Daily Jam - When Do I Get to Sing "My Way"

I've liked Sparks for a long while, but until i watched "The Sparks Brothers" documentary earlier this year, i had no idea that they had been so prolific for going on 50 years now.  I had always just paid more attention to their stuff from the '70s.  Anyway, i've been trying to remedy that ever since, so here's a synth pop jam from the brothers from 1994's wonderfully titled "Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins."  Check out "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" below, our Daily Jam.

Paperbark

Paperbark is an experimental, ambient drone artist out of Minneapolis, and he just dropped a chilly and soothing new album today.  "Inhaling Mist" sounds like watching your breath on a cold day.  Check out the album opening "The Dream Came Back" below and order the cassette here from Seil Records.

Daily Jam - Moloch

I am still patiently waiting for someone to reissue French electronic duo Principles of Geometry's 2007 album "Lazare" and 2012 album "Burn the Land & Boil the Oceans" on vinyl.  Can someone get on that?  In the meantime, here's "Moloch" from the latter, our Daily Jam.

Jonny Greenwood

Radiohead guitarist and film score composer Jonny Greenwood has three different scores out or coming out this year for Pablo Larrain's "Spencer," Jane Campion's "The Power of The Dog," and regular collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza."  Being Greenwood scores, they're all going to be worth your time.  Check out the wistful "Licorice Pizza" below and pre-order the soundtrack album on vinyl here (still waiting on word on a record of just the score).

Penelope Trappes

UK artist Penelope Trappes has taken all the songs from this year's earlier release "Penelope Three" and drastically reworked them on the upcoming "Mother's Blood Edition."  Check out the dark ambient drone of "Lucky Eleven" below, the sound of a world dying.  And while the cassette is already sold out, you can pre-order the download of the album here from Houndstooth.

Daily Jam - Corsair

I was fortunate enough to have the whole last week off from work.  That all ends in a few hours.  Here's Boards of Canada with "Corsair," our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - The World Spins

Holidays can be tense.  So here's a dreamy Julee Cruise track to calm all the nerves.  Listen to "The World Spins" below, our Daily Jam.

Karl Frog

Here's a little poppy new wave from Estonia's Karl Frog late on this Saturday afternoon because i've been dealing with Christmas decorations all day.  Check out "Nuclear Submarines" below and pay what you want to download October's "Why Music?" album here.

Daily Jam - By This River

Here's a wonderfully calming Brian Eno song for your ears and souls.  Listen to "By This River" below, our Daily Jam.

Friday Horror Trailer - Death Game

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Daily Jam - Life on Mars?

I very much enjoyed the HBO "Watchmen" show from a couple years ago, and while i certainly would have loved to see more episodes, it's kind of a perfect little one-and-done series.  And the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross was the perfect companion piece.  Here's their wonderful instrumental cover of David Bowie's "Life on Mars?" which served as both context for the show and as a tribute to a friend.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - End of the Show

I don't think i ever would have guessed that Dennis Wilson's "Pacific Ocean Blue" would have made such a connection with me when i first gave the album a listen on a whim some 15+ years ago, but it's been in heavy rotation ever since.  Here's "End of the Show," our Daily Jam.

Léonie Pernet

Some days, taking a deep dive into Bandcamp turns up wonderful dividends.  Today, i came across the cinematic, electronic French pop stylings of Léonie Pernet.  Dark, synthy melodies mesh with elements of African music and occasional flourishes of neo-classical strings.  I was over halfway through the mostly French language album before even realizing it.  Check out the alt-rock tinged, album opening "Mon amour tu bois trop" below and get the "Le Cirque de Consolation" LP here from InFine.

Old Saw

Whether we want to think of it as drone, or ambient, or devotional, there's something hypnotizing about the almost celestial Americana of New England collective Old Saw's new album "Country Tropics."  Get back to nature vibes abound with layers of folk and acoustic instruments melding into a gentle hum.  Check out "Dead Creek Drawl" below and get the record here from Lobby Art.

Daily Jam - The Fragile Army

The Polyphonic Spree remain one of the best live experiences i can think of for a touring band.  I've lost count of how many times i've seen them over the years (though it's been a spell since my last), and it's always a joyous occasion.  Listen to the choral pop alt-rock of "The Fragile Army" below, our Daily Jam.

Elder & Kadavar

Through their mutual love of psychedelia and doom/stoner metal, Massachusetts band Elder and Berlin band Kadavar have combined forces on the upcoming "Eldovar: A Story of Darkness & Light."  Check out the epic, album opening "From Deep Within" below and pre-order here from Robotor Records. 

Daily Jam - The Silvery Light of a Dream Pt. 2

Anytime is a good time for The Apples in Stereo, selections from their album "Tone Soul Evolution" in particular.  Start your week off right with "The Silvery Light of a Dream Pt. 2," our Daily Jam.

