Posts Tagged ‘Real Estate’

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Fall Hard

Shout Out Louds and Freelance Whales at The Mod Club in Toronto

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangI detected a sense of general disappointment, critically speaking, around Shout Out Louds’ latest record Work, mostly centered around the fact that it didn’t represent as big a leap from 2007’s Our Ill Wills as that record did from their debut Howl Howl Gaff Gaff. And if we allow that there’s a way to quantify such things, it’s probably true – Work isn’t as sonically lush as its predecessor and its songs are more efficient, and it generally splits the difference between the grand Ills Wills and the scrappy Howl Howl. But what those who criticize Work on the basis that it’s not another watershed moment in their career – because those typically immediately follow previous watershed moments – seem to miss out on is the much more important fact that it, like the rest of Shout Out Louds’ oeuvre, is laden with glorious jangly and melodic indie-pop that’s as suited to dancing as rocking.

And though some critics might not get that, the fans do, and their first Toronto show in two and a half years on Saturday night at the Mod Club was sold out well in advance – even the lone scalper out front only had one ducat to offer. About 100 or so of the 500-plus who’d eventually be in attendance showed up early enough to see New York’s Freelance Whales do their thing, which was play clever and ultra twee pop from their debut album Weathervanes. I’d seen them do said thing back at SxSW but that was a break-of-day set where I wouldn’t have expected anyone to be at their best and appropriately, their set on this evening – though also technically early – was much peppier and pep is kind of essential to their sound, all made of glockenspiels, harmoniums, banjos and five-part harmonies. And while on record they can drift to the wrong side of wimpy, live they beefed up their sound enough – volume wins! – to keep it engaging. And closing (though not deliberately as they thought they’d have time for one more) with a well-intentioned if not entirely tidy cover of Broken Social Scene’s “7/4 (Shoreline)” was a nice nod to the city… or as they wryly noted, “that one’s called ‘pandering'”.

I remember Shout Out Louds’ October 2007 show as a lively affair that took some of the polish off of the Ill Wills album arrangements, and their SxSW 2008 as a raucous, stage trashing throwdown – this time, they split the difference between the two and turned in what was the best performance I’ve seen them do yet. Perhaps it was the pressure of a hard 10PM curfew, but kicking off with Work leadoff track “1999”, they barrelled through their 90-minute set without much let up in energy and with only just enough missteps to count as charming, particularly early on when Adam Olenius lept into the audience for “Tonight I Have To Leave It” and had a bit of trouble climbing back onstage. By and large, though, the show was a fast-paced romp through all of their records – Work was well-represented but not at the expense of older favourites – that got the house up and kept them there, particularly with the sing-along encore closer of “Walls”, which was marked by much jumping up and down and arm-waving. Perhaps if, a few records from now, Shout Out Louds are still ploughing the same field of inspiration, I might find myself on the side of those who wish they’d try to branch out a bit more but for now, a record like Work and a show like this, are plenty to keep me satisfied.

Exclaim and Panic Manual also have reviews of the show. QRO and Ion have interviews with assorted Shout Out Louds while NPR is streaming their show in Washington DC from last week.

Photos: Shout Out Louds, Freelance Whales @ The Mod Club – May 8, 2010
MP3: Shout Out Louds – “Walls”
MP3: Shout Out Louds – “Tonight I Have To Leave It”
MP3: Freelance Whales – “Generator 2nd Floor”
Video: Shout Out Louds – “Fall Hard”
Video: Shout Out Louds – “Walls”
Video: Shout Out Louds – “Tonight I Have To Leave It”
Video: Shout Out Louds – “Impossible”
Video: Shout Out Louds – “Please Please Please”
Video: Freelance Whales – “Generator 2nd Floor”
MySpace: Shout Out Louds
MySpace: Freelance Whales

Pitchfork has the first sample of the new album from The Concretes, entitled WYWH and due out in October.

MP3: The Concretes – “Good Evening”

Johan Duncanson talks to Spinner about The Radio Dept’s obsessive/lazy work ethic, and why it took so long for Clinging To A Scheme to see the light of day.

The Mary Onettes have a new video for their recent, non-album single.

Video: The Mary Onettes – “The Night Before The Funeral”

PitchforkTV has a Tunnel Vision session with The Tallest Man On Earth.

Under The Radar chats with Jonsi at Coachella.

MusicOmh interviews Doves.

