COIN are a young new four-piece from Nashville who you should probably get on your radar. Now this isn't usually our thing (you know, anything sans synths) but their Southern-fried indie meets Brooklyn dream-pop sensibility is hard not to fall for. Coined "Atlas", their latest offering is the perfect warm weather music to roll your sleeves up to, like Local Natives and Vampire Weekend basking in the sun at a well-dressed picnic. Cop the exclusive download below and catch COIN making their DC debut at All Things Gold tomorrow supporting Jakwob, Little Daylight and Strange Talk (tickets still available HERE).
The Griswolds are the latest export from Australia about to make waves on international shores. Their euphoric slice of indie pop brings to mind the youthful exuberance of Vampire Weekend with the nonchalant cool of The Strokes and percussive intensity of Friendly Fires, and while they're not doing anything earth-shatteringly original, the total package is just undeniable. Their latest single "Heart Of A Lion" tastes like candy-striped Ozzie courage and has all the makings of a houseparty summer anthem. From the irresistibly hooky verse to the endlessly ebullient chorus, it swells with pride, while "Mississippi" bursts at the seams with heartfelt sing-a-long grandeur. The Griswolds' debut EP is out next week and it's a corker from start to finish -- this won't be the last you hear of this lot. MP3:"Heart Of A Lion" - The Griswolds MP3:"Mississippi" - The Griswolds
We couldn't possibly be more all about Athen's primary guarantors of good vibes, Reptar. Ever since they first premiered "Sebastian" on Neon Gold TV last year (back when it was still spelled "Sebastien"), we've been dying to hear the studio version in all its Ben Allen-produced splendor. Our wish finally came true today, and yeah, it's everything we hoped it would be and more. From the first notes of jangly guitars and house party beats, we couldn't feel more at home. Frontman Graham Ulicny is like a southern fried cross between Ezra Koenig and Isaac Brock, flaunting reverb-coated hooks with a punch-drunk, impassioned cadence and leading an incredible singalong bit that's likely to be the highlight of live shows for years to come. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for their debut record, Body Faucet, out on Vagrant May 1st.
Like a parallel universe Vampire Weekend hailing from the wilds of Denmark rather than the ivy-and-brownstone environs of the Upper West Side, Age of Giants waltz onto the scene with a sunny disposition about them that immediately brings to mind the prim-and-proper pop of VW's eponymous debut album. It stands to reason that time drifts by a little slower in rural Denmark than it does in the Big Apple, and you can feel it in these tracks, replete with laid back melodies, playful keys and breezy pop choruses. "Dreamy Nights" is our track of choice from the up-and-coming Danes' early offerings, an ethereal slice of carefree warm-weather pop music that will no doubt get heads turning beyond Scandinavian shores as the band look to put themselves on the indie map in the months to come.
This is rather exciting news. "Horchata" is both a delicious Mexican rice drink and the genius lead track on the forthcoming LP from Vampire Weekend, Contra.
File under: Next level shit. Mouths have been wired shut about Discovery for a minute now, but our friends at Transparent have gone and let the cat out of the bag and it's time for the world to know. As if Vampire Weekend hadn't conquered the world hard enough already with the world's most universally likable brand of catchy guitar pop, keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij just had to go and craft his response to the Postal Service's genre-defining Give Up LP, the hypothetical follow up to which may well be one of the most anticipated albums of all time to never actually materialize.
Batmanglij teams up with Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles on Discovery, and the result sounds like a synthed-out Vampire Weekend doing their best to one up the Postal Service and R. Kelly at the same time, all shimmering electro-pop melodies replete with references to technology and Japan underpinned by a lead vocal from Miles that manages to artfully walk the line between Ben Gibbard and Hot 97 with a delicate grace. A full length from the duo will be out this summer, but for now feast your ears on a first taste with "Orange Shirt" below. An additional song is available on their myspace here, but rest assured these tracks are just the tip of the iceberg, with far more earth-shattering material to be unveiled in the months to come (just wait for "So Insane"). Get ready for a whole new takeover.