Fleeting Joys

California duo Fleeting Joys are all set to release their new album "All Lost Eyes and Glitter" later this week.  And going by the dreamy sonics of opening track "Something in Your Melody," we're in for something lush and gorgeous.  It sounds like driving at night, stars everywhere.  Check it out below and pre-order the record here from the band.

Foam Giant

The Telescopes and Flavor Crystals have combined forces as Foam Giant for what they describe as a soundtrack to a film that was never made in 1983.  Together they have created a dense and spacey collection of synth-laden, shogaze and psych tinged space rock.  It's rad.  Check out "Slants End" below and get the "Acetate Parade" LP here from mpls ltd.

Soup

Listening to "Burning Bridges," the opening track to Norwegian band Soup's new album "Visions," is akin to drinking your bowlful of magic potion, losing all sense of time and space, and then crossing planes into some kind of alternate and unreal dimension.  Prog rock synths and post-rock guitars collide to melt the brain with psychedelic flair.  Check it out below and order the album here from the band.

Daily Jam - The Hurdy Gurdy Man

I love that when the Butthole Surfers covered Donovan's "The Hurdy Gurdy Man," they kept things pretty faithful, really just emphasizing the weirder aspects of the song that were already there.  And it just folds into their repertoire perfectly.  Listen below, our Daily Jam.

Horsegirl

Everything old is new again.  Chicago trio Horsegirl find that sweet spot mix of shoegaze and early '90s alt-rock crunch on their latest single "Billy."  And they sound right at home on their new label Matador.  Check the track out below, download it here, and pre-order the 7" here.

Daily Jam - Talk Show Host

It will never cease to amaze me when artists have B-sides or album cast-offs that are every bit as good, if not better, than their singles.  Radiohead does this often.  Here's "Talk Show Host," a "The Bends" era B-side that got a lot of love after appearing on the "Romeo & Juliet" soundtrack.  Listen below, our Daily Jam.

SPICE

LA band SPICE just dropped a new 7" on Dais Records, two tracks that are a little punk, a little post punk, a little indie rock, and more.  Check out the A-side "A Better Treatment" below and grab the 7" here.

Daily Jam - You Only Live Twice

I listen to Bond themes way more than than is probably healthy for the average person, and this one is probably my favorite (it's at least in the top 3).  So here's John Barry and Nancy Sinatra with "You Only Live Twice," our Daily Jam.

Friday Horror Trailer - Humongous

Riches

Here's a dreamy new track from Canadian project Riches.  "Hang in Pieces" moves on a mellow groove that occasionally veers into old school AOR territory, yet never pushes things into full on nostalgia.  Check it out below and get it here.

Daily Jam - Seasons (Waiting on You) (BADBADNOTGOOD reinterpretation)

The Future Islands single "Seasons (Waiting on You)" is an all-timer, but i think i might actually dig the BADBADNOTGOOD reinterpretation just a little bit more.  Their version keeps Samuel Herring's vocals, but lays them atop a jazzy, soul jam, and it kills.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Seafoam Walls

Some unique sounds coming out of Miami, Florida this morning with the swirly, daydream like music of Seafoam Walls.  The bands combine elements of jazz, psychedelic pop, Caribbean, hip-hop, and shoegaze for a chilled and mesmerizing, almost disorienting sound.  Check out "You Can't Have Your Cake and Ego Too" below and get the band's debut full-length "XVI" here from Daydream Library Series.

Daily Jam - Better Man

A few years back, Fort Worth soul artist Leon Bridges shook things up a little bit with his throwback style and sound, putting old school soul music back into our brains and earholes.  Shortly after the release of his debut full-length LP, "Coming Home," selections from the album were reworked and remixed by producer Mick featuring some assists from rappers like fellow Texan Bun B.  In this household, the addition of Bun B is always a reason to celebrate.  So here's the group's reworking of "Better Man," our Daily Jam.

Hawthonn

From Leeds, England, Hawthonn give us minimalist, droney, dark ambient folk with bits of psychedelic flair and an ever present gothic undertone.  Winter must be near.  Check out the quiet and somber "Cat's Cradle" below and get the duo's "Earth Mirror" LP here from Ba Da Bing Records.

Just Mustard

Irish band Just Mustard feel like they've just emerged from a time machine some 25 years from the past on their latest single "I Am You."  Elements of shoegaze, industrial, trip-hop, and good, old-fashioned alt-rock abound.  It's like somebody pureed an episode of "120 Minutes" and then injected it straight into my veins.  Check the track out below and download it here from Partisan Records.

