Sufjan Stevens: “Too Much” (Live on Jimmy Fallon) Video

The twitchy synth-pop single “Too Much” was Sufjan Stevens’ excellent song choice as his solo network TV bow on Friday’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The oft-effusive host managed to pronounce The Age of Adz correctly and Steven’s huge group wore the garish sci-fi costumes they’ve sported at recent gigs. All in all, it was a solid block of late night entertainment. The Age of Adz gave Stevens his best sales week ever. Help a bro out by buying the CD or LP via his Bandcamp. (Via Stereogum)

Nov 19, 2010

The awesomely-titled Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is the new LP from Scottish post-rock O.G.s Mogwai. It drops February 14 in Europe via Rock Action and February 15 in North America through Sub Pop. Check out the beautifully fog-laden cover artwork above. Also, stream or download the album’s five-minute instrumental debut single, “Rano Pano.” There’s plenty of rock fuzz on this one.

On January 18, Sub Pop will issue “Rano Pano” as a 7-inch single, with non-album cut “Hasenheide” on the flipside. The quintet will tour Europe and North America in 2011. Check out those dates here.

Mirah: “The Forest” Video

Portland art-pop singer/songwriter Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn unveiled this appropriately pastoral video this week. She sings amidst a lakeside field with some white-clad sirens (and later) dudes. The visuals quickly become tribal and just plain awesome. “The Forest” appeared on 2009’s (a)spera.

Arcade Fire: “The Suburbs” Video

During the summer, word got out that Arcade Fire and indie director Spike Jonze were working on a “short science-fiction B-movie.” The vid has now hit the internet and basically sees the band capturing the life of a group of 15-year-olds. It was naturally shot in a Texas suburb. Watch it below (via Gorilla vs. Bear.) Tours dates can be found at the band’s website.

Nov 18, 2010

New wave/pop foursome California Wives recently issued their five-track Affair EP. The Chicago group’s new anthemic single “Purple” is now available for free. “Blood Red Youth” was the first single from the self-released EP. Both smack of the kind of sounds director John Hughes routinely plucked out of the ether for his ‘80s teen flicks. See upcoming U.S. dates here.

Nov 18, 2010

Okinawa, Japan’s Caroline Lufkin (Mice Parade) is a true sojourner, so it’s not surprising that she famously turned down a major-label in 2005 even though her sister Olivia was a household name in Tokyo. The minimal dream-pop artist now lives in Los Angeles and will return with her second album, Verdugo Hills on January 25. Temporary Residence Ltd. will release the follow-up LP to 2006’s Murmurs.

Check out Spinner‘s premiere of “Swimmer” from Verdugo Hills. If you enjoy Caroline’s delicate music this new piece will act as a soothing herbal tea on a frosty winter night. Read Lufkin’s throughts on the track over at Spinner.

Nov 18, 2010

The ‘60s-indebted indie-pop project Guards was formed in New York City when Richie James Follin (lead guitarist/singer of The Willowz) returned from a European tour to a recording studio with “nothing in it but a broken electric 12-string guitar and an omnichord.” He asked his friends (Chairlift‘s Caroline Polachek, James Richardson of MGMT, Willowz’s Loren Shane Humphrey) and sibling (Cults’ Madeline Follin) to guest on his new lo-fi songs. Like Cults, Guards is pretty mysterious so far. Follin played his debut show at Brooklyn’s Glasslands Gallery last month.

The Guards mastermind celebrated the occasion by e-mailing a new hard-charging pop-punker called “Swimming After Dark” to Altered Zones and Yours Truly. Guards’ debut 12-inch streets November 22 through 3 Syllables. (There are only 155 copies left, so you better hurry up.) Stream more songs over at Follin’s Bandcamp.