Nottingham, England’s The Soundcarriers started as an instrumental rock group with jazz leanings but after discovering the music of Can and early Pink Floyd, they’ve taken on a distinctly psychedelic edge. Their hazy new single, “Time Will Come,” drives that home. A high-in-the-mix jazzy drum kit builds around a stately piano figure before the full band lays into a distinctly downtempo lilt.That their debut ( Harmonium) shares its title with a 1992 Stereolab single may be no accident. It’s the first available track from Harmonium, which is set for release on May 25, via Melodic. It will be available on CD, double gatefold vinyl and digital download. Here’s a link to Harmonic’s pre-order site. You know the drill by now folks: the digital download is available now; physical copies will land on your doorstep two weeks prior to the release date. (www.thesoundcarriers.com)
Previously On Lost
“LOST In 2 Minutes” MP3
May 06, 2009
Brooklyn’s Previously On Lost take fan fiction to a whole ‘nother level. Adam Schatz and Jeff Curtin have already recapped every episode of ABC’s Lost into bite-sized They Might Be Giants-like pop songs. Now they’ve tackled everything that’s happened to the survivors of Oceanic 815 up until last week’s episode. It’s hilarious, manic, and only reminds you of Weird Al sometimes. The duo is inviting Lost fans to make their own YouTube videos for “LOST in 2 Minutes,” plus the POL boys and Brooklyn Based will host a Season 5 finale party at Bell House on May 13th. Also, here’s an older YouTube clip of the twosome recreating the Oceanic plane crash of Oceanic 815 and performing “The Tale of Season 4 and the Oceanic Six” live at New York’s Knitting Factory. Lost into bite-sized They Might Be Giants-like pop songs. Now they’ve tackled everything that’s happened to the survivors of Oceanic 815 up until last week’s episode. It’s hilarious, manic, and only reminds you of Weird Al sometimes. The duo is inviting Lost fans to make their own YouTube videos for “LOST in 2 Minutes,” plus the POL boys and Brooklyn Based will host a Season 5 finale party at Bell House on May 13th. Also, here’s an older YouTube clip of the twosome recreating the Oceanic plane crash of Oceanic 815 and performing “The Tale of Season 4 and the Oceanic Six” live at New York’s Knitting Factory.
The Big Pink
“Velvet (Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid Remix)” MP3
May 06, 2009
Here’s the second official remix of The Big Pink’s “Velvet” to surface on the interwebs in as many weeks. First it was Gang Gang Dance’s tribal jungle jam and now it’s Van Rivers & the Subliminal Kid turn. You may recally they’re the analog-loving duo behind some of the stark tones on Fever Ray’s self-titled debut. Their version of “Velvet” is equally haunting. You can equate it to the aural sensation of rocking back and forth in the hull of an empty ship. It’s much more ephemeral than Gang Gang Dance’s spastic electronic freakout. For reference sake, here’s the original music video for “Velvet.” The Big Pink was one of the bands featured in Under the Radar‘s Pleased to Meet You: New Artists 2009 special section in our Winter 2009 Issue.
Man, my love for Pheonix’s “Lisztomania” knows no bounds. This YouTube mashup of various Brat Pack clips goes so well with the early contender for song of the year. I’m with commenter ‘deathcabforeric2780’ wholeheartedly when they posted this: “If YouTube gave out awards, this should win for best video compilation of the year.” Here’s the official music video after you get your Molly Ringwald fix. Anyone who wants to sate their craving for French indie-pop can also read a Detection feature on Phoenix in the current Spring 2009 issue of Under the Radar. The Wolfgang Amadeus Pheonix blimp arrives May 26.
David Byrne and Dirty Projectors
“Ambulance Man” MP3
May 05, 2009
Is 2009 the year of the Dirty Projector? All signs point to yes if memory serves us right. First there was “Knotty Pine,” that brilliant collaboration with David Byrne on the Dark Was the Night compilation, next came the sparkling pop single “Stillness Was the Move,” and in preparation for Bitte Orca‘s non-leak June 9th release here’s another David Byrne/Dirty Projectors track that didn’t make the cut for Dark Was the Night. “Ambulance Man” is one of those atypical avant-pop Projectors ballads and Byrne steals the show a little. It all unfurls into a slightly less captivating a capella outro. Not a bad companion piece, but you can clearly hear why “Knotty Pine” was picked over this one.
I Was A King
“Step Aside” (Live at John Dee, Oslo, Norway) Video
I Was A King’s eponymous sophomore album may have employed the help of indie heavyweights like Emil Nikolaisen (Serena Maneesh), Sufjan Stevens, Daniel Smith (Danielson), Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor), and Nick Terry (Primal Scream, The Libertines), but the Norwegian band’s resultant tracks avoid the self-importance of an ad hoc supergroup. With their backup band, Norwegian co-songwriters Frode Strømstad and Anne Lise Frokedal have conflated the psychedelic haze of the ‘60s with the shoegaze of the early ‘90s so much that you remember they were always linked scenes in the first place. I Was A King will hit the U.S. towards the end of the month. Check out their full tour dates on their MySpace page. Here’s a taste of what the band does best as they blast through a two-minutes-and-change live rendition of I Was A King‘s “Step Aside” in Oslo. Look out for a band feature on this website soon.
Liechtenstein
“Roses in the Park” MP3
May 05, 2009
Just when you thought the indie-rock universe was the ultimate boy’s club along comes all-female groups like Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls and Slumberland Record’s latest signee: Sweden’s Liechtenstein. Named after the landlocked alpine microstate in Germany, the trio first gained attention with several singles in their home country, followed by the one-two punch of 2007’s Stalking Skills and 2008’s Apathy. Their new mini-LP, Survival Strategies in A Modern World, drops June 2nd, but you can listen to the girls’ bubble-gum-wrapped-in-feedback single “Roses in the Park” here. They sound like they’ve found a perfect American label, since their C86-era affinities fit well alongside The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. You can hear/see more of Liechtenstein’s serrated three-part harmonies on Elin Conradson’s music video for “Security By Design,” the B-side on the Apathy 7-inch single (Fraction Discs).
Hjaltalín
“Traffic Music” MP3
May 02, 2009
This promising new orchestral rock septet from Reykjavík, Iceland was called to Under the Radar‘s attention by one of our readers. All we can say is “THANK YOU!” Hjaltalín make a joyful sound in the vein of Sufjan Stevens or Frances but are grounded by more everyday lyrics. The winsome track swirls between a fluttering bassoon and its full-band counterpart. When singer/guitarist Högni Lisberg sings about a protagonist who keeps checking “his messages on Myspace” you realize how ridiculous that such a phrase is already dated. “Traffic Music” is a winner despite such negligible things. The digital single is out on May 4 in the U.K. and the band also commishioned a music video from the Icelandic animator Hermann Karlsson.
