Staten Island’s Cymbals Eat Guitars have a brand spankin’ new 7-inch coming out from Transparent in the U.K. on July 20th, and only Pure Grooves will be exclusively selling the release. The single even comes with a free prize for the first 300 purchasers: the sometimes lethal 1990 children’s novelty item known as the slap bracelet! Remember those? The non-album B-side “Tungunska” is available to download (more free stuff). It references slap bracelets and shifts time signatures like no other. It even has a slight Wilco vibe before the main melody line kicks in. Click on over to the quartet’s Myspace where you can download the track, in exhange for your email address. At the same spot you can check out Cymbal’s upcoming tour dates with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. In other Cymbals news, debut Why There Are Mountains is getting a re-release from Sister’s Den Records on September 22nd. That’s the reworked album artwork down below. They’re also hitting the Pitchfork Music Festival on July 18th. Expect an article on the band in Under the Radar‘s forthcoming Summer Issue.
Brooklyn three-piece Phil and the Osophers make indie-pop with Nuggets-like twist. Think of a cuddlier version of The Black Lips or King Khan and the Shrines. The philosophy-spouting indie-pop band are releasing their sixth full-length, Parallelo, digitally and on CD August 4th on Factual Fabrications, Phil’s own label. Here’s Phil’s choice line from the jangly summer single “We Have All Summer” on offer today: “No begging for divine help, this overture is gonna write itself.” Sounds about right. The summer anthems keep rolling in. Also, the track’s grainy music video can be found here.
The Fiery Furnaces
Interview with The Fiery Furnaces (‘Breakfast at Sulimay’s’) Video
Breakfast at Sulimay’s” is hilarious. There I said it. If you’re not familiar, the Woodshop Films web series finds three Philly (Fish Town) diner patrons reviewing new indie cuts. This week the lovably grouchy trio is back with an interview with The Fiery Furnaces siblings. In the clip elder reviewer Joe, the lover/hater of all things drums, revealed that he used to sing with a band who produced a few novelty records and that he was an Army actor during World War II. He also sings to the duo, reminisces with Matt about Johnny Mercer, and gushes over lobster rolls when they play Cape Cod. In other videos, Joe is joined by the Paula Abdul of the group, Ann, and the terminally grumpy Bill. This time, they’re doling out their one liners/hilarious verdicts on new tracks from Yo La Tengo (“I could lay a number on this one! That’s a humpin’ song!”), Wilco (“11th release, they haven’t learned much”), and Dirty Projectors (“I’m waiting for the geisha girls to come in”). Plus, the closeups on Joe’s face are priceless. The links to the rest of the clips are below:
Here’s Love is All‘s manic and very colorful music video for “Last Choice.” The stop motion clip about the singer Josephine Olausson’s autobiographical one-night stand opts out of the seaside cityscapes the single evokes, instead opting for a whimsical box-head man and his accordion. The track is taken from the Swedish band’s amazing 2008 sophomore LP, A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night. It’s out now on What’s Your Rupture?
Jenny Lewis
“Carpetbaggers” (Jenny Lewis feat. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Live at Bonnaroo ‘09) Video
Conan O’Brien’s loyal companion and “poop on you” king, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, made the trek to Bonnaroo this summer. Humorist Robert Smigel and his devious puppet spread their comedic antics across the festival grounds like a brush fire. Obvious music-related jokes flew out of the pooch’s maw during the two-part NBC videos: “Is there nothing you Phish fans can’t make out of hemp? I mean, besides deodorant?” “For many, Bonnaroo is a chance to have four days of peace, love and music to break the other 361 days of unemployment. For others Bonnaroo is simply the sound Scooby Doo says when he climaxes. Bonnarooooo!” “Is this the compost bin? Just looking for some Black Eyed Peas songs.” There are also guest appearances from a naked Max Weinberg and semi-stoned ‘Roo patrons. The snarky pup also manages to hump Sesame Street’s Ernie in the Comedy Tent.
On “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien,” Triumph chatted with TV on the Radio (Describe your music in one word, but keep in mind that crap is already taken by The Decemberists.”) and The Beastie Boys (“Back in the day, the only white rappers were you guys and Will Smith.”) Camera phones also caught Triumph all over the festival grounds, interviewing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and singing raspy duets with indie queens Jenny Lewis and Neko Case. Links to some of the hilarious videos are below. (via Stereogum)
Former Pipette, Rose Elinor Dougall has a new video for her lead single “Start/Stop/Synchro.” The black-and-white, Al Taylor-directed vid follows Dougall and her band, The Distractions, as they walk through a wind-swept field, down a road to a rocky ocean shoreline, and finally take a dip in the cold waters. Dougall understandly drops more salt for the sea in one shot. This is some very un-Pipettes stuff but equally beautific. Love that harpsichord line as well. Also, here’s a live performance video at Liverpool’s Zanzibar. It’s the first track the whole group wrote together, entitled “Carry On” and rocks a little more. Dougall was interviewed for our Most Anticipated Albums of 2009 section in the Winter ‘09 issue.
Wild Beasts’ sophomore LP, Two Dancers is coming out September 8th on Domino. The video for Beasts’ lead single, “Hooting & Howling,” has a cool twist on the usual performance clip. The Kendal, England lads are submerged underwater playing away on their instruments and of course, doing plenty of hootin’ and howlin’. Ruth Render was the producer and Graeme Pearce directed. Also, if you give up your email address over at Domino you can snatch a free Dubukas remix of “Hooting.”