Beatroute and The Georgia Straight chat with James Graham of The Twilight Sad; they are at Lee’s Palace on May 26 with Mono.

PopMatters talks to Chris Chu of The Morning Benders, who seem to have become the go-to band for duos looking for openers. They’re in town supporting Broken Bells at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on June 2 and then The Black Keys at The Kool Haus on August 3.

If you needed a little more incentive to go see Midlake’s show at the Mod Club on May 21, how about the fact that a solo Jason Lytle, along with John Grant, will be supporting? And the fact that Midlake, apparently, no longer perform hidden behind a wall of keyboards?

MP3: Jason Lytle – “Yours Truly, The Commuter”

Nathaniel Rateliff’s May 30 show at the Drake Underground has been canceled. But if you were looking forward to seeing him play, there’s at least this video performance for Yours Truly.

The previously announced July 20 Real Estate/Kurt Vile show has found a home – it’ll be taking place at the Great Hall.

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Tornado

Jonsi at The Sound Academy in Toronto

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangThe revelation last year that Sigur Ros frontman Jon Por Birgisson was readying a solo project under his nickname of Jonsi was met with great curiosity, but also some trepidation – after all, Sigur Ros hardly seemed the sort of band that set limits on how they defined themselves, so what sort of additional creative freedoms did Birgisson need outside of that? While questions about the future of Sigur Ros were answered in a recent interview – they continue to work on new material – the answer to the first question would come earlier this year in the form of Go, a record that could easily have been sold as the new Sigur Ros record (if you didn’t check the liner notes for personnel), but also justified its existence as something completely distinct.

Obviously Jonsi’s otherworldly voice is impossible to disassociate from Sigur Ros but beyond that, Go takes the poppier bent that 2008’s Med sud I eyrum vid spilum endalaust was noted for and runs – nay, frolics – with it in jubilant numbers like “Boy Likkoi” and “Go Do” while balancing it out with slower, sweepingly dramatic compositions… not unlike any given Sigur Ros record. How Go sets itself apart is in the details – it’s more heavily orchestrated thanks to the contributions of Nico Muhly and under it all, the songs are more conventionally structured, perhaps speaking to their simpler, acoustic origins. And oh yeah, he sings largely in English – this does dispel some of the mystery that’s integral to Sigur Ros, but does create a new kind of intimacy with the (anglophone) listener, even if it turns out Birgisson isn’t dispensing universal truths and wisdom. All of this is, of course, splitting hairs – it’s clear that whichever vehicle Birgisson chooses to channel his creativity through, he brings with him his unique aesthetic and magic and whatever he calls it, it’s something to behold.

And while his main project also sets an unbelievably high standard for live performance – their last visit to Toronto left Massey Hall filled with plumes of confetti and jaws on the floor – on Friday night, Jonsi proved he could impress just as well on his own. Originally scheduled for two nights at the Sound Academy in theatre configuration, the shows were folded into one with the hall at full size just days before the performances – officially due to the logistics of tearing down the elaborate stage set, but many believed it was simply overambitious to book someone whose name has little recognition beyond has fanbase for a multi-night stand. Which may have been true, but it’s also true that in addition to being one of the most reviled venues in the city, it’s also got one of the biggest stages in terms of square footage and laying eyes on the Jonsi setup last Friday night, it was obvious why that was a necessity.

The stage was decked out in a combination of exotic instruments, lighting rigs, scrims and screens, and yet everything had a rough, naturalistic finish that made it feel decidedly cozy for those in attendance. But just because it wasn’t built to look overly grandiose at first glance didn’t mean that advance word of the intense set design by 59 Productions was overstated. The show started on a solemn note, with Jonsi leading off with the acoustic non-album track “Stars In Still Water” and rendering selections from the slower part of his repertoire in even more drawn out and dramatic fashion while he and his band were simply lit and the accompanying projected animations looking like ghostly nature spirits around them, or a wall of flames devouring them. Just as astonishing as what we were hearing was how we were hearing it; the Sound Academy is not famous for its great sound – it’s usually acceptable at best – but on this night it sounded immaculate, with every delicate nuance of their performance heard loud and clear. The same couldn’t be said for the sightlines – I swear, if they just raised the stage a foot or foot and a half, the only thing people would have to complain about would be getting there…

As the set progressed, the tempo and energy swelled and the big pop moments of Go – “Go Do”, “Animal Arithmetic” and “Boy Likkoi” were joyous exclamation marks in the set, breaking the tension that had been built masterfully to those points and making the audience simply erupt. Throughout the course of the hour and fifteen set, they performed all of Go and a handful of new songs, and for one night only there was a special addition to the set with the band singing “Happy Birthday” in Icelandic to two of their crew. The show was perfectly paced and structured for maximum breathtaking theatricality, culminating in the encore finale of “Grow Til Tall”, in which the intensity of the musical crescendo was exponentially greater than on record and still matched, if not eclipsed, by the thunderstorm imagery that swept across every screen and surface of the stage. It was complete and utter sensory overload; I’m surprised anyone’s brains were still able to access the necessary motor skills to applaud. But we did, and even though it seemed an inadequate payment for the musical gift we’d just been given, it was all we had to offer and judging from the depths of the bows from Jonsi and his band as they took their curtain call, it was graciously accepted.

The Toronto Sun, Montreal Gazette and Boston Herald have interviews with Jonsi and Sticky, Live Music Project, Chart, eye and The Toronto Sun (again) have reviews of the show.

Photos: Jonsi @ The Sound Academy – April 30, 2010
MP3: Jonsi – “Boy Lilikoi”
Video: Jonsi – “Kolnidur”
Video: Jonsi – “Go Do”
MySpace: Jonsi

Under The Radar interviews Anna Persson of Sambassadeur and learns why the band have not and likely will not be touring North America anytime soon. But if you’re willing to travel there, Persson gave MOG a quick guide to Sweden.

The Radio Dept have no such excuses about traveling – besides not wanting to, I guess – and with Clinging To A Scheme receiving largely luminous reviews, they’ve got plenty of incentive. Not that I expect them to capitalize on it… Soundproof has a feature interview with frontman Johan Duncanson. Update: Turns out they do have an excuse for not touring, as they tell Exclaim.

Broken Social Scene are marking the release of Forgiveness Rock Record with a special one-day, hometown in-store tour. On May 9, some configuration of the band – or perhaps four different ones – will be playing four shows around Toronto, starting at Criminal Records at 2PM, Rotate This at 4PM, Soundscapes at 6PM and finally Sonic Boom at 8PM, with limited guaranteed-entry tickets available with purchase of the new record at each of the stores. Hopefully this is old news to you as they had special dispensation to sell the record since last Friday, well before the official release tomorrow, but if not, better call each of these fine retail establishments to see who – if anyone – has got some ducats left. There’s feature pieces on BSS at NPR, National Post and The Toronto Sun, and they play the Toronto Islands on June 19.

Sarah Harmer, whose new record Oh Little Fire is due out June 22, will play a record release show that evening at the Palais Royale – tickets $32.50.

The Flaming Lips/Spoon double-bill scheduled for July 8 at the Molson Amphitheatre just turned into a triple-header with the addition of Tokyo Police Club as opener. Their new record Champ is out June 8.

The reconstituted Hole have set a date at the Sound Academy for July 10, $35. I suppose having a definite when and where is better than hanging out on an overpass and just hoping to see a train wreck.

The pairing of Real Estate and Kurt Vile are coming to town as part of a joint North American tour, the July 20 date is set, the venue is still to be finalized.

MP3: Real Estate – “Black Lake”
MP3: Real Estate – “Beach Comber”
MP3: Kurt Vile – “Overnite Religion”
MP3: Kurt Vile – “Hunchback”

The Black Keys, whose new record Brothers is due out May 18, have set a date for August 3 at the Kool Haus, tickets $30 in advance on sale Friday at 10AM. Reuters has an interview with the band.

Video: The Black Keys – “Next Girl”

If you’re the sort who hates Summer and would rather look forward to Fall – and happen to take lunch near the Eaton Centre – Woodpigeon will be playing a free show at Yonge-Dundas Square at 12:30PM on October 6 and $100 do the same the following week, October 13.

MP3: Woodpigeon – “Empty-Hall Sing-Along”

And looking even further ahead, the Killing Joke show originally set for May 25 but postponed has been rescheduled for December 7, still at The Phoenix. Tie a string on your finger so you don’t forget!

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

SxSW 2010 Night Three A/V

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangFull writeup of the evening over here.

