On October 13th Kill Rock Stars will be releasing Thao and the Get Down Stay Down‘s new LP, entitled Know Better Learn Faster. (That’s the bloody heart piñata cover to the right.) The new album is the follow-up to 2008’s We Brave Bee Stings and All. Today, the title track was debuted over on TheFader.com. The slightly nostalgic title track (download it above!) features guest appearances by violinist/whistler Andrew Bird and Blitzen Trapper‘s pedal steel master, Eric Earley. It’s another nice entry in the indie-folk songwriter’s catalog.
If you’re so inclined, KRS has a nifty promotion going on where pre-ordering fans get discounts tickets on any of Thao’s upcoming concerts.
Tempo No Tempo
“The Rat (Part One)”
Sep 11, 2009
San Francisco post-punk trio Tempo No Tempo may downsized from a full-blown quartet but if the Wire-y “The Rat (Part One)” is any indication, they’ve lost none of their propulsive sound. “The Rat” comes from the “reggaeton-punk/tribal New Wave” dudes’ forthcoming self-release, Waking Heat. The album was recorded with with Jay Pellicci (Deerhoof, Erase Errata) at S.F.‘s Tiny Telephone, John Vanderslice‘s haven for analog (and sometimes digital) productions. Check out their upcoming tour dates here.
Washed Out
“Feel It All Around” MP3
Sep 11, 2009
Washed Out hails from Columbia, S.C. (the mutual hometown of the equally hazy electronic popster Toro Y Moi). “Feel It All Around” floats around the room like a slowed down Italo disco cut. Even if the no-fi keyboards and synths are blissfully blanched, the summertime percussion lends the bedroom track enough oomph for repeat listening. According to Pitchfork, Washed Out sampled Gary Low’s 1983 single “I Want You.”
Brooklyn-via-Norway indie artist Sondre Lerche strolls along city streets with pretty ladies, hops on the subway and visits Coney Island in the Kate Barker-directed video for Heartbeat Radio‘s title track. The easy-going clip has a sweet retro feel to it that echoes Lerche’s description: “n the spirit of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.”
Heartbeat Radio is out on Rounder now. Tour dates can be found here. In our Fall issue we interviewed Lerche about his longstanding appreciation of George Lazenby, the actor who took over Sean Connery’s role as James Bond in one film, 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Richard Hawley‘s megabass waterphone and crystal baschet-utilizing sixth album, Truelove’s Gutter, is coming out September 22nd on Mute. Much like the sound of the new release, the clip for “For Your Lover, Give Some Time” is sinister and cast in deep shadows. The sunglass-wearing Hawley smokes some cigs and gazes at his Chuck Berry photograph in a quiet room. There’s some serious heartache floating around this lonesome gutter. (via Stereogum)
Fever Ray, aka Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife, is set to drop her spooky new solo single “Seven” on September 29th. This digital-only release is the fourth single from Fever Ray‘s very excellent self-titled LP.
The single also features remixes of “Seven” from CSS, Martyn, Nic Chacona, Marcel Dettmann and Seth Troxler. Here’s the great clip for the title track, as directed by Johan Renck. A strange masked woman and a creepy old woman scare a bunch of farm animals to death. All in a day’s work for Fever Ray. Dreijer Andersson also has several U.S. tour dates left on her schedule. The full tracklist for Seven can be ogled below.
Seven:
01 Seven Edit 02 CSS Remix 03 Martyn Remix 04 Nic Chacona remix 05 Marcel Dettmann’s voice in my head 06 Seth Troxler remix 07 Crookers Remix
Au Revoir Simone
“Another Likely Story (Neon Indian Remix)” MP3
Sep 10, 2009
Au Revoir Simone‘s summery music lilts and sways on the trio’s latest album, Still Night, Still Light. The NY gals have a propensity for putting listeners to sleep, so this punched-up, very ‘80s re-rub by tape manipulator Neon Indian is a welcome mutation.
According to Ed Droste’s Twitter, there’s also a NI remix of Grizzly Bear‘s “Cheerleader” waiting in the wings. That should be stellar. Au Revoir’s Still Night, Still Light is out now on Moshi Moshi and Neon Indian’s Psychic Chasms EP releases October 13th on Lefse. (via Gorilla vs. Bear)
London experimental poppers Micachu & the Shapes have a new clip for “Turn Me Well.” The disorienting viral video-esque clip debuted on Björk’s website and features a whole lot of Micachu’s gapped teeth.
Björk shower much praise on Micachu in a June NPR interview: “I saw her in London, in June, a year ago and I was really excited about her. I thought it was that sort of ‘do it yourself’ approach, with all these little guitars and her attitude was really fresh.”
San Francisco post-punk trio 
Au Revoir Simone
