Download Beirut’s KEXP SXSW session (from NPR)
Photo: Claire Vogel
Zach Condon of Beirut has told Billboard that the new album’s is not a heaviliy Balkan aesthetic; the upcoming material is instead more “varied in approach” where every instrument isn’t necessarily used on every song. For string arrangements Beirut has been working with Owen Pallet of Final Fantasy, who they’re playing with at the May 6-8 Bowery Ballroom dates, and Griffin Rodriguez is on board as the producer. Spain may get a preview of some of this material at its Primavera Festival.
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New website streams upcoming self-titled album, releasing on April 24 from Arts & Crafts, along with four webisodes.
The work of designer Ayako Takagi, available from Release the Freaks (360 view).
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Download “TV” (from their 2006 album Kill Them with Kindness)
Download “This One” (live on DayTrotter.com, from Friends and Love EP)
or listen:
[imeem http://media.imeem.com/m/QuyVv43MVL/aus=false/]
The Headlights have a new video for their single “TV,” handiwork by j-four. Tristan Wraight’s hidden talent: riding the bicycle with three people on board. Also, the fabulously-titled album is available on vinyl for $12.99 from Insound or $10 from the label.
Watch the video (after the jumper):
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Officially releasing April 24.
[youtube 9DLVfypoIBA]
Move to virb.com and there’ll come a day when we’ll give ourselves to better things much more bravely! We’ll stand up for quality by shunning that is trash, risking our 100-something MySpace friends, oh what a sacrifice!, but we’ll say goodbye to the clutter they think we’re worth and rise for a solid alternative that sheds a flattering light on the kind of things we’re willing to roll with (and the kind of things we’re not!).
So. I’m proposing a MySpace exit plan! But first I must rile you up: MySpace champion Lilly Allen’s already got a virb page, Feist is featuring a virb exclusive webisode, and you’ll find other artists like Modest Mouse, Architecture in Helsinki, YACHT, Amy Winehouse.
Here I include a video from Lily’s page to show off the video quality.
[virb http://www.virb.com/external/video/877/xmtJAy0eMPA8YAZKDq0weBoD5Ucg0Nf2]
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Download “Fractured Skies” (from forthcoming album Mapmaker)
or listen:
[imeem http://media.imeem.com/m/4MXHjEdsOA/aus=false/]
This is the kind of track for which I reserve the term infectious. Total supernova. Folks are calling Parts & Labor Brooklyn’s noise punks, a great thing to be called. Following up to 2006’s Stay Afraid, Jagjaguwar/Brah will release Mapmaker on May 22. Currently on North American tour but we’ve already missed Brooklyn.
This in the email from the Nation:
Postal regulators have decided to extend special favors to the nation’s largest publishers, like Time Warner and Hearst, while unfairly burdening smaller and independent magazines with much higher postal rates…
Clicking on the stamp will let you send a message to congressmen and chairmen and other such folks, which is dandy if you’ve got the time, all that preparation to land in someone’s Junk folder. But why not just boycott all these useless magazines from Time Warner and refuse to pay for their other products, especially AOL, whenever you can? And if you absolutely must, buy that Sopranos DVD or whatever, rip it off on to your computer, make your friends copies, and sell the original through Amazon or eBay. That’s how you revolt!
Australia’s Architecture in Helsinki has signed to Polyvinyl Records for the North American release of its upcoming album, Places Like This, scheduled for August 7. In the meantime, single “Heart It Races” will come out on a 12″, in addition to CD and digital format, on June 5.
Pictures from last year’s Central Park show
Tracklist, single art and tour dates as follows; regrettably YACHT is not playing the NY date at Irving Plaza with them:
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