Billy Bragg
– British agit-folk icon whose last album was 2007’s Mr. Love & Justice is presently busy with his Jail Guitar Doors program and tells Spinner that there may still be more Mermaid Avenue records to come.
Photos: Billy Bragg @ MWTX North Stage – March 19, 2010
MP3: Billy Bragg – “I Keep Faith”
MP3: Billy Bragg – “Take Down The Union Jack”
MP3: Billy Bragg – “Must I Paint You A Picture?”
MP3: Billy Bragg – “Valentine’s Day Is Over” (live)
Video: Billy Bragg – “NPWA”
Video: Billy Bragg – “The Boy Done Good”
Video: Billy Bragg – “Sexuality”
Video: Billy Bragg – “Waiting For The Great Leap Forward”
Video: Billy Bragg – “You Woke Up My Neighbourhood”
Video: Billy Bragg – “Levi Stubbs’ Tears”
MySpace: Billy Bragg

Frightened Rabbit
– See notes from day one.
Photos: Frightened Rabbit @ NWTX North Stage – March 19, 2010

Man Man
– Philadelphia bizarro-rock troupe bring last year’s Rabbit Habits to Lee’s Palace on May 9.
Photos: Man Man @ NWTX North Stage – March 19, 2010
MP3: Man Man – “Top Drawer”
MP3: Man Man – “Black Mission Goggles”
MP3: Man Man – “10 Lb Moustache”
Video: Man Man – “Rabbit Habits”

Turbo Fruits
– Former members of Be Your Own Pet released their debut full-length Echo Kid in late 2009. Spinner has an interview.
Photos: Turbo Fruits @ The Music Gym – March 19, 2010
MP3: Turbo Fruits – “Mama’s Mad Cos I Fried My Brain”
MP3: Turbo Fruits – “Pocket Full Of Thistles”
Video: Turbo Fruits – “Volcano”
MySpace: Turbo Fruits

Real Estate
– New Jersey quartet have just released their self-titled debut, full of shimmering guitar pop. Nashville Scene and Spinner talk to frontman Martin Courtney.
Photos: Real Estate @ Klub Krucial – March 19, 2010
MP3: Real Estate – “Black Lake”
MP3: Real Estate – “Beach Comber”

Memory Tapes
– Dayve Hawk, armed with guitar and laptop, released his debut Seek Magic, filled with electro-gaze you can dance to. Spinner has an interview.
Photos: Memory Tapes @ Klub Krucial – March 19, 2010
MP3: Memory Tapes – “Bicycle”
MP3: Memory Tapes – “Graphics Remodel Edit”
MySpace: Memory Tapes

The Drums
– New Yorkers easily mistaken for Brits sing songs about California while wishing it were still the ’80s. Featured in stories at The Daily Record, X-Media and The Times.
Photos: The Drums @ Latitude 30 – March 19, 2010
Video: The Drums – “Let’s Go Surfing”
Video: The Drums – “Best Friend”
Video: The Drums – “I Felt Stupid”
MySpace: The Drums

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

SxSW 2010 Night Three

Man Man, Memory Tapes, The Drums and more at SxSW

Photo By Frank YangFrank YangSo where were we? Oh, yes, a somewhat artificial break between the afternoon and the evening. Immediately after leaving the Johnny Flynn hotel gig on Friday evening, I headed out towards the east side of downtown to the Mess With Texas grounds (which the day before had been the Eastbound & Found grounds) for what, of all the unofficial day parties running alongside/against SxSW, had become one of the largest and most must-see.

The three main stage closing acts for day one of the mini-fest included two very familiar faces and one that I hadn’t seen or heard before, but wouldn’t be forgetting. It was an interesting thing to be walking along 6th St and hear quietly at first, but increasingly loudly, the voice of one Billy Bragg exhorting the crowds to call their representatives and urge them to support the impending health care bill and resist giving in to cynicism. Not quite the usual, “hey Austin how ya doing!” you usually hear at these sorts of things, but it was exciting to hear the crowds responding positively to his message. I’d obviously heard him play (and preach) in Canada on numerous occasions, but to witness it in Texas – even in liberal Austin – was pretty cool. The portion of his set I caught was pretty standard Billy but tracks like “NPWA” and “I Keep Faith” tied in pretty well with his message of the evening and set closer “A New England” will always be welcome, anytime, anywhere.

