MP3: Sea Patterns – “Cape”

I’ve written extensively about my friend Jeff’s Lean Horse Marathon project, but I’ve unfortunately never had a chance to really dive into his band Sea Patterns that he’s in with Kevin and Chris from Baltimore. The first track by them to really pop onto my radar was “Battle Royale,” which sounds like a more punk Surfer Blood in my mind. But now the three piece with no bass drum returns with “Cape,” a more laid-back track with a great melody. The opening lead guitar melody is just an earworm. From the first notes, you know this pop yet rock track is good. Cop it below and more Sea Patterns stuff over at their Soundcloud.

–Daniel

Stream: Lean Horse Marathon – “Reflections”

School starts tomorrow for me. It’s been a really good, albeit nearly blogless, summer and tomorrow morning will feel like a new awakening. In the above video teaser for “Sacrifice Hat,” the centerpiece of Lean Horse Marathon’s Reflections, light starts piercing through the dark. Slowly but surely the lights get brighter and the noise gets louder, just like they will tomorrow morning when I have to pry myself out of bed. It’s an awakening, just like “Sacrifice Hat.”

Lean Horse Marathon is Baltimore’s Jeff Koplovitz, an 18-year-old with a great ear and chops to boot. You can stream Reflections via Only For Us for the time being and buy it on iTunes. Facebook rumors lead towards the possibility of a cassette in the future.

Full review of Reflections is to come as well.

–Daniel

Download: Abadabad/Stoner Showers – “Makeout Beach”

Since I downloaded the new Big Troubles track “Sad Girls” this afternoon, it’s been on repeat in my room. Until I stumbled upon this split cassette from the awesome Abadabad and the sick Stoner Showers (alliteration, yes). I knew this release had been on its way from Chill Mega Chill and that it’s been on my wishlist for a bit (fingers crossed the tapes last until next week), but I hadn’t heard any of it outside of Abadabad’s “Park Slope” and “California Birds.” That changed today on the Chill Mega Chill bandcamp, where Makeout Beach is available digitally for $1 or via a MediaFire link in the album information.

Abadabad’s music holds up well, as the space in “Park Slope” is makes it a summer favorite for me. The coolest part about the Abadabad side of the split is the remix of “Park Slope” from Yalls. I’m usually not a big fan of remixes, but Yalls expands on “Park Slope” and makes it that much better. Check out the bandcamp stream of that at the bottom.

Stoner Showers was completely new to me, but it instantly brought me in with its electronic and reverb-drenched atmospheres. You could almost call it chillwave. “Welcome Home” opens the side of the cassette, and like the name implies, makes you feel like you never left a familiar place. The highlight of this side for me is “I Want U 2 Know,” streaming below, which reminds me of the first time I heard Neon Indian, except slightly dark. The synth sound is so full and the beat is just schizophrenic enough to make it fun to dance to. Plus, the vocals are up front, adding a new dimension to the track.

Pick up Makeout Beach via Chill Mega Chill here.

–Daniel

MP3: Big Troubles – “Sad Girls”

The NJ shoegazers return with the lead single off their upcoming album Romantic Comedy titled “Sad Girls.” In it we hear Alex Craig singing about, well, sad girls. The studio production again highlights the guitars and allows the bass to pop out in the songs more. It brings us one step closer to Romantic Comedy, with “Misery” being posted last month. The only question I have so far on Romantic Comedy is where are all Ian Drennan’s songs? It’s just making me look forward to that album even more.

MP3: Big Troubles – “Sad Girls”

Pre-order “Sad Girls” b/w “Phantom” (due out 8/30) on Insound. Also pre-order Romantic Comedy (due out 9/27) from Insound as well and get a poster for a limited time.

–Daniel

Stream: Weekend – “Hazel”

Last year’s Sports from Weekend was a great, if a bit underrated release, at least in my conversational circles. But repeated listens reveal awesome melodic basslines under all the scuzz.

“Hazel,” from the upcoming Red EP on Slumberland, builds on Sports, but with a poppier and more addictive sound. The bass chords drive the song, providing a great rhythmic backbone for the shoegaze sound the band is known for to build on. The vocals are clear on these tracks and provide the repeated hooks of “Eyes like mine” and “Hazel”, letting the bass and guitar be complementary pieces, something that suits this band well.

Red is due out Sept. 20 on Slumberland. Weekend plays DC9 on September 7.

–Daniel

Download: STROKED: A Tribute To “Is This It”

Just take a look at the track list for this: Frankie Rose, Peter, Bjorn & John, Heems, Deradoorian, Real Estate, Owen Pallett. It’s amazing artists covering an amazing album, and it is done fantastically. Is This It is one of the seminal albums of the 2000s, an album that inspired a generation and sticks with a generation. Seeing The Strokes open their set at the Sweetlife Festival in May with “Is This It” reminded me of the first time I ever heard the track on a CD somewhere. It had the same lasting effect, something that carried over to the entire album.

