracular Spectacular jumping ship.

So why are so many people so quick to throw the flop label on this album? Because the fans that are expecting tracks similar to “Kids” and “Electric Feel” aren’t going to get anything close to it. Though, had they listened past 15 seconds of any track they would have journeyed through a spectacular musical landscape that draws from the most beloved elements of the craft since it’s documented history. I liken it to riding the chocolate river with Mr. Wonka. Enjoy the psych-fest rebellion.

Click HERE to stream the entire album.

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photo: Annabel Mehran

I had to share this video. It’s Joanna Newsom performing “Soft As Chalk” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Watching it two days ago was the first time I had actually seen Newsom perform. I know, really late in the game on this one. You can slap me next time we meet. But that isn’t to say I didn’t know who she was, I did, I just hadn’t experienced a visual display of her talent before. And holy crap, I was kinda left slack jawed afterward. I still can’t put my finger on why exactly. There’s probably more than one thing to point to. Maybe it was because she sang most of the song out of the side of her mouth or that she was nodding to someone that wasn’t in frame. I don’t know. It was all slightly odd but comfortable, if that makes sense. Maybe you’ll find it as intriguing as I did. Or maybe you’ll react like the Jimmy Kimmel audience she played in front of 4 years ago. Who’s laughing now.

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Love of Diagrams, Holiday Shores and Japanster live
Friday, April 2nd 2010
7:00PM 18+
TICKETS HERE

LOVE OF DIAGRAMS
While much of the indie scene has become a rat race for pop hooks and advertisement-friendly pseudo-jingles, Melbourne’s Love of Diagrams presents a refreshingly pure and gritty brand of alternative rock that ties unnerving noise textures to pulsating post-punk grooves. While they enjoy flattering comparisons to Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and Siouxsie and the Banshees, their tendencies towards no-wave repetition give them a groundbreakingly distinct sound.

In 2003, two years after their formation, Love of Diagrams earned their international acclaim with the release of their album The Target Is You, setting them off on a tour-blazing spree. Since then they have played with and supported Death Cab For Cutie, Sonic Youth, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Stereolab and Les Savy Fav to name a few. 2007’s Mosaic was produced by Bob Weston (Mission of Burma), and their new album Nowhere Forever has been likened to “giddy textural rush that feels like watching a gaseous planet rotate with time-lapsed poignancy” (Mess And Noise). Santos is happy to be square in the path of the most tidal of no-wave.

+ Love of Diagrams – Lookout [Buy]

HOLIDAY SHORES
The jaunty, off-kilter garage pop of Holiday Shores is packaged in layers of windy effects and echoes, creating their own harmonies and overtones as the music marches along. The mixture of demented textures and bright, summery songwriting results in a thrilling, unique performance for the seasoned post-rocker.

+ Holiday Shores – Phones Don’t Feud [Buy]

JAPANSTER
Electro-rock composer Japanster takes the intensity of the US underground indie scene and fuses it with a European electro aesthetic resulting in a dancefloor-rocking whirlwind of tuneful jams. A prolific remixer and producer, his music rocks body and mind equally.