Make sure to give Damien Jurado‘s aptly titled, “Cloudy Shoes,” a listen before any afternoon stroll. It’s off Saint Bartlett, an upcoming LP by the Seattle indie-folk singer-songwriter. The string-laden track opens the new release with echoing handclaps and singing and it (and the rest of the LP) was produced by Richard Swift.
Damien Jurado and his Saint Bartlett outfit (an eight-member orchestra aka Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground) will embark on a big U.S. tour this summer. See those tour dates at Jurado’s MySpace. Saint Bartlett drops May 25 in North America (May 24 in the U.K.) via Secretly Canadian. The album is now available for pre-order here. Download or listen to another track off the album, “Arkansas,” before you go. It’s got a nice barstool bounce to it.
Berlin DJ, electronic artist, fashion designer, and Bpitch Control owner Ellen Allien will drop her sixth album on May 25. Opening track, “Our Utopie,” is the second single off the techno-styled release. The accompanying video is a warm, early morning come-down in the visual and sonic sense. It also shows off Allien’s elegant, yet chic summer 2010 collection (She’s sporting her own top and high-waisted trousers in the vid.)
The electric guitar-led track showcases some Knife-like sing-speak vox from the iconic trance musician. It’s certainly a poppy divergence from her minimalist 2008 full-length, Sool. The “flashy flashy” clip was lensed by Lisa Wassmann and the cut was produced by Tobias Freund. On Dust, Allien removes just a little of the weightlessness heard on prior releases, and infuses her own heart pulse into the disco record’s hangover-curing BPMs. Or as Allien sings it: “The sky… the taste… we count 1… 2… 3… and we’re still here.”
This summer Allien will bump her heady dance music at select U.S., European, and Australian dancefloors. See those dates at her MySpace or Facebook.
Here We Go Magic: “Collector” Video
The dreamy Brooklyn quintet Here We Go Magic perform and leap about a field and house in the VHS-styled video for debut single, “Collector.” The trippy and propulsive clip was directed by Nat Livingston Johnson. See upcoming tour dates at the psych-folk band’s MySpace. Sophomore LP, Pigeons, is out June 8 via Secretly Canadian. It’s the follow-up to the group’s four-tracked self-titled effort from last year. (Via P4k.tv.)
In other Wilco news, they’ve added several artists to the self-curatedSolid Sound Festival, which lands on our ears August 13-15 in North Adams, Massachusetts. The Books, Avi Buffalo, Vetiver, Mountain Man, Sir Richard Bishop, Deep Blue Organ Trio, and Brenda will also perform.
Also, bassist John Stirratt told Aussie music site FasterLouder that the group’s currently penning their eighth LP and plan to put it to tape in the fall. (Via Spinner.) Commenting on the new album’s aesthetic, he said, “I’d imagine our next one is going to be a lot more jarring.” See upcoming tour dates here. High fives all around.
The National: “Bloodbuzz Ohio” Video
The National‘s fifth LP, High Violet, came out today in the U.S., and the band’s taken to the Internet to upload a music video for its lead single, “Bloodbuzz Ohio.” The clip was helmed by Andreas Burgess, Carin Besser, and Hope Hall. It features leader Matt Berninger wandering outside all by his lonesome. Director D.A. Pennebaker makes a cameo as a barkeep.
In related news, The National and Pennebaker also released a teaser for the webcast of the May 15 National concert at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It’s being directed by the legendary director and his wife/co-director Chris Hegedus. All proceeds go to the Red Hot Organization. Watch that below:
May 15th BAM/Red Hot webcast trailer:
Toro Y Moi: “You Hid” (Yours Truly) Video
Chaz Bundick (aka Toro Y Moi) recently performed the hazy Causers of This tune “You Hid” for San Francisco’s Different Fur studios. This version was a full-band iteration with plenty of glo-fi trappings left intact. Yours Truly directed the clip in less than three hours. Mr. Bundick tracked the piano, drums, bass, guitar, Rhodes, and vocalizations only once, with barely any playbacks. What a hypnagogic-pop professional.
Toro Y Moi is currently on tour opening for Caribou and soon he’ll do the same for Phoenix. Check for upcoming gigs here. New 7-inch single “Leave Everywhere” is out July 20 with “First Date” on the flip. The new release will preview Bundrick’s second 2010 album, which sounds more like classic rock (read: no electronic sounds).
BBC Radio 1 premiered the M.I.A.‘s new dancefloor banger “XXXO” earlier today. It’s the first proper single from her third LP and the mp3 is all over Google Blog Search. The physical release is tomorrow, but listen to the radio rip right now. (Via P4k/Alec Curtis.) Listen to the mp3 here.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out M.I.A.‘s controversial video for “Born Free.” (It’s not safe for work.) M.I.A.‘s as-yet untitled LP streets June 29 through N.E.E.T./Interscope.
UPDATE: According to Beggars Group, this is a teaser for the real video.
The artwork for Ratatat‘s forthcoming LP4 is a triangular flock of white cockatiels, so it makes sense for the Brooklyn electro-rock duo to feature another white bird in their clip for “Party With Children.” It’s just that damn parrot and a green screen. That’s it! Hey, the cut really gets the body movin’ though. LP4 drops June 8 via XL.
Make sure to give 
The electric guitar-led track showcases some 
Toro Y Moi is currently on tour opening for 
