Xiu Xiu

A few years ago, long-running experimental band Xiu Xiu paid tribute to David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti by covering the music from "Twin Peaks."  This July, they give a nod to Lynch once again with "Eraserhead Xiu Xiu," a new live concert with an accompanying film and album.  Listen to their surreal take on Peter Ivers' "In Heaven" below and pre-order the LP here from Polyvinyl Records.

Xiu Xiu

Long running experimental band Xiu Xiu have been making interesting music for years and years now, and in the mix of all that have been numerous cover versions of songs that the band really make their own.  January sees the release of new album "Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol. 1," a collection of covers from the band spanning everyone from The Talking Heads to The Runaways.  Check out their absolutely gutting version of Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last a Long Time" below and pre-order the LP here from Polyvinyl Records.

Plato III

Abilene rapper and musician Plato III has been dropping a string of singles this year, and the latest is the melancholy and contemplative "Stay Sane."  Chill with the track below and download it here from Polyvinyl.

Plato III

Here's a funky new one from Abilene rapper and indie pop artist Plato III.  Listen to "Good Problems" below, download the track here from Polyvinyl, and shake your booties.

Xiu Xiu

I love that for almost 25 years now, LA band Xiu Xiu have been steadily churning out weird album after weird album, over two decades of wild noise for the masses.  New album "13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips" drops in September.  Pre-order it here from Polyvinyl and listen to "Common Loon" below.

Jeff Rosenstock

New York artist Jeff Rosenstock has a new album of alt-rock and punk heading our way in September.  Listen to new tune "Doubt" below and pre-order the "Hellmode" LP here from Polyvinyl.

Xiu Xiu

Experimental band Xiu Xiu have been making weird, noisy, sometimes impenetrable music for a long time now, and it's nice to know that there are things that can still be counted on.  New album "Ignore Grief" drops in March.  Pre-order it here from Polyvinyl and watch the video for "Maybae Baeby" below.

Plato III

I was able to catch Abilene artist Plato III a couple of times last month during SXSW, and quite enjoyed his mix of hip-hop, dreampop, and alt-rock.  June brings us his full-length debut for Polyvinyl Records.  Check out new tune "Sorry If I Dissed You" below and pre-order the upcoming "The Devil Has Texas" here.  And dig on that Modest Mouse sample.

Plato III

Abilene, Texas is not the location i would pick that would be generating artists that fuse hip-hop, dreampop, and alt-rock into hazy grooves, but what do i know?  And so we have Plato III, the Abilene artist that does all that stuff i said above.  Here's new single "Give 'Em Hell," featuring Merk, MoneyM!ll$, Blase, and Mickey Matta.  Check it out and download it here from Polyvinyl.

Xiu Xiu and Chelsea Wolfe Cover The Cure

I posted about the latest from Xiu Xiu a couple months back when "OH NO," a duets album, was announced.  Well, the album's out now, and it's a dark and tangled thing featuring vocals from artists like Grouper's Liz Harris, Liars' Angus Andrew, Sharon Van Etten, Twin Shadow, and more.  A track i was particularly excited to hear is a cover of The Cure's "One Hundred Years" featuring vocals by Chelsea Wolfe which you should most definitely listen to below.  The artists turn the angsty and anguished goth song into an angsty and anguished industrial hybrid of sorts.  It rules.  Check it out and grab the record here from Polyvinyl.

Xiu Xiu and Liz Harris

The boundary pushing, experimental, avant garde pop group Xiu Xiu are gracing us with a new record in March, this time around as a duets album featuring a whole slew of other great artists.  Highlights include Angus Andrew of Liars, Chelsea Wolfe, Sharon Van Etten, and Owen Pallett among others.  Grouper's Liz Harris is also featured on the new record on the single "A Bottle of Rum."  Check that one out below and pre-order the "OH NO" LP here via Polyvinyl.  And i'm just dying to hear the cover of The Cure's "One Hundred Years."

Hum

I've gotta say that a surprise new album, their first in 22 years, from '90s alt-rock band Hum was not something i expected to happen today.  But it did, and my first listen through is bringing me nothing but smiles.  Check out the space rock opening track "Waves" below and download the new "Inlet" album here from the band and pre-order the vinyl here from Polyvinyl.

Jeff & Laura

Jeff Rosenstock and Laura Stevenson just released an EP of Neil Young covers, and they're wonderful.  Listen to the duo take on "Harvest Moon" below and then be sure to grab Jeff & Laura's "Still Young" EP here via Polyvinyl.

Vivian Girls

Good news!  It looks like Vivian Girls are reuniting and releasing some new music.  Their particular brand of "girls in the garage" punk rock is an aesthetic i've been missing for a while now.  Anyway, the "Memory" LP is due in September.  Listen to "Sick" below and pre-order the album here from Polyvinyl.

Shy Boys

Here's some summery, jangly pop from Kansas City band Shy Boys with a kind of lo-fi '80s vibe.  Listen to "Dim the Light" below, get it here from Polyvinyl, and as i'm listening to SXSW bands today, catch them in Austin in a couple weeks.

Xiu Xiu - Scisssssssors

No one can make creepy, offsetting music quite like the long running experimental band Xiu Xiu.  And to bring that point home, the band has just released a video for their new track "Scisssssssors," the first single from upcoming album "Girl With Basket of Fruit."  Watch and listen below and grab the new record in February from Polyvinyl.

Jacco Gardner

Dutch, baroque psych pop artist Jacco Gardner has a new album of swirly, trippy music headed our way in November.  "Somnium" is inspired by early sci-fi literature, a musical reflection of the future past.  Listen to the instrumental track "Volva" below and pre-order the record here from Polyvinyl.

Jeff Rosenstock

And it looks like we might just have our first essential release of 2018 with the surprise New Year's Day release of "POST-," the latest album from New York's Jeff Rosenstock.  A political record, but not overly nagging or annoyingly so, the album feels like a summation of all the frustration we've been feeling for the last year in this new post-satire, post-democracy, post-post-modernism world, using punk and pop and experimentation to get its point across and stick with you.  I'm pretty sure i'll be revisiting this one all year long.  Listen to "USA" below and then download or pre-order the vinyl here via Polyvinyl.

Alvvays - Dreams Tonite

Indie rock outfit Alvvays have a new album in the works, and they've just released a new jam from it called "Dreams Tonite."  The tune finds the band traversing a much more dreampop vibe than on previous efforts, and they handle it stunningly.  I'm all for this.  Listen below and be on the lookout of the upcoming "Antisocialites" LP in September on Polyvinyl.

Deerhoof - Criminals of the Dream

Okay, so Deerhoof's "The Magic" actually came out way back during summer of last year, but i have had the long running art rock band's "Criminals of the Dream" stuck in my head for the last couple of weeks.  A wonderful combination of lo-fi new age synths, driving guitar riffs, and the band's signature off-kilter, singsong vocals, the track seems like a perfect way to usher in the spring.  Listen to the track below and get the record from Polyvinyl.