The Dandy Warhols - "Sad Vacation"

It doesn't matter that I went through a pretty heavy Dandy Warhols phase in college, if you were to call me out on it I would totally cave and admit that my favorite song by them is also the theme song to Veronica Mars that most people probably know them by - "We Used To Be Friends". I'm not ashamed of it, it's a pretty good song. And yet after all but forgetting about them entirely (but remembering them mostly through Courtney Taylor-Taylor appearing on Anya Marina's Spirit School EP and Archie Powell & The Exports' energetic pop rock ) when it was announce they'd be releasing a new album I got ridiculous solid and not only because I dropped a Dandy Warhols reference the day before the announcement. 

Their ninth and latest studio album, This Machine, is due out in little less than a month and if the track "Sad Vacation" is anything to go off it might very well be packed from start ("Sad Vacation" is the opening track) to finish with jams upon jams. Welcome back Dandy Warhols, we missed you.

The Dandy Warhols' This Machine is out April 24th on The End Records. 

(via Stereogum)

Now Streaming: Anya Marina - Spirit School EP

Today marked the release of Anya Marina's Spirit School EP and she's celebrating by announcing some tour dates as well as streaming the full 5 song EP at Spinner.com. The EP is more dance-y than her previous songwriting efforts and may have to do the inclusion of Sam Fogarino of Interpol and Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis as producers as well as dueting with Dandy Warhols' frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor. Listen to the EP at Spinner here.

Anya Marina to release School Spirit EP

Anya Marina has more or less been quietly at work since her 2009 sophomore release Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II. However some of the fruits of her labor can be seen with the 5 song School Spirit EP, scheduled for a November 15 release, that consists of a series of duets with some of her musical pals. The first track from the EP, "Whatsit" features Dandy Warhols frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor on vocals and a grungy upbeat guitar rock sound that was merely hinted at on Slow & Steady Seduction. Stream "Whatsit" on Spin.com here.

Spirit School will be released digitally only by Marina's label Chop Shop and features more of her music friends such as Telekinesis' Michael Lerner and Sam Fogarino of Interpol.

Anya Marina is also working on yet untitled third album due sometime in Spring 2011.

Pitstop: Anya Marina

Something that you often hear about the music industry is that's it about who you know. San Diego's Anya Marina proves that while that may true, talent also works. Marina having trained as an actress as well as obtaining a degree in English and you'd hardly peg such a versatile woman to be the singer/songwriter sort (Ezra Koenig and his NYU writing degree aside) but what she learned as a writer and an actress allowed her to develop a successful live stage act eventually opening for musicians like Jason Mraz and Rhett Miller. Her experience with radio as a DJ for numerous California station probably didn't hurt either. The talented songstress has released two albums Miss Halfway in 2005 and Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II in 2009 and has had her songs featured on a variety of popular dramas like Grey's Anatomy, United States of Tara, and Supernatural (which is actually how I found out about her). She's also one of the various indie artists featured on the New Moon Soundtrack. She even done a cover of T.I. hit song "Whatever You Like" where you can finally understand the lyrics. She's also had numerous nominations and wins for San Diego area music awards and with her unique voice, combination of serious, sexy, and playful, and memorable songwriting it's not hard to see why.

Enjoy this video of Marina's "Move You" from her 2009 release Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II: