Friday Five: 1st 1/4 2010 Highlights!

You guys, it's already April! That means that a quarter of the year has passed us by. Fortunately for the keen music fan, there has been lots of great new stuff to soak in through our ears. We've already had great new releases by Hot Chip, Owen Pallett (formerly Final Fantasy), Vampire Weekend, Spoon and MGMT (oh what? it's not out till next week...LEAK ALERT). Plus I've stumbled upon new interests, like Das Racist whose reference-laden rap makes me smile. Their mixtape/album is well worth the free download.

And there is so much more too look forward to in the coming months: LCD Soundsystem are releasing LP3, 'This is Happening', on May 18 in North America and Wolf Parade are dropping their next one, 'Expo '86', in June or July (fingers crossed for June). Broken Social Scene have new record, 'Forgiveness Rock Record', coming out May 4 which I'm sure will be another epic based on these tracks. Not to mention every morning I check the interwebs hoping for some piece of information about highly anticipated LP3 by Arcade Fire - tipped to appear later in the summer.

Enough talking, these songs are all objectively great.

LISTEN / TELL YOUR FRIENDS:

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls

MGMT - Flash Delerium

Hot Chip - I Feel Better

Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Dan Deacon Remix)

Das Racist - You Oughta Know

Spoon - I Saw the Light

Friday Five: Surf Songs

Simple-sounding song structures always impress me. I believe it's quite difficult to write a good "pop" song. A song that everyone likes without losing an element of credibility. The legends of surf-rock definitely had that ability and I'm glad to see surf making a resurgence. I've been listening to a lot of this surf-inspired garage/indie rock and here are some of my choice selections.

Girls have received a lot of press lately for their very-NSFW video for "Lust for Life", but this is a band I just can't get out of my head, pun intended.

Girls - Summertime

BTA's own G.R.O. gave me the tip about The Drums and their style fell right into what I've been listening to for a while.

The Drums - Let's Go Surfing

Now, Surfer Blood is an "inbox gem", I got word about this group sifting through the many emails we receive daily. I'm not ashamed to admit that the name caught my attention. Think surf-rock meets BRMC.

Surfer Blood -Swim (to reach the end)

I am embarrassed to admit that up until two weeks ago I was barely aware of The White Wires. They're based in Ottawa and run a label, Going Gaga Records, specializing in punk rock and all things non-commercial. Their brand of garage rock is dirty and simple. Most tracks have that familiarity that any good pop song should, not that these guys are in any way pop. I'm excited to have discovered another exciting band in the area. They're excellent 45 on Trouble in Mind Records called "Pretty Girl" is worth the six bucks, check 'em out.

The White Wires - Ha Ha Holiday

Vampire Weekend needs no introduction. They are simply great. This is their great new single.

Vampire Weekend - Cousins (Track removed by request of XL and Web Sheriff)

Friday Five: Sing-along songs

Here's a selection of tracks that I've been singing along to for the past few days.

Vampire Weekend's first LP was so good that I still haven't grown sick of it. In an attempt to appease their growing fan base, here's the first single. Look for the new album Contra January 11, 2010 in the U.K. and a day after in the U.S. Let's hope for a leak of the album soon.

Vampire Weekend - Horchata

Karen O has taken the world by storm this year; referenced as fashionista and cultural icon, she's definitely made her mark in 2009. Under the moniker of Karen O and the Kids The release of the soundtrack to Where the Wild Things Are is sure to solidify her impact. The album, comprised of acoustic tracks, could stand alone as a Karen O project. I really like it as a concept and I'm excited to see the release of the film.

Karen O and the Kids - All is Love

Thanks to G.R.O.'s recommendation, The Drums have been playing non-stop on my Zune since his visit to the Dominion of Canada. Their surf-pop style really resonates with search for simple tunes of late; the tracks are infectious and uplifting. This track is from their Let's Go Surfing EP.

The Drums - Saddest Summer

Released in March, Dan Mangan's Nice, Nice, Very Nice is a great collection of tracks. It's dark, surreal, and real all at once. Give the track a listen and you'll see.

Dan Mangan - Robots

The Hidden Cameras have such a unique sound and it comes through really nicely on this track from their new album Origin: Orphan.

The Hidden Cameras - In the NA

Let's Pretend It's Friday Five

A few tracks I've been listening to lately:

Bibio's album Ambivalence Avenue is one of my summer favourites. Remember Badly Drawn Boy? This track is like that, but better.

Bibio - Lovers Carvings

Slow Club's much-anticipated album Yeah, So was released on Moshi Moshi earlier this month. It's really good.

Slow Club - Trophy Room

Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig finally teams up with Esau Mwamwaya for his project The Very Best - how amazing is this album going to be?

The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa

You can take the boy out of Canada but you can't take Canadiana out of the boy. I'm a huge fan of the Tragically Hip's more recent work; it seems they've really hit their stride since In Violet Light and new album We Are The Same is incredible.

The Tragically Hip - The Last Recluse

You'd be forgiven for assuming that three white Australian dudes would create god-awful hip hop. Hilltop Hoods are happy to prove everyone wrong. State of the Art was released last month and it's actually very, very good.

Hilltop Hoods - Still Standing

New Music Monday: Brontide

Brighton-based math rockers Brontide may have only been doing their thing for a few months, but the trio have already recorded a handful of impressively powerful and menacing instrumental tracks. Drummer William Bowerman used to be a member of the now defunct I Was A Cub Scout (a name undoubtedly familiar to British readers) and describes his new band's sound as "the most melodic music we have ever played, in the same song as playing the heaviest music that we have ever played, with no singing." Fantastic.

Brontide - Crunk Anansie
Brontide - Get the Stellaz in Deano



In other New Music Monday news, Vampire Weekend have contributed a new track called 'Ottoman' to the soundtrack for feel-good flick Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. VW simply can't seem to write anything except catchy, excellent tunes and 'Ottoman' is no exception. Unfortunately, in a disappointing turn of events the soundtrack is not, in fact, 'infinite' as it contains only 15 tracks. It does, however, feature other exclusive contributions from the likes of Devendra Banhart, Band of Horses, We Are Scientists, Bishop Allen and Shout Out Louds which makes things okay again.

Vampire Weekend - Ottoman

Remix Sunday: Justice on the Radio Weekend

Tomorrow I start my adventure to become a studio engineer. I'm so excited that I'm at a loss for words for pretty much any conversation. After a year and a half of straight working my bawls off I'm going back to learn how to record your favorite bands and maybe win a Grammy. Yeah, that's my ultimate goal in life accept an award from the awards show that is just basically a circle jerk for industry hot heads. I wanna be one of those hot heads. Money, power, women, sold out arenas, music videos with naked bitches and champagne. That's the life for me. Oh wait, this is a music blog not my stoner dreams blog.

Theres a few remix's that I've been listening to non-stop this week. I thought I was tired of all this remixing and jive talking but I guess there are still some quality ones out there. First off there is obviously huge hype surrounding anything TV on the Radio these days. There new album 'Dear Science' is a strong candidate for album of the year already and really, who expected any less. Every TotR record put out so far has been an almost instant classic. Here's a remix to every ones favorite TotR song;

Staring At The Sun (Byran Hyde Remix) - TV on the Radio

Next remix? Justice. OH EM GEE! JUSTICE DID A REMIX?!!! HOW SURPRISING!!! It even sounds like a Justice remix. Who woulda thunk it? Still good...

As Above, So Below (Justice Remix) - Klaxons

Last on the docket comes a remix from a record that I consider to be the best of the year. Vampire Weekends' self titled debut has been played over a thousand times in my car and is probably gonna get spun a few more times before I throw it in the discount bin in my basement.

Oxford Comma (Burntpiano Edit) - Vampire Weekend

Thanks to The Mixtape Podcast for these lovely remixes and, by the way, when I'm inside Jessica Alba, I'll let you all know.

Remix Sunday TIFF edition: Vampire Weekend vs Radiohead

I caught my first (and perhaps only) flick at 2008's Toronto International Film Festival Friday night, Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz's disturbing-as-all-fuck Vinyan, about a couple who go venturing into the twisted Burmese jungle in search of their young son who goes missing in the aftermath of the tsunami of 2004.  

