In 2009, the Swedish electro duo The Knife recorded a soundtrack for an avant-garde opera based on Charles Darwin life and specifically on his most famous tome, On the Origin of Species. The performance was called Tomorrow, In a Year and Berlin electro-rock trio Mt. Sims and avant-garde chamber artist Planningtorock also collaborated on the epic song suite.
We recently previewed the forthcoming studio version of the performance, with the 11-minute opus “The Colouring of Pigeons,” but now The Knife are streaming the entire opera at their site. You can also listen to it with the handy widget above.
The soundtrack is available for downloading on February 2nd and in physical format on March 9th in the U.S. (March 1st internationally) via Mute.
Surfer Blood: “Swim (To Reach the End)”
Watch Surfer Blood‘s lead singer John Paul Pitts run around in his tighty whities in this maniacally funny video for the promising Florida indie-rock foursome’s breakout single, “Swim (To Reach the End.” The band’s impressive debut album, Astro Coast, is out now on Kanine. Check out their upcoming tour dates here.
Local Natives: “Airplane” Video
L.A.‘s Local Natives just released this Jan Švankmajer-esque video for “Airplanes.” The clip to the left takes place in a spooky old house where inanimate objects come to life and start spewing garbarge all over the floor. Mark Waring directed the video and the song is off the group’s debut album, Gorilla Manor, out now in the U.K. and coming to the U.S. on February 16th via Frenchkiss.
Efterklang get all Planet Earth (and marginally NSFW) on us for the “Modern Drift” music video. The Danish orchestral-pop mavens are releasing their third LP Magic Chairs, for 4AD on February 22rd. The band will tour North America and hit up SXSW after the album release.
Yeasayer
“O.N.E.” MP3
Jan 27, 2010
You’ve already heard “Ambling Alp,” the first single from Yeasayer‘s forthcoming sophomore album Odd Blood. Now bask in the sunny pop glow of their second, “O.N.E.” You can download through the widget here or over at Yeasayer’s site.
Secretly Canadian will release the track as a single on March 23rd, after the full-length comes out on February 9th. (Mute‘s putting out the LP in the U.K. on February 8th.) While you wait for the Brooklyn psych-pop quartet to come to your town, check out their NSFW clip for “Ambling Alp.”
Serena-Maneesh
“I Just Want to See Your Face” MP3
Jan 27, 2010
It’s been a solid five years since their self-titled album, but Norwegian shoegazers Serena-Maneesh are most certainly back. Last week marked their first stateside appearances since 2006, with two sold-out concerts in New York. More North American dates (and a SXSW appearance) have been revealed and you can check those out below. To celebrate the tour, here’s another track from their forthcoming sophomore effort, S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor. The song is called “I Just Want to See Your Face.”
Like the other explosive new songs, this noisy cut employs the key B minor quite a bit. It also leans a little more towards the industrial side of rock, before lifting off on the crunchy outro.
The SM tour will coincide with Abyss In B Minor‘s U.S. release on March 23rd, via 4AD. All shows will be supported by Brooklyn trio The Depreciation Guild.
Serena-Maneesh:
02-19 - Oslo, Norway (by:Larm) 03-08 - London, U.K. - The Lexington 03-22- Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland 03-23 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill 03-25 - Portland, OR - Berbati’s Pan 03-26 - Seattle, WA - Triple Door 03-27 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club 03-30 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry 03-31 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge 04-01 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre 04-02 - Toronto, ON - Opera House 04-03 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore 04-04 - Cambridge, MA - TT THe Bears 04-05 - Milford, CT - Daniel Street 04-06 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie 04-07 - Washington, DC - DC9 04-08 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
(SXSW info forthcoming)
of Montreal
Solange
“I Want You Back” (feat. Solange, Jackson 5 cover) Video
Man, I love YouTube. Here’s an extra groovy live clip of Of Montreal and Solange Knowles covering The Jackson 5‘s “I Want You Back” at New York City’s Highland Ballroom. The just concert happened last night. It’s got pretty flawless audio and will certainly brighten the middle of your work week. The two artists will collaborate on oM’s next album. (Via You Ain’t No Picasso.)
Update: In a strange turn of events, this video of Susan Sarandon spanking pigs on stage has also surfaced. Weird…
Justice
“Beginning of the End” MP3
Jan 27, 2010
Not much is known at the moment about this new Justice track (single?) or when exactly the French duo’s sophomore LP drops via a reborn Elektra Records.
An e-mail was sent out to blogs from Ed Banger with the following message: “share it or talk about it.” If the French electro duo Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay have a full-length out soon, “Beginning of the End” is most likely its opening track but it sounds like the blog teaser it’s meant to be. Not too sure about those synth horns quite yet. They’re a little too Princess Bride for me.
Anyway, the track’s ID3 tag has ✞ in the album field, so it seems legitimate. Also, check out the artwork to the right. (Via Stereogum.)UPDATE: As Stereogum reports, this track is a fake. Sorry.
It’s been a solid five years since their self-titled album, but Norwegian shoegazers 
