Preoccupations

Canadian band Preoccupations have announced their upcoming 5th album "Ill at Ease," and dropped a very cool, cult-filled video for fist single "Focus."  The new tune has a punchy new wave feel to it that will stick in your brain for an afternoon.  Check it out below and pre-order the LP here from Born Losers Records.

Preoccupations

There's a modicum of ice on the roads today here in Central Texas, so naturally the whole area's been shut down.  I'm home.  Wife's home.  Kids are home.  I've got a fire going, watching news on the television of the 100 car accidents the city's already seen this morning, and now digging on the news that we've got a new album from Preoccupations heading our way in March.  Listen to the moody "Espionage" below and pre-order "New Material" from Jagjaguwar.

Women - Group Transport Hall (Alternative Version)

If you haven't already pre-ordered the wonderful charity compilation "Our First 100 Days," then what are you waiting for?  So far we've had releases from Angel Olsen, PWR BTTM, Avey Tare, and Jason Molina.  Today brings us an unreleased track from gone-but-not-forgotten Canadian band Women (one of my favorites from the last 10 years, and now carrying in on in the form of Preoccupations and Cindy Lee).  Listen to "Group Transport Hall (Alternative Version)" below.

Preoccupations - Memory

Viet Cong's self-titled album was hands down my favorite record last year, and my anticipation for the band's (now called Preoccupations) follow, the now also self-titled album, is growing to a fever pitch.  With every new released track, they just keep sounding better and better.  And so we have "Memory," the third track released from the record and featuring Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner on guest vocals.  The song is sprawling and multi-layered, and feels like a complete sonic trip, with different sections or suites moving and shifting all over the place.  It does not disappoint.  Listen below and grab the record next week from Jagjaguwar.

Preoccupations - Degraded

Here's another new jam from the upcoming self-titled album from Preoccupations (fka Viet Cong).  "Degraded" is a pulsing mix of post punk beats and moodiness and deteriorating waves of synth.  Listen below and grab the record in September on Jagjaguwar.

Preoccupations (fka Viet Cong)

While i wholly understand the band's decision to change their name, after the slew of negative press they received about it, it still irks me just a little bit as i feel our culture has become way, way too easily offended.  Also, i'm incredibly OCD about certain things and will now have to split up the records by the band in my alphabetized collection.  (It's always about me.)  That being said, Preoccupations is a good name.  And what's even better is the band has a new record coming out in September on Jagjaguwar (and with the new name, the band gets to go self-titled again).  First single "Anxiety" is an appropriately anxious and moody jam, full of noise and dissonance, with a kind of gothy, post-punk vibe running underneath.  It's excellent.  And the video is creepy.  Listen and watch below.

Cindy Lee

Calgary post-punk band Women was easily one of my favorite acts to come out of the 2000's, and i was super bummed when they disbanded (pun absolutely intended) in 2010.  Since then though, the surviving members have been cranking out individual projects to rival Women's all too short of a run.  One of those projects is the band (soon to be formerly known as) Viet Cong who put out what is still my favorite album of the year back in January.  Another project was called Androgynous Mind which seems to have morphed into what is now called Cindy Lee.  Their debut full-length LP, "Act of Tenderness" is due at the end of December, and from the samples and songs that i've heard, it's a messy, noisy masterpiece.  Listen to the jerky and haunting "Quit Doing Me Wrong" below and be on the lookout for the record from CCQSK.  Get more info here.

Viet Cong - Silhouettes

Viet Cong's self-titled album comes out later this month on Jagjaguwar, and based on the unbelievably awesome first single "Continental Shelf," is one of my most anticipated albums of the year.  Last year's "Cassette" EP only stoked those fires.  Well here's the second taste, another blast of post punk called "Silhouettes."  This record is going to be a monster.  Listen below.

Viet Cong

From the remnants of gone, but not forgotten Calgary band Women comes Viet Cong.  After their promising "Cassette" EP on Mexican Summer earlier this year, my interest was piqued.  And if the first taste, "Continental Shelf," from their upcoming debut on Jagjaguwar, out early next year is any indication, we are in for a treat.  The song is noisy post-punk at its finest, but with a lo-fi undercurrent to keep things fuzzy.  There's also an unease and tension withing the whole thing that builds and builds, creating a sound that's all at once discordant and gorgeous.  Listen below.

Viet Cong

The demise of the fantastic Calgary band Women was pretty tragic, an ugly break up that occurred on stage, followed by the death of a band member.  Since then, members have been putting out various solo projects like the excellent Androgynous Mind, and now Viet Cong who will soon have a release ready for Mexican Summer.  Listen to the rough mix of "Bunker Buster" below.  There are a lot of elements of Women in the mix, noise and pop...and that's a grand thing.