2008 wasn't quite the banner year for UK indie we've seen in the past, but Northern Irish bright young things Two Door Cinema Club are here to make sure that won't be the case in '09. Touted by industry types as Vampire Weekend meets the Postal Service and all manner of other vaguely fitting comparisons, the Bangor three piece aren't easily pigeonholed but bring a high octane brand of electronically-leaning guitar pop that sets them apart from their like-minded indie contemporaries. Our three protagonists all pitch in vocals over top melodic guitar lines and a faithful drum machine, all of which converge to lend their tracks an air of refreshing vitality and frantic energy the likes of which hasn't been seen in quite some time.
"Undercover Martyn" is the standout track from the band's buzzworthy Four Words To Stand On EP and it's accompanying video (above) is a simple yet effective treatment that highlights the band's aesthetic perfectly. The track's being kept under wraps for the moment, but they've been nice enough to sort us with an exclusive demo to make available for download. "Hands Off My Cash, Monty" is a damn fine song in its own right and just another reason these guys are one of our hottest tips for '09.
Elsewhere, the results are in and the winners of the Passion Pit remix contest have been crowned over at Finger On The Pulse. The third installment of their No Big Deal party series at Glasslands last Friday was out of control and saw Mr. and Mrs. Neon Gold taking professionalism to new heights of dranx'd while Passion Pit played one of their most fun sets to date. Cheers to FOTP and Palms Out Sound for throwing down one of the best parties we've been to all year and be sure to check out the fresh crop of "Sleepyhead" remixes up for download here.
Autumn in New York City lends itself particularly well to rough-around-the-edges British indie, so it was a pleasant surprise stumbling across Newcastle upstarts Little Comets last week. A cursory listen to their demo reveals no shortage of massive potential, but it's "One Night In October" that really stands out and establishes the Northeast quartet as ones to watch in the months to come. Bursting at the seams with fresh-faced vitality, "October" bounces along on a buoyant rhythm section and clattering percussion, shouty Wombats vocals and sunny guitars converging to make the four-piece out to be something of a cockney Vampire Weekend. With a publishing deal already in place and early support from Huw Stephens at Radio 1, don't be surprised to see this lot running amuck on all manner of hotly-tipped lists come January.
Earlier this month we waxed lovingly about Friendly Fires' debut album and called "Jump In The Pool" the most blissful dancefloor-filler you've ever heard or something like that, and now the lovely people at Beggars have been kind enough to toss us the MP3 for posting. Paul Epworth's lone production credit on the band's eponymous debut, "Jump" is all swirling atmospheric beauty and ethereal synths, like dance rock's own Aurora Borealis or being the last one up at sunrise with your friends all passed out around you.
Speaking of all things XL, Abeano has got an exclusive first listen to Vampire Weekend's first track since dropping jaws on their own self-titled debut last January. "Ottoman" trades in the West African bounce of the album for the pristine touch of production legend Mark Mothersbaugh, with whom they recorded the track at studios in Los Angeles and England earlier this year.
"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" was already Vampire Weekend's perfect late summer single, but it got even better when the Radioclit crew jumped on board and threw Esau Mwamwaya into the mix. There's been no shortage of hype surrounding Captain Esau and his fresh African riddims, but this has to be his finest collaboration to date. Radioclit take the track and give it a full cultural makeover, keeping the original's central riff gloriously intact, but dressing it up in all manner of Carnival-flavored bells and whistles as we all cling to the last gasp of summer before reality sets in and it's back to the daily grind of the 9-5.
COIN are a young new four-piece from Nashville who you should probably get on your radar. Now this isn't usually our thing (you know, anything sans synths) but their Southern-fried indie meets Brooklyn dream-pop sensibility is hard not to fall for. Coined "Atlas", their latest offering is the perfect warm weather music to roll your sleeves up to, like Local Natives and Vampire Weekend basking in the sun at a well-dressed picnic. Cop the exclusive download below and catch COIN making their DC debut at All Things Gold tomorrow supporting Jakwob, Little Daylight and Strange Talk (tickets still available HERE).
