NBC

Presumably we all like more than just music. I’m going to start checking in once a month or so with what I’ve been watching/reading/otherwise enjoying. Here’s the first installment. Feel free to chime in in the comments! Read the rest of this entry »

Pretty hard to fuck with analog-sounding lo-fi, power chords and the chorus “Teenage girls dancing in the street.” Bad Sports’ Kings of the Weekend (holler at you later, Wavves) is out on Dirtnap on Aug. 16 and boasts production from the Marked Men/Mind Spiders’ Mark Ryan, whose latest record is pretty great, too.

Bad Sports – “Teenage Girls”: mp3

Here’s the man himself on the new album, via Facebook:

New album is called “Ashes & Fire”. It was produced by Glyn Johns ( rocknroll wizard & true gentleman). It has 11 songs on it. I played acoustic on all of them and sang and played live to tape. We recorded the album ALL 100 percent ANALOG ( 2″ tape mixed to 1/4″ ). A computer didn’t touch this album. It has very few overdubs. I gave these songs the most consideration I have ever given and it is certainly the longest amount of time I’ve spent writing. It was made with total love. Very excited. XX

He’s not the only one. Ashes & Fire is due Oct. 11 via Pax-Am/Capitol.

Summer Darling “My Reminder” (Official Video) from summer darling on Vimeo.

In which L.A.’s Summer Darling make a slasher-film-style case for not being their No. 1 fan. Which you might be anyway after hearing this song, or their self-titled album, which remains a free download and highly recommended by yours truly. The band’s West Coast tour starts tonight — dates after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

The London riots of the last week claimed at least one serious casualty: the PIAS warehouse that housed thousands of dollars’ worth of independent label merchandise. Some of the labels included, per A2IM: 4AD, Beggars Group, Dead Oceans, Def Jux, Domino, Jagjaguwar, Matador, Ninja Tune, Polyvinyl, Rough Trade, Secretly Canadian, Side One Dummy, Silva Screen, Sub Pop, Too Pure, True Panther, Vagrant, Warp and XL. These are labels we know and love; the best way to help is to buy a download or five, giving them time and funds to replace the lost physical products.

Here’s a handful of albums (out of many worthy options) to add to your catalog. I bought four Saturday Looks Good to Me albums last night and can’t wait to dig in:

Secretly Canadian: Antony and the Johnsons – I Am a Bird Now + Jens Lekman – When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog
Polyvinyl: Japandroids – Post-Nothing + Mighty Clouds – s/t
Matador: Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out + The New Pornographers – Together

And so on and so forth. Go spend some money, folks.

Busy with freelancing and other projects, taking a week off. See you next week.

San Diego’s D/Wolves claim “early Weezer” as an influence, a sound that’s certainly evident in the crushing power chords of “Tell Me Why.” Between choruses, though, singer Joel Williams has some of the weird menace of Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock (and his mid-career penchant for squiggly lead guitars). It’s strong stuff — I only wish it was a Neil Young cover.

D/Wolves – “Tell Me Why”: mp3

More New Music | Best songs of 2011

So obviously wonderful. Jens Lekman’s An Argument with Myself EP is due Sept. 20, with an album to (hopefully!) follow and an L.A. date at Hollywood Forever on Sept. 28.

Jens Lekman – “An Argument with Myself”: mp3