Grant Manship

The Lava Children

Graveface Records is one of those labels that if a band is on the label, I feel pretty confident that I'm going to like their record.  The Lava Children, a psychadelic duo out of Oklahoma, further proves this point.  They're on Graveface, they're putting out a record and I like it.

In a day when bands are coming up with all kinds of incentives for people to buy records, I think the band should package this mini-LP with it's own oil wheel light setup.  This is definitely the kind of music that the device was invented for.  When listening to "The Green Word" I can't help but think of the images you see in old footage from the early days of the psychadelic movement.  Check out the aforementioned track below.  The record hits stores on May 26th.

• The Lava Children - "The Green Word" from The Lava Children 

An MP3 from the Bowerbirds' Upper Air

I'm digging this.  The new album is due out July 7th here in the US (July 6th in the UK).  Enjoy!

• Bowerbirds - "Northern Lights" from Upper Air

A Preview of Pink Mountaintops' Outside Love

I really dug Axis of Evol which means I'm really looking forward to Mr. McBean and Co.'s new record Outside Love.  To tie us over until May 5th when the record drops, we have a preview for you below.  What is the album going to sound like you ask?  I think this promotional blurb says it best:

The ten songs on Outside Love are about or influenced by weddings in Montreal, winter, Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, Christmas albums, that one Exile song and that one Echo and the Bunnymen song, the Bermuda Triangle, being depressed in the sunshine, people who haven't made out yet but will in the future, The Everly Brothers, clowns in the ceilings, and bedrooms where skinheads used to live. They are songs of love and hate that read like a Danielle Steele romance novel but that would probably make for bad television.

Got that?  Cool.

• Pink Mountaintops - "Vampire" from Outside Love

More MP3's from Papercuts!

Here's the title track from Papercuts' You Can Have What You Want for your listening pleasure.  In addition to that, we've been given version of "Future Primitive" that's remixed by the Ruby Suns.  If you don't have this record yet, get it.

• Papercuts - "You Can Have What You Want" from You Can Have What You Want
• Papercuts - "Future Primitive" from You Can Have What You Want [Ruby Suns Remix]

New MP3 from King Khan And The Shrines

Here's a preview of What Is?!, the new album due April 21st from King Khan and the Shrines.  That's all for now.

• King Khan and the Shrines - "Land of the Freak" from What Is?!

The Handsome Furs @ Southgate House Tonight!

The awesome husband/wife duo the Handsome Furs, comprised of Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade (duh, right?!?) and his wife Alexei Perry, are in town tonight supporting the recent release of their new album Face Control.  The show is at the Southgate House and certainly won't disappoint.  Doors at 8:30.  Show at 9:30.  See you there.

• Handsome Furs - "I'm Confused" from Face Control
• Handsome Furs - "Cannot Get, Started" from Plague Park 

P.S.  As was expected, the show was great with both the Cinnamon Band and the Handsome Furs playing great sets.  I'm also pleased to say our friend Keith Klenowski took some more photos for us last night which you can check out after the jump.

Heartless Bastards Tonight @ Madison Theater

Building on a triumphant run at this year's SXSW, the Heartless Bastards are rolling into town tonight as they continue touring in support of their great new album, The Mountain.  Make sure to catch the band and openers Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears at the Madison Theater because it's sure to be an excellent show.  Doors at 7:00.  Show at 8:00.  See you there.

• Heartless Bastards - "The Mountain" from The Mountain

A Few MP3's from Swan Lake's Enemy Mine

Everyone's favorite indie supergroup, Swan Lake, will be releasing their newest album Enemy Mine on Jagjaguwar on March 24th.  Lucky for us, the band are offering up 3 tracks from the album (each showcasing a different member of the band) to give us a glimpse into the results of their most recent collaboration.

• Swan Lake - "Spanish Gold, 2044" from Enemy Mine
• Swan Lake - "A Hand At Dusk" from Enemy Mine
• Swan Lake - "Spiders" from Enemy Mine

Liars Remix Fol Chen

In what is definitely one of the more interesting quotes describing a band's sound that I've read in a while, the LA Times said, "Fol Chen sounds a bit like Sufjan Stevens if he'd been raised by David Koresh instead of Christian-hippie parents in Michigan." If that doesn't pique your interest (which seems hard to imagine) maybe getting a Liars remix of that sound will. Check out the remix below and pick up the record which hit stores today if you're so inclined.

• Fol Chen - "Cable TV" from Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made (Liars Remix)

New MP3 from Papercuts

I was a big fan of Papercuts' Can't Go Back and it looks like my affinity for the follow-up isn't going to be any different.  I definitely hear a little bit of The Zombies in the dusty preview we've been given which you can hear below.  If you hear a little bit of a Beach House vibe in this track (or others on the album) it's because Alex Scally helped with some of the arrangements.  Enjoy!

• Papercuts - "Future Primitive" from You Can Have What You Want