Negative Gemini

I have a rare Saturday off, and i'm expecting to spend it trying to watch college football, yelling at children, hoping to happen upon some craft beer, and hitting up the Austin Record Convention.  And maybe i'll grill a steak or two.  Anyway, here's an icy and hazy new synth pop track from New York's Negative Gemini.  Listen to "You Weren't There Anymore" below, download it here, and be on the lookout for a new EP from the artist in the near future.

L7 - Dispatch from Mar-a-Lago

Just when you think the world is done, and that there will never be a sliver of hope on the horizon again, along comes a reunited L7 with their first new song in almost 20 years, a timely punk rock middle finger to the orange monkey in Washington called "Dispatch from Mar-a-Lago."  Hallelujah!  Listen to the track below and get it from Don Giovanni.

S U R V I V E (Remixed)

One of my favorite albums last year, S U R V I V E's "RR7349," is getting the remix treatment from artists like JK Fless (Justin Broadrick) and more on a new EP called "RR7387."  Listen to Lena Willikens' remix of "Cutthroat" below and pre-order the record here from Relapse.

Forest Swords

Forest Swords already released and amazing album of experimental electronic music earlier this year, but here's two more new tracks just released by the artist.  Listen to "Congregate" and "Free" below, and buy the tracks here, courtesy of Ninja Tune.  All proceeds go to aid Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Mexico for hurricane/earthquake relief.

Broadcast - Tunnel View (Demo)

Had she not passed away in 2011, Broadcast's Trish Keenan would have turned 49 today.  To mark the occasion, surviving Broadcast member James Cargill shared an unreleased demo called "Tunnel View."  I'm not sure when it was recorded, but it's pretty, and you can listen to it below.

Ty Segall - Alta

The ever prolific Ty Segall just released a new nugget of fuzzy, psych-indebted garage rock the other day, and as per usual, it's great!  Listen to "Alta" below and buy the track here.

Havah

We're in a dark and ugly timeline right now, and i'm honestly just kind of waiting for everything to collapse under the enormous weight of everything.  I know it's a little defeatist and little macabre to feel this way, but i'm i'm just so exhausted from it all.  Anyway, music from around the world is starting to reflect this doom and gloom, and Italian post-punk band Havah sound fucking pissed about it.  And that's good.  We need that anger and the energy to keep propelling us ever forward.  I need it.  You need it.  And so we have the band's new album "Contravveleno," out now on Maple Death Records.  The record is derived from stories of normal people from decades ago, standing up to German occupation and fighting fascism.  It's crazy that the world needs this kind of stuff now, but here we are.  Get the record here and listen to "L'accettazione" below.

Mapache

LA duo Mapache have kind of a country-fried Laurel Canyon thing going for them, dusty sunshine folk with a psychedelic sheen.  Their self-titled full-length is due next month on Spiritual Pajamas, but go ahead and listen to "Chico River" below, which kind of sounds like a more Americana version of The Everly Brothers.

The Saxophones

Here's a new, melancholy little number from Oakland duo The Saxophones.  "Aloha" is perfect Sunday morning music when it's just a touch gray outside, and you're anxiously awaiting to see how many athletes are going to take a knee today.  Anyway, listen below, pre-order the 7" here, and note that the B-side is a cover of "Just You" from "Twin Peaks," though it's not available to sample yet.

RIP Charles Bradley

It feels like i'm doing one of these RIP posts every weekend these days.  Soul singer Charles Bradley passed away earlier today after a long bout with cancer.  If you've never listened to the man, you should definitely remedy that today.  Below, watch a live performance of Bradley's cover of Black Sabbath's "Changes" filmed at KEXP.  It's phenomenal.  RIP Charles Bradley.

Cold Cave - Glory

Here's a new and decidedly poppy new jam from Cold Cave.  For a group that usually trades in cold, Gothic, doom and gloom synth pop, "Glory" feels much sunnier than normal.  And that's not a bad thing.  The band is killing it.  Anyway, watch the video below and get the song here.

Living Nudes - Sad Song / Happy Song

It's me again...back with more shameless self promotion for this thing i'm calling Living Nudes.  I'm quite literally trying to record about two decades worth of material in my free time, and i hope to have it all down and released to the world sometime over the next year.  So, here's the latest, the "Sad Song / Happy Song" EP, featuring songs written well over 15+ years ago, one as far back as high school circa 1995 or 96.  Stream the whole thing below, and as always, download it here if you are so inclined.

The World

Oakland band The World stomp and ooze with 1970's underground and dancey post-punk, stabbing the air with horn blasts under mangled, slurred guitar riffs and steady, confident beats.  You'll be bouncing off the walls.  Listen to "Hot Shopper" below and get the "First World Record" LP from Upset the Rhythm next month.

