Wye Oak - "Spiral"

Shhh everybody stop talking. Stop talking about that Lana Del Rey video or the Mumford & Sons tour or anything else really. The big kids are talking. Baltimore duo Wye Oak, creators of perhaps one of the most brilliant albums of the past year Civilian, are releasing a brand new track as part of Adult Swim's 2012 Singles Program. And it's just great. It pulses along with healthy dose of reverb-touched vocals before exploding into a full on jam, the dynamics increase, Andy and Jenn's vocals swirl around each other and echo away in the distance all while there's a pretty grooving bass line. "Spiral" is a track that essentially never lets up. Just when you think you know what to expect it shifts gears slightly until you're left with the minimalistic, percussive marimba instrumental outro and a strong desire to hit play again and again.

"Spiral" is bound to be this year's "Weather Of A Killing Kind" i.e. the best single Adult Swim has in its program and that's none to surprising considering like previous title holder The Tallest Man on Earth, Wye Oak can do no wrong.

Watch: Efterklang - Piramida Album Trailer

After what seems like forever since the official announcement of their upcoming album, Danish indie rock trio Efterklang's Piramida has a release date. Are you ready for this? Brace yourself, take a seat. Efterklang's fourth studio album is out September 25th here in the States on 4AD and a day before pretty much everywhere else. And that's not all: In the exciting move I've been waiting  for, Efterklang are bringing their orchestral tour overseas. There's a handful of European dates but the most exciting news is Efterklang are playing the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Full orchestra. September 22nd. Mark your calendars.



You can read more about the creation of Piramida here as well as grab yourself a pre-order.

Until then, the band have also released the live in Sydney version of "The Ghost" for your listening pleasure so take a listen.

Watch: BELL - "Dialtone"

It's hard to believe it's already been a year since the release of BELL's debut record DIAMONITE but it's certainly has been. Since it's release, Olga Bell parted ways with the rest of her assembled band and decided to go it alone. I saw her live briefly and I know that her new setup involves a nifty key-tar with samples loaded into it.

For the release of her brand new single "Dialtone" off DIAMONITE, BELL's gone a particularly different route. Going full on acoustic  and putting her piano chops to good use. She's also enlisted the help of her singer/songwriter friends Aoife Donovan and Kristin Andreassen for a slower, more melancholic take on the originally upbeat dance-y track.



The single also comes with three remixes as well as the original, which you can grab from BELL's Bandcamp.

Pitstop: Basia Bulat

I'm a little ashamed that it took me about 2 years to even mention Canadian singer/songwriter Basia Bulat. I was reintroduced to her Saturday night as she was one of the two splendid openers at Bowerbirds Music Hall of Williamburg show. Before having watched her play a Tiny Desk concert on NPR and before that randomly stumbling upon her at Central Park Summerstage as she opened up for St. Vincent along with tUnE-yArDs. And while I more or less missed her whole set at Summerstage due to getting lost and being unable to find the stage for an embarrassingly length of time, the sounds of her autoharp are ultimately what led me and a friend safely to the show.

While Basia has two albums out at present, Oh, My Darling and Heart of My Own, Basia is probably best experienced live. There you'll witness her skill with a variety of folk instruments; the aforementioned autoharp, hammered dulcimer, guitar, and even a small lute/ukulele-like instrument called the charango. All of these Basia plays with nimble fingers you have to see to believe all the while belting out an utterly captivating array of tunes with an absolutely demolishing amount of vocal power. While Bulat normally plays with a band, this time she went solo and the result were far more impressive I'm sure. More than holding her own as she accompanied herself flawlessly. 

Basia Bulat's live set is transportive, magical, and awe-inspiring as she proves herself a more than competent storyteller, spinning tales which whether real or not carry a deeply emotional resonance. While this feat is also achieved quite masterfully on her albums, it's the unbridled energy unleashed at just the right moments that hit you sorely in the heart and make you weak in the knees.   

Basia Bulat is currently putting the finish touches on her latest full-length record and I for one couldn't be more excited. Whether or not it incorporates more of her live energy, throws in an even more eclectic mix of instruments, or is even just more of the same, it's bound to be a good. And will be more of a reason for her to bring her enchanting live show to a city near you so do yourself a favor an start acquainting yourself now so you don't regret missing out. 

Until then you can listen to her two previous albums Oh, My Darling and Heart of My Own on Spotify.

Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers - "Home For A Funeral"

Considering how busy frontman Joe Hertler's been this year, I'd pretty much put the thought of any new music from him and his excellent band aside. So it certainly came as a surprise when I read Hertler's interview with My Folking Heart that said the band were right about to begin work on another new album. Talk about a great surprise. And while it may not be on the new album (since Joe has a rather vast selection of songs to choose from for it), Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers have offered up this brand spanking new track "Home For A Funeral".

It's got a special kind of introspection that could very well have found it alongside the other songs on the band's concept album On Being, and yet not and that should make us all excited about LP #2. It's got a slow, deliberate pacing as Joe sets up the narrative being winding up and letting the Rainbow Seekers loose like a pack of hunting dogs infusing the somber track with a whole lot of upbeat rocking moments. The effect elevates the song from a poignant mining of tragedy into a downright celebration of life. 

ARMS - "Summer Skills (Bump in the Night Version"

Well hey, it's certainly has been awhile since we've heard from Brooklyn rock pop outfit and keepers of my heart, ARMS. Though they've haven't really gone anywhere (brief month-long hiatus notwithstanding), they've been playing their fair share of shows as well as working on some new ones and they've emerged triumphant with a cool little addition to their set of available tunes. Remember Summer Skills? Sure you do. The group's tragically overlooked sophomore album garnered exceptional praise (from me mostly) and nabbed the coveted spot as my absolute favorite album of 2011. Quite a feat considering the massive amount of dynamite albums that came out last year.

Well their latest single "Summer Skills (Bump in the Night Version)" is a far more upbeat and rocking version of the album's title track. If you seen the band live any time within the last year or so, you've most likely heard it but this is the first time you can get your mitts on the moving, grooving alternate version. And I strongly suggest you do. I mean curators of cool I Guess I'm Floating just premiered the track and they most certainly know what's up. Do it.







(via I Guess I'm Floating)

Watch: Bowerbirds - "Sweet Moment"

After something like two years holed up in their cabin in North Carolina, the Bowerbirds are certainly making  up for their lengthy absence. Straight months of touring behind an absolutely stellar album not to mention music video after music video. We've already gotten three so far pretty much one after each other and it's only been 3 months since their latest album The Clearing dropped. Not that I'm complaining.

The video for "Sweet Moment", directed by Jacob Feiring, is pretty much the perfect encapsulation of the feelings that no doubt inspired the lovely little love song. A couple about to be split up by a move essentially run away together and experience all sorts of feelings of bonding and bliss. That's pretty much the video in a nutshell. And yet the easily definable plot doesn't detract at all from the emotional weight of the video itself. It's all rather sweet. As is guaranteed to move even the most hardened of hearts. It's pretty adorable actually. There's a twist at the end that I won't ruin but suffice to say I almost lost it. Some pretty moving stuff completely expected from the Bowerbirds.

Watch the video for "Sweet Moment":