What does this have to do with Remix Sunday?  Exit music.... for a film, duh.

Vampire Weekend covering Radiohead's OK Computer choice cut.  And holy crap, do they ever.

Vampire Weekend - Exit Music (For a Film) (Radiohead cover)

- bbbykmbrly.

Festival Season - Contest: Roger's Picnic, July 20th - Toronto

It's always been a dream of mine to curate a music festival. Though I haven't yet had the chance, I can't help but think that REMG and Embrace Productions created this year's Roger's Picnic with me in mind. And now, to make matters even better, Embrace is coughing up a pair of passes to the one-day festival to one lucky faithful BTA reader.

Admittedly, I've never been a City & Colour fan, who is the listed headliner in 2008. However, I can look past such things when the rest of the lineup boasts such glory as Cat Power, Chromeo, Tokyo Police Club, Dizzee Rascal, Animal Collective, and others. Despite these draws, the two bands I'm most looking forward to are Vampire Weekend and Born Ruffians, both of whom I wallowed in sorrow when I couldn't snag tickets to their Toronto shows earlier this year.

Vampire Weekend's only Toronto stop to-date was at a packed Horseshoe Tavern; because I couldn't get tickets, I held a wallowing party at my apartment while the show was going on across town for anyone else who was in the same boat as I. It was a bittersweet evening to say the least.

Likewise, Born Ruffians, whose debut LP Red, Yellow, and Blue is taking rank on the "top played" in my iTunes over the past few months, sold out Lee's Palace before I could grab a ticket. To rub it in, the reviews from the show were ridiculously positive.

Needless to say, I shant be missing this valuable opportunity to correct two of my biggest mistakes of 2008 in one shot at Fort York on July 20th. If you, too, want to be checking out all the action, send us an email with the subject line "Roger and Me are going on a Picnic". Do so before Noon on July 18th, as that's when the winner will be chosen.

Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance
Born Ruffians - Little Garcon
Cat Power - Theme From New York, New York

- bbbykmbrly.

Stellar lineup for Rogers Picnic in July

Tokyo Police Club, Cat Power, Dizzee Rascal, Vampire Weekend, City and Colour, Born Ruffians, Animal Collective, The Carps, and Chromeo all for under $50? Ummm, yes please.

The Rogers Picnic takes place in Toronto on July 20th and surprisingly, tickets are still available. Alternatively, if you're broke (or just really cheap) Exclaim! are giving away a pair of tickets here.

Born Ruffians - Hummingbird
Vampire Weekend - I Stand Corrected
Tokyo Police Club - Juno

- a.m.p.m.

Pemberton Festival 2008

We are t-minus 127 days until the first ever Pemberton festival, located at the base of Mount Currie, about 30 minutes from Whistler, BC. This 3-day long event is sure to provide a bit of musical bliss for everyone in attendance, and hopefully becomes an annual affair. The headliners for this festival are sure to attract the masses, with the likes of Jay-Z, Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, and Tom Petty taking the main stage. But surprisingly, check out who else is showing up for the shindig: MGMT, Vampire Weekend, MSTRKRFT, Interpol, Chromeo, and Wintersleep, just to name a few of the bands that we often rant and rave about. You would be crazy not to show up! BTA will be there to cover the action and hopefully get a chance to talk to some of these guys during the festival. Tickets go on sale March 28th, and I wouldn't sit around thinking about going or not because they are sure to go fast, even with the hefty price tag of $290.00. Make sure to also look into camp site passes or other accommodations as well. Check the official site for the full line up and details. See you there!

Matty B.

YEEEEEAAAAAAAA(sayer)

Ok, so the band known as Yeasayer has been around the blog circuit for a while, and they deserve it.

No really, they do. If Vampire Weekend was the first real band of "Web 2.0" then Yeasayer are definitely setting themselves up to be next in line, just as Fall Out Boy and Cold War Kids were children of Myspace and social networking sites. Yeasayer's phenomenal debut album, All Hour Cymbals, was dropped on Oct 23rd of last year but really started to pick up steam on the last legs of 2007. The band describes themselves as "Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel" which is a safe bet whilst describing their sound. The album is a mix of desert folk and psychedelic vibes all put together with a mix of indie rock.