Charlotte Gainsbourg

More good new album news today.  Charlotte Gainsbourg has a new album in the works, "Rest," headed our way in November.  It's her first in seven years, and features Owen Pallett, half of Daft Punk, and Paul McCartney.  Check out the video for "Deadly Valentine" below featuring the artist and Dev Hynes as a couple who spend their entire lives in love with each other.  It's a kind of saccharine sweet, yet beautifully shot companion piece to to the track, a lush and dancey synth pop jam.  Watch below and get the record from Because Music.

Angel Olsen - Special

Good news everyone!  Angel Olsen is set to release a B-sides and rarities collection called "Phases" in November.  Listen to "Special," a tune originally recorded during the sessions for "My Woman" below, and get the album from Jagjaguwar.

Alice Boman

All about the pretty, dreamy feels this morning, so here's a wonderful new single from Swedish artist Alice Boman.  "Dreams" is floaty, wistful, and yearning, and you should listen to it below, then be sure to cop the 7" here from The Control Group.

Lou Rebecca

Since its inception, Holodeck Records has released a string of excellent and beautiful records and cassettes from a cadre of different artists, and they show no sign of slowing down.  Next January will see the release of the debut, self-titled cassette from Austin-based Parisian Lou Rebecca.  Dreamy, dense, and cinematic, i can't wait to get my grubby little hands on it.  Listen to "Fantome" below.

MAINE

Synth soundtracks to films both real and imagined take up a lot of my earspace, and have for years now.  French synthwave artist MAINE takes these horror and sci-fi cues we've all grown to love and distributes them accordingly on new record "V," creating an atmospheric, and sometimes dancey record that twists and turns just like you'd imagine a pretend film it could accompany would.  Listen to "L'autome" below and get the album from Burning Witches.

Björk - The Gate

Anytime we get new music from Björk, it's an event.  Going on 3 decades now, starting with her time in The Sugarcubes, the artist continues to push boundaries and pursue innovations in both sound and vision.  Watch the video for new song "The Gate" below and look for new album "Utopia" in November on One Little Indian.

Venomous Maximus

Well, the Texas/Southern Cal game ended up being way, way better than anyone had anticipated...but the final result was still not in my favor.  So, a little bummed, and i've probably had too much to drink (it is pumpkin ale season after all).  Anyway, here's some psych-infused, horror stoner metal from Houston's Venomous Maximus.  The band's "No Warning" LP is out now (get it here).  Listen to "Spellbound" below.

RIP Harry Dean Stanton

We lost another icon yesterday, as it was reported that great actor and all around awesome person Harry Dean Stanton left this mortal coil as the age of 91.  Even if you don't recognize the name, you know who he is.  You've seen him in something.  The prolific actor popped up in all manner of film and television, cementing himself to our pop culture in a way few others can replicate.  I'll always remember him for his roles in "Alien," "Escape from New York," "Repo Man," and his recent turn in "Twin Peaks: The Return," but he did so much more.  He's even in "Cool Hand Luke," which instantly makes him cooler than you, cooler than me, and cooler than his many peers in the industry.  And by all accounts, he was an excellent human being to boot.  So, RIP Harry Dean Stanton.  You will be missed by many and matched by none.

Beaches

I really don't know what they put in the water over in Australia, but whatever it is, it certainly makes the continent spew out some of the most fantastic psych rock this world has to offer.  "Second of Spring," the latest from the quintet Beaches, is an album of epic proportions.  Fuzzy guitar wail, sun fried droning energy, and hypnotic garage stomp spread over 17 tracks of psychedelic mayhem, the record is cosmic blast from start to finish.  Listen to the album opening "Turning" below and get the record from Chapter Music.

Living Nudes - Goodbye Lover (Hello Dirt) Alternate Mix

More shameless self promotion from around these parts.  I remixed/reworked the closing track from last month's "My World Exploded" LP.  Give "Goodbye Lover (Hello Dirt) - Alternate Mix" below, and stay tuned for more bedroom recordings in the future, as that's pretty much what i do with my free time now.

RIP Grant Hart

Bad news this morning.  Grant Hart, founding member and former drummer for Hüsker Dü passed away today from cancer.  I've always loved the band, so much so that years ago i was almost in a band called Husker Don't.  Anyway, listen to the Hart penned "Don't Want to Know if You Are Lonely" below.  RIP Grant Hart.