I had said I felt lucky to have seen Frightened Rabbit play a somewhat stripped down set on Wednesday afternoon, and I do/did, but I was just as happy that they had sorted out their equipment issues in time for their next-to-closing set at Mess With Texas, because the rocking Rabbit is also pretty great. Fully plugged in and ready to give the crowd what for, Frightened Rabbit played a similar set to the one at the Paste party, split fairly evenly between the new The Winter Of Mixed Drinks and the older Midnight Organ Fight, all delivered with a fervor that it seemed Scott Hutchison was so pleased to have his electric guitar working again that he was going to strangle it in gratitude. Hearing Frightened Rabbit writ large, my reservations about the extroverted nature of Mixed Drinks is decidedly lessened, and I’m glad I was able to see them again in Austin so I don’t feel any regrets about missing their May 4 show in Toronto at the Opera House.

I am at a loss for how to describe Philadelphia’s Man Man. I’d never seen them before Friday night, and now that I think about it, those I know who are fans have never been able to describe them either beyond, “they’re fun to photograph”. Which they certainly are. The five-piece (or was it six?) are like a circus sideshow making their own soundtrack to wacky-ass antics AND shenanigans, all lurching rhythms, gutteral vocals and insane musicianship on keys and percussion and instruments that may or may not be proper instruments. It’s really something you have to see, and while I don’t know that I’d ever listen to their recorded works, the live spectacle is something to behold. I hadn’t really understood how they were large enough to headline something as large as MWTX (not major festival large but still reasonably large) but they did indeed pack the parking lot with people clearly in the know and stoked to be seeing them again. It was… something to behold.

By rights, that should have been the end of the night since chances of seeing anything top their show were slim to none, but it was still early. En route back to downtown, I got a text saying I needed to be at the Music Gym for Turbo Fruits and I was just across the street and with nothing better to do. So I went. I’d never had an interest in seeing said Nashville trio before, assuming they’d be all snotty and raggedy punk and while they certainly weren’t especially tight or polite, they were more melodic and enjoyable than expected. And points for moving their mics into the crowd with the second song to be closer to their people, though I did feel bad for the drummer stuck way back on the stage.

After a failed attempt to see Gemma Ray and instead catching part of a solo set from the guy from Cutting Crew – the part with “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight” so not a total loss – I was surprised to see no lineup for Klub Krucial, where a couple acts I thought would be much hotter draws were playing. New Jersey’s Real Estate impressed with a set of jangly pop that was simultaneously peppy and laid back and certainly put them on my list of bands to check out further.

I didn’t need to put Memory Tapes on any such list since I’d been enjoying his Seek Magic mini-album for a few months now. Where the surprise came with them is how entertaining they were live. While much of the beats and arrangements were pre-recorded backing tracks, Dayve Hawk augmented them with a live drummer and his guitar playing had some serious big rock attitude to it. Whereas the recorded works have a hazy, daydreamy feel to them, live they were much more aggressive and dancey. And there was dancing. It may have even involved me. Maybe.

The final stop of the night was Latitude 30 for The Drums, whom besides hearing people talk about them, I hadn’t actually heard before. And if they weren’t playing en route to my hotel with room still available in the venue – at least when I got there, such was not the case around 10 minutes later – that’d have remained the case. In addition to the buzz, I was curious how and why an American band – they hail from New York – was closing out one of the nights at the SxSW British Music Embassy. Until they actually took the stage, at which point it became clear that Americans they may be, but their musical hearts lay squarely in the UK. The quartet, whose singer Jonathan Pierce has clearly spent many hours in front of the mirror practicing his arch and preening frontman poses, struck the right balance of dancey beats and jangly hooks to win the hearts of Anglophiles everywhere, or at least in the room. I wasn’t as swoony as some of those bearing witness, but I could definitely see the appeal – it held my attention for almost their entire set which, considering how wiped I was, was no mean feat.

And… scene.

Friday, December 18th, 2009

(I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine

The Clientele plots most inconvenient North American tour ever

Photo By Andy WillsherAndy WillsherOkay, most inconvenient tour ever is probably a bit of an overstatement. From a logistical/routing point of view, The Clientele’s upcoming jaunt across the pond in support of Bonfires On The Heath makes perfect sense – fly into New York, head south, west through Texas to California, up the west coast and back east along the 49th, cross the border for a couple Canadian dates, back down to New York and then home. But for me – and really, isn’t that what it’s all about? – it sucks. Because the Toronto date at the Horseshoe Tavern falls on March 19 (not the 18th, as listed in itinerary), when I will be half a continent away in Austin at SxSW.

And yeah, I’m sure some/most/all of you will have some difficulty mustering up any sympathy for me, basking as I will be in the warm Texas sun surrounded by tunes and BBQ, but missing out on their distinctively English atmosphere, particularly if they make good on the promise/threat to call it a day after this album, is definite cause for sadface. I’ve seen them before – once in Summer 2005 when I wasn’t a fan at all and last at V Fest 2007, when I was a moderate fan. Too miss them now, when I’m a full-on devotee, is all kinds of disappointing. And possibly cause for a road trip sometime down the road… though it’d probably have to be an air trip.

Anyways. Anyone local who’s reading and is planning on attending – which I would think is at least some of you (should be all but whatever…) – I may be asking you to get me a shirt, yo. In return I will bring you some BBQ sauce.

MP3: The Clientele – “Harvest Time”
MP3: The Clientele – “I Wonder Who We Are”
Stream: The Clientele / Bonfires On The Heath
MySpace: The Clientele

Pitchfork has the new video from Field Music’s comeback album (Measure), out February 16. They will be playing with The Clientele at the Horseshoe show mentioned above – the one I won’t be at.

Video: Field Music – “Them That Do Nothing”

A trailer has been released for Falling Down A Mountain, the new album from Tindersticks, out on February 16 in North America.

MP3: Tindersticks – “Black Smoke”
Trailer: Tindersticks / Falling Down A Mountain

NYC Taper is sharing a recording of Fanfarlo’s CMJ show in Brooklyn from October.

NPR is streaming a radio session with Florence & The Machine and BBC6 an interview about their next record.

BBC6 talks to Futurehead Barry Hyde about their new album, still untitled but due out in the early part of 2010.

Final Fantasy is no more! After a half-decade of paying tribute to the venerable video game franchise with his stage name, Owen Pallett has opted to retire it (possibly/probably with the assistance of legal advice) and continue on as simply “Owen Pallett”. Less memorable, but more easily Googleable and probably less costly. Heartland will still be released on January 12, but under the Owen Pallett brand and past releases will be reissued in the near future. So does that make my promo copy of Heartland, very much credited to Final Fantasy on the spine, a collector’s item? Now soliciting bids! The Music Magazine has reprinted the full official statement on the name change.

Stereogum and Under The Radar talk to Matt Berninger of The National – the former about how one of their songs came to soundtrack a Google ad and the latter about the progress of their next album.

Yours Truly has a video of Holly Miranda covering Jeff Buckley’s “Lover, You Should Have Come Over” in a living room while Paste has an interview. Her solo debut The Magician’s Private Library is out February 23.

Paul Banks of Interpol hints at an “orchestral” direction for their next album, due out next year, in conversation with BBC6. I can see them in the studio with a philharmonic now… “No, no! Only downstrokes! Pointier! Stabbier!”

Black Book and Paste talk to Peter Silberman of The Antlers, who are at the Phoenix on February 16 supporting Editors. NYC Taper is also sharing a recording of a recent Antlers show in New York.

NPR is streaming a radio session with Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard.

Elliott Smith’s Roman Candle and From A Basement On A Hill are getting the LP reissue treatment on April 6 courtesy of Kill Rock Stars, and they’ve made available a previously-unreleased song, circa 1997, to mark the occasion.

MP3: Elliott Smith – “Cecelia/Amanda”

American Songwriter has drinks with Jason Isbell.

Grant Hart tells Blurt why a Husker Du reunion is not likely to happen, ever.

Fuzzy-fi practitioners Real Estate and Woods are teaming up for a North American tour that includes a stop at the Horseshoe on March 14. I know there’s a joke to be made about, um, property values or topography or something, but damned if I can think of it right now.

MP3: Real Estate – “Black Lake”
MP3: Real Estate – “Beach Comber”
MP3: Woods – “To Clean”

A first track from Retribution Gospel Choir’s new album 2, out January 26, is now up for grabs. They play the Drake Undeground on January 25.

MP3: Retribution Gospel Choir – “Hide It Away”

Also subscribing to the philosophy of naming ones albums sequentially, Serena-Maneesh have released details on their new album S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor, now set for a March 23 release. A suitably epic first MP3 is available to download and keep in mind, it’s just an edit. The album version is almost sure to be even more… more.

MP3: Serena-Maneesh – “Ayisha Abyss”