Giraffage

Alright boys and girls, it's time to get the sexy time started with the new mixtape from San Francisco producer Giraffage.  "Needs" blends warbled pop samples with airy hip-hop beats, disco bass lines, and more synthesizers than you can shake a stick at.  Listen to sweaty slow dance jam "All That Matters" below and download the whole thing for free here.

Sven Libaek

Sometimes listening to a steady stream of garage and psych rock, hip-hop, synth and electronic, heavy metal, and on and on and on can finally reach to levels of the mundane, and thus we are forced to scour the cracks and crevices of pop music to find something new (or old, but new to us).  I was first introduced to composer Sven Libaek on a compilation CD from the excellent Trunk Records, a label that specializes in obscure and hard to find library music.  I dug the mix of classical, jazz, funk, and pop, but never really sought out more music from the man.  Cue the reissue release of the "Inner Space" soundtrack, a 1970's Australian documentary series on ocean life from Votary Records, and now i'm absolutely hooked on the stuff.  Listen to the short but awesome "Main Title Theme" below and order a copy of the record here.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

In case you hadn't heard, there's a new Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds record coming out next week.  "Push the Sky Away" seems to find them in a more mellow and contemplative state...and that suits me just fine, as a new Nick Cave album is always something to be stoked for.  Watch the video for "Jubilee Street" below (uncensored), and here's to hoping i can sneak into the band's SXSW performance in three weeks.

Pure X

Austin's own Pure X has a new album of sun drenched, slow burning jams due out later this year.  "Crawling Up The Stairs" will be out on Acephale in May, but you can listen to and download "Things In My Head" below right now.  Hooray!

Tyler The Creator

Odd Future front man Tyler The Creator will release his new album "Wolf" in April from Odd Future's own record label.  Above is one of the three album covers (and my favorite).  Below, watch the video for first single "Domo 23."

Wear Your Wounds and Revelator

Wear Your Wounds is Jacob Bannon from Converge.  Revelator is Ben Chisholm, a member of Chelsea Wolfe's band.  The two have put out a split 7" featuring a noisy, doom opus from the former and a haunting, piano driven processional from the latter.  Unfortunately, the record is sold out, but you can still buy the digital tracks here.  In the meantime, listen to Wear Your Wounds' "Adrift In You" and Revelator's "Net of Gems" below.

The Haxan Cloak

The Haxan Cloak is the work of artist Bobby Krlic, a desolate soundscape to score the end of the world, or at the very least, the post apocalyptic wastelands that follow.  Part drone, part horror soundtrack, part electronic experimentation, the songs on new album "Excavation" are almost hypnotizing in their murk and doom and gloom.  Listen to "The Mirror Reflecting (Part 2)" below and look for the album in April from Tri Angle.

King Stag

Combining elements of minimal cold wave synth, Gothic, doo-wop, and horror movie music, King Stag's "Tight Rope" really sets itself apart from all those other Gothic-synth-doo-wop-horror-music bands.  There's something very Ed Wood about the whole thing.  Grab the album here and listen to the wonderful "La Danse Macabre" below.

Mark Kozelek

Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon mastermind Mark Kozelek loves covers.  The man has been doing stripped down, emotionally stirring versions of everyone from Modest Mouse to Ace Frehley, AC/DC to Simon and Garfunkel, The Cars to our own national anthem, turning the songs into deeply moving, personal gems.  Needless to say, i'm pretty stoked about new album "Like Rats."  On it, Kozelek covers Danzig, Bad Brains, Descendents, Godflesh (from whence the title comes), and more.  Watch the video for the title track below and look for the album from Kozelek's own Caldo Verde Records.

Iceage

There is just something about the kids from Danish punk group Iceage that just gets under my skin and glued to my brain.  Whether it's the stranger, quirkier, more post-punk noodlings of the group's side outings, or the full-frontal assault of their namesake's raucous punk rock, i am hooked.  The boys have a new record, "You're Nothing," due from Matador next week.  "Coalition" is the first single.  Listen and download below.