John Carpenter - Christine

As we're entering a new Hollywood Stephen King Renaissance, or so it seems, cemented by how freaking great "It" was, i expect that the rest of the horror nerds and i will go and revisit all those King properties we grew up before the onslaught of new films and remakes.  So, it's only fitting that for John Carpenter's upcoming album, "Anthology (Movie Themes 1974-1998)," he gets back behind the camera for the first time in seven years to direct a video for his theme for "Christine."  It's kind of a quick, re-imagining of the original film, and it makes me long for the man to make more films.  And while that's probably not going to happen, at least we've got this.  Watch below and get the album in October on Sacred Bones.

Pink Fink

New Orleans duo Pink Fink, purveyors of swampy, funky, disco-Italo, horror synth, are releasing their debut full-length, self-titled record in October on Disko Obscura...just in time for Halloween.  Listen to album opener "Haunted Boogie" below and pre-order here.

Ecstatic Union

Summer's almost over, so here's a sunshine-fueled psych jam from LA's Ecstatic Union.  "Illuminator" hits all the right notes, like some long lost Elephant 6 nugget.  Watch the video below and get the self-titled record from Lolipop!

Om Unit

It's Sunday, and i'm trying to reconcile my love of football with my disdain for its internal politics that ostracizes its more socially political members and, you know, covers up that whole brain injury thing.  Anyway, here's some cinematic synth music from London's Om Unit.  "Out of the Shadows" has kind of a Vangelis feel to it, with some house beats on the back side.  Listen below and pre-order the "Self" LP here, from Cosmic Bridge Records.

Acid Nightmares

I'm pretty sure that crate digging record label Numero Group has never put out an album that wasn't fantastic.  Everything they unearth, from unheard, swinging soul tunes, to crunchy power pop, to dusty old folk just makes my ears sing.  Previously focusing on rare folk jams and Americana, this time around the label's Wayfaring Strangers series takes a stab at acid drenched psychedelia on the compilation "Acid Nightmares."  The record contains 18 tracks of guitar fuzz, burn-out blasts, and fried freakouts, a perfect soundtrack for demented hippies blazing through the desert on motorcycles, chasing the demons in their heads.  Listen to "Dark Dawn" from Whistlers Mother below and cop the record here.

S. Maharba

It's been a little while since we last heard from UK electronic producer S. Maharba, and on the latest EP, the gorgeous and haunting "Mirror & Veil," the artist's dusty, warped, ethereal aesthetic remains firmly and wonderfully intact.  Listen to album opener "A Cold Glass Hand" below and snag the EP here.

Weyes Blood

Natalie Mering has been making music as Weyes Blood for a number of years now, and today via Mexican Summer, she's released a new 7" featuring covers of songs she used to regularly work into her sets in the early days.  The single features covers of Soft Machine's "A Certain Kind" and Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'," made famous by Harry Nilsson for the "Midnight Cowboy" soundtrack.  Anyway, they're both great.  Listen below and get it here.

Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts

Composer Daniele Luppi has a new collaborative album called "Milano" coming out in October, much in the same vein as his 2011 Danger Mouse/Jack White/Norah Jones project "Rome."  The new record feature New York post punk band Parquet Courts and Karen O, and should be interesting.  Listen to the cinematic "Soul and Cigarette" below and get the album from 30th Century Records.

Perturbator

It's going to be okay everybody.  We've got new surprise new music out from Perturbator today.  The "New Model" EP continues the artist's forays into cinematic synthscapes and techno blasts, but adds a layer of late 80's industrial flair to the mix this go around.  Listen to "Tactical Precision Disarray" below and download the album here.

Peter Oren

Western Vinyl has been amassing a pretty stellar string of releases of late, leaning towards more low key artists putting out impressive and intoxicating work.  Indiana's Peter Oren comes from a singer/songwriter aesthetic, but mixes a kind of dusty or earthy folk sound into his final product, all while the added orchestration gives everything a classic cinematic feel.  The "Anthropocene" LP is due in November, but go ahead and listen to the title track below now.

PESSIMIST

Here's some dark tones and electronic drones from London producer PESSIMIST.  Listen to "Glued" featuring Loop Faction below and get the artist's self-titled album via Blackest Ever Black.

Kirsten Wenlock

Tacoma artist Kirsten Wenlock makes a kind of dreamy, hazy soul, retro R&B filtered through a lo-fi ear.  It's awesome.  Even more awesome is that she covered one of my all time favorite songs, The Four Tops' 1966 hit "Reach Out I'll Be There."  Listen below and get more from the artist here.

Deerhoof

Long-running, quirky and eccentric art pop band Deerhoof have a new record out next week on Joyful Noise.  New Deerhoof is always welcome around these parts, and if you order it here now and up to the official release date, 100% of the money made goes to the Emergent Fund.  Listen to "I Will Spite Survive" featuring Jenn Wasner below.