A Place to Bury Strangers

Noisy Brooklyn band A Place to Bury Strangers has been going at it for a long time now, the quest to make ears bleed a never ending one.  And that quest continues with the upcoming new album "See Through You," out early next year.  Check out the subdued and reverbed (and noisy) "Let's See Each Other" below and pre-order the album here from DedStrange and here for vinyl.

drowse Covers Slipknot

The folks over at The Flenser have been compiling a new covers album featuring artists from their roster taking on nu-metal and nu-metal adjacent tracks.  The results are sure to be intriguing, like this rendition of Slipknot's "Wait and Bleed" by droney, shoegazey artist drowse.  Admittedly i've never been much of a fan of Slipknot, though i can appreciate their weirdness, and this reimagining of their song is pretty cool.  Check it out below and get it here.

Daily Jam - Mind Playing Tricks

2015 brought us the fantastic pairing of Ghostface Killah and BADBADNOTGOOD and their collaborative "Sour Soul" LP.  I think it's high time we get another one from the legendary rapper and the soulful jazz fusion band.  Listen to "Mind Playing Tricks" below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Tabako no Kemuri

I think i'm gonna start my week with some '60s Japanese vocal pop to put things on the right course.  It's the right thing to do.  And so we have the wonderful "Tabako no Kemuri" from Japanese actress and singer Romi Yamada.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Jabu

I'm not really sure how to describe "Versions," the latest album from Bristol band Jabu.  The group took several of their older songs, stripped them down, reworked them, and made something completely alien from them.  Kinda haunting.  Kinda beautiful.  Kinda intoxicating.  The group themselves describe the project as "Angelo Badalamenti meets King Tubby at home or taking too much of my back medicine in the NCP car park."  I can get behind that.  Check out the spacey "Slow Down Version" below and get the whole thing here from Do You Have Peace.

Blankenberge

Everyday i gotta scratch that shoegaze itch, and it leads to bands from all over the world joining in in the reverb.  From St. Petersburg, Russia, Blankenberge play like a noisy, beautiful dream, lost in fuzz and lost in space.  Check out "Time to Live" below and grab their new album "Everything" here.

Daily Jam - Bachelorette

I don't know about the rest of you, but i'm going to listen to some Björk today.  Here's the heartbreaking and devastating "Bachelorette," our Daily Jam.

Somos La Herencia

Waking up in a little bit of a funk this morning and reaching for some tunes to help get my head back on right.  Which led me to some wiry post-punk from Spanish band Somos La Herencia.  The band's latest, "Dolo en Madrid" features live tracks recorded last December.  Check out the dark and brooding "Revisión de la materia" below and download the album here from Humo Internacional.

Failure

I wasn't expecting to hear a new song from Failure this morning, but here we are.  Evidently the band has a new album heading our way in just a few weeks.  Hooray!  Check out the dense space rock of "Headstand" below and pre-order the upcoming "Wild Type Droid" here.

Daily Jam - Kiss Them for Me

Just a little Siouxsie and The Banshees this morning because i love you.  Listen to "Kiss Them for Me" below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - The Waste

Putting Mike Patton in something always makes it better, even if that something is already pretty cool, like Brazilian metal band Sepultura.  Check out their collaborative track "The Waste" below, which somehow ended up on the "Freddy Vs Jason" soundtrack, our Daily Jam.

Friday Horror Trailer - Eaten Alive!

Jenny Hval

Experimental artist Jenny Hval has released a string of interesting music over the last few years, both as a solo artist and earlier this year as part of the duo Lost Girls.  And now she's got a new single and has signed to new label 4AD.  Check out "Jupiter" below, a track that starts as a gentle, R&B influenced pop song and ends in cosmic drone.

Beach House

Dream pop duo Beach House are back in February with their eighth album "Once Twice Melody."  Building up to the album's proper full release, the band will be releasing 4 sections of the album every few weeks until then.  The first four songs are out now.  Check out the breezy psych pop of the album opening title track below and pre-order the whole thing here from Sub Pop.

Good Looking Son

Keith Harman, the lead singer of the excellent band The Cowboys, ventures out on his own with the new excellent solo project Good Looking Son.  The dude has songwriting chops for days, as evidenced by his work with The Cowboys, and that continues here.  Check out "The Neighbor Girl" below, and pre-order the upcoming "Fantasy Weekend" here from Feel It Records.

Daily Jam - Theme from Retro

I've been a Blur fan for almost three decades now, and while my favorite album of theirs shifts from time to time, i think most days it's their self-titled record from 1997.  Everything about that one just hit me in a right time/right place kind of way that keeps me coming back.  The Britpop from earlier albums is still there, but mixed with the sounds of American underground rock, psychedelia, and a lot of good old fashioned weirdness.  Listen to the organ and echo heavy "Theme from Retro" below, which feels like it's pulling you back in time to some seedy hotel somewhere, eyes on you, trouble around the corner.  Check it out, our Daily Jam.

Druid Fluids

Feeling a bit like they're channeling that particular strain of '60s psychedelia and Eastern influence that weaved its way into some of the Britpop of the '90s, the excellently named Australian band Druid Fluids craft psych pop jams that leave you sun drenched and hazy.  Check out "Flutter By" below, download it here, and be on the lookout for a full-length some time in the future.