This tribute to Is This It showcases many songs in many different styles, but each style works. Frankie Rose’s “Soma” pulls back a little bit on the original, taking a little bit of the edge off the track. One of the coolest covers on the tribute is Owen Pallett’s magnificent orchestral take on “Hard To Explain,” a track that lends itself to his style perfectly. Of course, Pallett’s cover is right before Heems of Das Racist’s cover of “New York City Cops,” which invokes Jay-Z’s “99 Problems.”

My favorite take on The Strokes comes from New Jersey’s Real Estate, who take on “Barely Legal.” The boys pull the tempo back a little bit, allowing Martin Courtney’s vocals to waft over the shimmering guitars. It makes the song feel much, much more contemplative, like they are looking back over the 10 years of Is This It as opposed to just throwing down a cover at a party. The mp3 is down below, via Pitchfork.

Overall, STROKED is a must-have for anyone that had the Strokes play a part in their musical life, with a great variety of cool covers. Also, it doesn’t suck like the Nevermind tribute that SPIN put together.

Get STROKED from Stereogum here.

MP3: Real Estate – “Barely Legal”

–Daniel

Stream: Widowspeak – “Nightcrawlers”

Widowspeak is slowly emerging as a band-to-watch this fall after a series of highly successful New York-area gigs, and this taste of band’s upcoming self-titled debut full-length, confirms that hype. Following two successful 7″ singles, “Nightcrawlers” uses haunting vocals and gritty guitars to create an atmosphere that pulls the listener in and keeps them there.

Widowspeak is due out August 9 on Captured Tracks.

The record release show is August 2 at Glasslands with Hoop Dreams and Crinkles, plus DJ sets from Beach Fossils’ Dustin Payseur and Captured Tracks’ Katie Garcia.

The band is also playing at the Bowery Ballroom on August 13 with Woods, Ducktails and White Fence, which is sure to be an amazing show.

–Daniel

MP3: Total Babes – “Be So True” (Plus Stream Others and Videos))

Over a month ago we posted the first mp3 from a seemingly unassuming Cleveland lo-fi pop punk band that had a few of the Cloud Nothings guys. But after a live show (that I never got around to reviewing), some live videos (after the jump), a cassette copy of Swimming Through Sunlight and now another mp3, it’s safe to say that Chris Brown’s Total Babes earworm melodies are here to stay.

“Be So True” is the second track from Swimming Through Sunlight and was dropped over on the Forkcast earlier Tuesday. When I gave the cassette its first couple of listens upon receiving it, this track was the first that caught my brain in my early forays into the album. Brown’s lyrics are clever and, although sometimes unintelligible (love you, lo-fi!), a little snarky. The chorus of “Be So True” stands out in that regard with the line, “I swear I’ll be so true to you, but there’s nothing to be true to.” It’s pretty simple, but it gets its desired effect. Plus, the backing vocals, done live by Joe Boyer, are a nice touch, softening a somewhat abrasive sound.

New Album: Girls – “Father, Son, Holy Ghost”

Two years after releasing Album and a year after the follow-up Broken Dreams Club EP, Girls return with another full-length on True Panther, Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The album is due out September 13 and is setting up to be more magic from Christopher Owens, judging from the cover art for this one. The album was recorded in San Francisco by Owens, bassist Chet White, Darren Weiss and guitarist John Anderson.

Here’s the tracklist, via Stereogum:

01 Honey Bunny
02 Alex
03 Die
04 Saying I Love You
05 My Ma
06 Vomit
07 Just a Song
08 Magic
09 Forgiveness
10 Love Like a River
11 Jamie Marie

Stay tuned to your favorite relevant music blog for more information on this release.

–Daniel

MP3: Big Troubles – “Misery”

Back in January, Anna & I caught Big Troubles at Subterranean A with Julian Lynch and Wet Dream, and I caught the above video of a then-untitled new song. After months of watching the grainy basement footage with the sudden treble blast at the end, I can finally listen to a recorded version, and it kicks ass.

The Forkcast over on Pitchfork unveiled the final version of the track now known as “Misery,” and it is extremely impressive. After a string of releases with extremely low fidelity, we were shown what Big Troubles is capable of with “Phantom” via Shaking Through, and now we’re given our first taste of Romantic Comedy, which is due out on September 27 on Slumberland.

“Misery” embodies 1990s power pop with hazed out vocals and overpowering guitars. It’s immediately addicting and powerful enough to bob your head to, but also relaxed enough to just sit back and relax to it. “Misery” is setting the bar extremely high for Romantic Comedy, and September 27 can’t get here fast enough.

MP3: “Misery”

–Daniel