Seattle bands A Frames and Climax Golden Twins grafted themselves together into the hillbilly drone-metal outfit AFCGT about two years ago. Since then they’ve put out some underground vinyl: a 10-inch EP, a full-length debut, an appearance on a 7-inch comp, and some ultra-rare CDRs came tumbling down the assembly line. Their recording setup is simple: three electric guitars, a bass guitar, and a drum kit. The results are anything but rudimentary. Hear the aural desctruction of “Two-Legged Dog” above.
The new band’s second self-titled LP, is out January 26th from Sub Pop. Pretty heavy for the Seattle indie juggernaut these days but I can dig it.
The Go Find
“Everybody Knows It’s Gonna Happen Only Not Tonight” MP3
Dec 16, 2009
Berlin-based electronic band, The Go Find, are set to release their third LP, Everybody Knows It’s Gonna Happen Only Not Tonight, out February 14th, via Morr Music. This is the third full-length effort of lead songwriter/indie-pop dreamer, Dieter Sermeus. His previous records include 2004 debut Miami, and sophomore album, Stars On the Wall (2007).
This new long-player was recorded in Antwerp and Brussels, with largely acoustic guitars and drums. You can hear a preview of GF’s slow evolution from sample-based music on the warm and inviting title track. Download/stream it above. It’s a sweet paen to lonely teenage nights under neon lights. Everybody Knows It’s Gonna Happen Only Not Tonight’s tracklisting and more information can be found here.
Sam Amidon
“How Come That Blood” MP3
Dec 16, 2009
Sam Amidon‘s fourth long-player is primarily new arrangements of traditional, public domain songs. One notable divergence from the theme is a cover of R. Kelly’s unreleased track “Relief.” The release, entitled I See the Sign, features guest spots from Nico Muhly, Beth Orton, ShahzadIsmaily, and ValgeirSigurðsson. Listen to the skittering, Arthur Russell-like “How Comes That Blood” above. The LP is out March 1st, via Bedroom Community.
BLK JKS’ prog/psych single “Molalatladi” has been floating around for quite awhile, but the earworm-y track finally gets an official video this week. (Sidenote: “Molalatladi,” translates to rainbow in Zulu.) The Jamie James-Medina-directed clip splices together scenes of the group hanging out at Coney Island with James-Medina and Matthew Salacuse’s South African train surfing documentary from last year. There’s plenty of train ghostriding in this one. We interviewed BLK JKS for our Fall ‘09 issue. After Robots is out now on Secretly Canadian. (Via Street Carnage.)
Midlake
“Acts of Man/Rulers, Ruling All Things” MP3 Stream
The debut single (“Acts of Man”) from Midlake‘s much-anticipated third LP, The Courage of Others, and its b-side, “Rulers, Ruling All Things,” have exploded all over the Hype Machine. These two new streaming tracks are some of the first pieces of music we’ve heard from the Denton, Texas group in almost three years. Think of these two cuts as dark Fairport Convention jams at a Renaissance Faire. They’ve certainly nabbed that madrigal-like quality lead singer-songwriter Tim Smith mentioned in a recent interview. Looking forward to hearing more.
The Courage of Others is due out on February 2nd via Bella Union. The “Acts of Man”/“Rulers, Ruling All Things” 12-inch is out this week on limited edition vinyl. (Via Stereogum.)
Elliott Smith
“Cecilia/Amanda” (Previously Unreleased Song) MP3
Dec 15, 2009
On April 6th of next year, Kill Rock Stars will be adding Elliott Smith’s Roman Candle (1994) and From a Basement on the Hill (2004) to their catalog. This is the first time in the U.S. that Roman Candle will be available on vinyl. From a Basement on the Hill was released posthumously through Anti-. Now KRS is the go-to place for Smith’s indie releases such as Roman Candle, Elliott Smith, Either/Or, From a Basement on the Hill, and New Moon. To celebrate the addition of these landmark releases to KRS’ roster, the label is giving away a free, previously unreleased Smith track, entitled “Cecilia/Amanda.”
It was recorded at Jackpot! Recording Studio in 1997 by Larry Crane. An earlier iteration of this cut was initially written and recorded by Smith’s high school band, Stranger Than Fiction, and was known then as “Time is Ours Now.” “Cecilia/Amanda” is a stripped down acoustic reworking of that track with almost entirely different lyrics. There’s some bouncy piano, harpsichord, and string accompaniment too.
Be sure to check out our interview with Smith. It was the final professional interview the singer/songwriter conducted before his untimely death on October 21, 2003.
Local Natives
“Sun Hands” MP3
Dec 15, 2009
Under the Radar “Pleased to Meet You” artists Local Natives are now local to Frenchkiss Records. “Sun Hands,” is the forthcoming single from the hype-worthy L.A. group. It starts with a slow, deliberately building guitar and bass lines, and some curlicues of vox. The track suddenly expodes into a punk-esque riff for the coda. Dang, now that’s how you close a song.
Frenchkiss, Local Natives’ U.S. imprint, will issue “Sun Hands” as a digital single on January 5th. The band’s debut full-length, Gorilla Manor, will release over here on February 16th; it’s out in the U.K. now. Download/stream the very catchy cut above. Also, check out our recent interview with the band.
Papercuts
“White Are the Waves” MP3
Dec 15, 2009
Jason Quever’s Papercuts have a new single. The release is the follow-up to the San Francisco band’s third LP, You Can Have What You Want. The new track, “White Are the Waves,” is another slice of dark dream-pop and the B-side features a dance-y remix of “A Dictator’s Lament” by Andy Cabic’s Neighbors side project. The single is out now on Gnomonsong. We interviewed Papercuts in our Spring 2009 issue.
Seattle bands 
Berlin-based electronic band, 
Sam Amidon
On April 6th of next year, 
Under the Radar “
Jason Quever’s 