Yeasayer is playing this weekend in Toronto with MGMT (which we contested some tickets away for) at the El Mocambo.

Sunrise - Yeasayer
2080 - Yeasayer
Wait for Summer - Yeasayer (Live)

Cheers,
MF Blaz

Vampire Weekend invade London

Ignore the poster above. Vampire Weekend is actually busy in London town; at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen tomorrow night and Push on Saturday. The first show is sold out but I think tickets are still available for the second gig. With the new album to be released worldwide January 28/29, I bet they'll have even more songs up their striped sleeves than when I saw them at the Borderline a few months ago.

According to Hoxton Bar and Kitchen's website:

Fresh off their UK tour with the Shins, their debut album going out in January released on XL Recordings, the best thing out of New York since ... (insert favourite NY band here), hype being raised EVERYwhere! How could you miss this?

Vampire Weekend bring you their unique slice of folk-indie-punk chopped up with some African influenced guitar rhythm and spiky vocals. The songs run round your head for hours until you're learnt every instrumental and vocal part. Frankly, you should buy a ticket right now.

Yes indeedy.

Torontonians can catch 'em at the Horseshoe Tavern on February 11th.

Vampire Weekend - Exit Music (For a Film)
(various other excellent Radiohead covers available here)

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk



- a.m.p.m.

Vampire Tuesday

I had the pleasure of catching Vampire Weekend's inaugural London show last night and it was a doozy. I'd only heard a small number of succinct tracks (despite foraging the interweb for weeks) and somewhat expected to witness a maximum 20-minute set comprised almost solely of the handful of singles released over the past few months. As it turned out, my expectations were blown away and I got much more than my money's worth.

First off: yes, they're good. The New York City natives kicked things off with newest single 'Mansard Roof' and treated us to some dozen songs including much-hyped tracks 'Oxford Comma', 'Mansard Roof', 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' and 'A-Punk'. These familiar tracks seemed to be filled with even more depth and resonated well with the curious crowd. Heck, some people even knew the words. Newer (read: unreleased) material was equally well received. VW dropped several songs from the new album, which they confirmed is complete and due for release in early '08. All were awesome; some are still stuck in my head. 'The Kids Don't Stand a Chance' is especially excellent. Lead vocalist and guitarist-extraordinaire Ezra Koenig was charismatic, energetic, and wore an awesome shirt and sweet loafers. At one point he had pretty much the whole crowd shouting "Blake's got a new face" in jubilation. Don't ask.

The set wrapped up with an intense heavy-metal version of 'Walcott' and looking around the packed venue after this blistering finale, it was pretty clear that everyone had enjoyed Vampire Weekend's first London appearance, band members included.

After winning over the entire crowd at the Borderline, the guys brought out a bunch of copies of their new Mansard Roof 7", released on Monday. The fact that these sold out in about the time it took to open the box and collect the money (I was fortunate enough to get the last one) attests to the calibre of the band's live show. The single's B-side 'Ladies of Cambridge' turned out to be an upbeat, quirky, instantly likable little ditty (surprise, surprise). Just 'cause you weren't there and couldn't grab one for yourself doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to enjoy this track:

Vampire Weekend - Ladies of Cambridge

Some other newbies that you're sure to like:

Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance
Vampire Weekend - M79
Vampire Weekend - Bryn

- a.m.p.m.

Remix Sunday - Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend is one of my favourite discoveries of 2007. The New York group hasn't yet released an album per se, but a bunch of tracks have been made available through the band's website and as a digital download EP from iTunes, and everything I've heard thus far has been fantastic. The band recently signed to XL Recordings and a debut album is planned for January. Read more about that here. As for the more recent future, new single 'Mansard Roof' is due to be released October 22nd. For a sneak preview, look below.

Vampire Weekend will be here in London on November 7th supporting The Shins at Hammersmith Apollo.

- a.m.p.m.

Vampire Weekend - Walcott
Vampire Weekend - Walcott (Insane Mix #2)

Bonus:
Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof
Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa