crookedhaze

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Well that was fast. Apparently The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die's new album Whenever, If Ever leaked earlier today. As a result, the band and their record label have decided to stream the record starting instantly. You can listen to it at the link above; enjoy!

#twiabp #twiabpaianlatd #whenever #if ever

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You can listen to a new song off of The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die's new album Whenever, If Ever above, entitled Picture of A Tree That Doesn't Look Okay. You can also pre-order the record here. 

#twiabp #twiabpaianlatd #whenever #if ever #picture of a tree that doesn't look okay #topshelf records #shitty greg

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Irish melodic math rock band Enemies have just released their new album! You can stream it at the link up above and/or pre-order it here. 

#enemies #embark embrace

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Concert Review: DIIV at The Tralf

I initially found DIIV's 2012 debut album Oshin to be a pleasurable listen, if not forgettable. Only after repeated listens was I able to differentiate between the songs and appreciate the songwriting found therein. Still, I liked the album more for it's atmosphere and sound rather than the actual songs. So when I heard they would be coming to a venue near me, I was a tad skeptical about whether seeing them would be worth the time and money. Oshin is good background or mood music, but would I like it when I stood and just listened to it for an hour? Well, I'd heard they put on a good show, and since there haven't been many other shows recently that have piqued my interest, I decided to give them a chance.

I was also skeptical of how good the show would be if it was held at The Tralf. For the unacquainted, The Tralf is a somewhat upscale bar/bistro, with tables and chairs ringing the stage. Not exactly the type of venue you'd imagine a band like DIIV playing in. My worst fears were confirmed when i showed up early and everybody was sitting around tables waiting for the first band to come on. I was probably being a bit paranoid, as a small group of fans timidly approached the stage once the first band went on. Still,it's a shame that Mohawk Bar recently closed, as the whole affair would have felt more natural there.

Valleys opened up the night and were a pleasant surprise. They consisted merely of one guy on guitar and vocals and a girl on keyboards. They still managed to make quite a racket despite this. They made excellent use of the powerful low end afforded by the big speakers present, and the soundscapes they generated were gorgeous. I had a sneaking feeling they wouldn't sound as good on record, and listening to them later I sadly found this to be true. Unfortunately, they haven't been able to transfer that power to their records and they suffer for it. No matter, try to see them live and you'll see why the were invited out by DIIV.

Next up was Starred and this is where the night took a turn for the weird. The band was a four piece, but the only members worth commenting on were the lead guitarist and his girlfriend, the de facto singer of the group. Both had the look of strung out coke addicts, and they didn't act much better than they looked. When the band was setting up a person started heckling them for taking a bit long doing so. It wasn't a very nice move to be sure, but nothing warranting action on the band's part, who you would hope would have built up some thick skin. But of course the singer leaps to the microphone and starts berating the audience, spewing curses left and right as he demands the culprit step forward. With no one forthcoming, he decided to take his anger out by picking up his guitar and unleashing a violent storm of feedback, ostensibly to piss off the audience. 

Thankfully his band quickly decided to join him on stage. It didn't get much better from here on, with the band moping through some songs as the singer mumbled into the microphone and the lead singer disinterestedly picking at his guitar. Their set was mercifully somewhat short, though the singer kept singing after the rest of the band left the stage and they had to scramble back to help her finish. I don't know if they were having some personal troubles or they were simply a piss poor band, but I'd be hard pressed to think of a worse performance that I've seen.

Thankfully, DIIV more than made up for it. They recently cancelled a run of dates in Europe due to exhaustion form touring, but to my eye it seemed they were having a fun time playing with each other. The band displayed far better dynamics and energy than found on their record, resulting in a surprising amount of people dancing and keeping time to the music. I still couldn't name one song from another, but I recognized each one and enjoyed how the band would indulge in thrashing around a bit and milking the best part of each song. Highlights included an extended take on "Air Conditioner", which the band switched to playing double time on halfway through and "Dust", a new song that is perhaps better than anything on Oshin. Hopefully after some rest the band will head back to the studio; if the record is of the same quality as "Dust" I feel they could raise their profile even further. 

#diiv #the tralf #valleys #starred

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Be sure to check out some of the band's new t-shirt designs, they're pretty cool. This will be well worth the purchase price, especially for the live version of "The Sea Is A Good Place To Think of the Future", which absolutely kicks ass. 

LOS CAMPESINOS!

‘A GOOD NIGHT FOR A FISTFIGHT’

LIVE AT ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

BUY NOW

After 6 years of playing on stage together, with over 450 shows notched into our collective bedposts and 1 previous (failed) attempt at a live recording in Seattle, ‘A Good Night For A Fistfight’ becomes our (Los Campesinos!) first official Live Album.

On December 15th, 2012 at Islington Assembly Hall, London, we played a 21-song set in front of a sold-out crowd of 800 people to both celebrate our time with and mourn the departure of Ellen Campesinos! as a member. It also marked the first time we were joined onstage by Aleks Campesinos! since her departure from the band to return to her studies, 3 years ago.

Peppered with charming mistakes onstage and unfunny heckles from a dangerously drunken crowd, the recording is an unedited 91-minute (!) document of a set that draws upon songs from all 4 of our studio albums and beyond, making up the closest we are ever likely to get to a ‘Greatest Hits’.

‘A Good Night For A Fistfight’ appears in the form of 21 downloadable 320kbps MP3s and is available for pre-order, for just a fiver, NOW at loscampesinos.bigcartel.com (alongside a variety of new Los Camp! ephemera).

As a tiny taster of that night, we’re making ‘We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed’ available to download FOR FREE, while anyone who pre-orders will immediately receive a download of ‘Baby I Got The Death Rattle’ (the final song of the ‘set-proper’ from that night) also.

Following this release, we’ll be headed into the studio this June to record our 5th studio album.

BUY NOW

#los campesinos! #lc! #a good night for a fist fight #you! me! dancing!

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Quite frankly this is somewhat terrifying of a cover by The Flaming Lips. It's awesome, but definitely picks up where they left off with their last album, The Terror. This is a cover of 'I Am The Bear' by fellow Oklahoma City and Bella Union recording artist Horse Thief.

#Flaming Lips #Horse Thief #I Am The Bear #Cover #New Music #psychedelic #Indie #Bella Union #Crooked Haze

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Everybody. EVERYBODY THIS IS IMPORTANT. Watch this video if you want to listen to new music by Daft Punk, it's their single 'Get Lucky' (feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers) and oh man is it funky and great.

#Daft Punk #Pharrell Williams #Nile Rodgers #Get Lucky #New Music #Electronic #Crooked Haze

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Rochester Folk band Wholesale Kids have released a new song, 'North Woods Hotel'. It's a pretty cool and haunting Indie Folk song, not to mention catchy!

#Wholesale Kids #North Woods Hotel #New Music #Indie #Folk #Rochester #Crooked Haze

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#Frightened Rabbit #Cheap Trick #Surrender #Indie #Folk #Cover #New Music #Crooked Haze

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This is old, but I've been obsessed with this band for quite some time. Here's an awesome Twinkle/Punk band All Blondes Go To Heaven, with a video for their song 'Magdalena: Queen of the World'.

#All Blondes Go to Heaven #Magdalena: Queen of the World #Twinkle #Punk #Indie Rock #Music Video #Crooked Haze

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Iceage have released a new video (and rendition) of their song 'Morals' off of their album You're Nothing. This time, the song includes the use of a grand piano, and is just...great.

#Iceage #Morals #You're Nothing #New Music #Music Video #Post Punk #Indie Rock #Crooked Haze

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Album Review: Laura Steveson & The Cans - Wheel

SockItToEmJT checking in - it's been a while since I posted here. Sorry about that, it's a long story. But I'm back with a review of the newest effort from Laura Stevenson and the Cans.

Laura Stevenson used to play keyboards for Bomb the Music Industry! which gives you a sense of where she's coming from, but it gives you no idea of her sound. The only similarity between BTMI and her efforts as a frontwoman is that both of those bands are based around intensely personal and real songs. While BTMI! is a full-on spazz out that blurs the lines between genres, Laura Stevenson and the Cans is a much more focused blend of indie, folk, country, and a little punk at times.

"Wheel" is the follow up to 2011's "Sit Resist", which is one of my favorite albums and left me hopeful for this new album, and Laura Stevenson delivers. 30 seconds into the first track, "Renee", I was sold, goosebumps all up and down my arms. The rest of the album proves to be a rewarding journey through styles that Stevenson and her band seem to effortlessly turn into one amazing song after another. Strings fade in and out, horns accentuate ballads, everything is in its place.

There is an overarching quality to the album, a certain firm footing in reality mixed with music that seems almost too perfect to be real. This album is more of what I've come to expect from Laura Stevenson and the Cans, raw honesty with a little bit of polish that speaks directly to your core. Once again, they've delivered an album I'll be spinning for a long time.

"Wheel" is due out April 23 on Don Giovanni Records and is available for preorder. The album is also streaming on Spotify.

#Laura Stevenson #Laura Stevenson and the Cans #indie #Review

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Basement Jaxx have released their first song in quite a long time! It's super funky, and just...fun. If you're not looking for a serious song, just kind of a silly, cartoony adventure then this is the song for you.

#Basement Jaxx #Back 2 the Wild #37 Adventures #Funk #Indie Rock #New Music #Crooked Haze

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Youth Lagoon have made a video for "Mute" off of their new album Wondrous Bughouse. Check it out!

#youth lagoon #mute #wondrous bughouse

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I Can See Mountains have released a music video for their song 'I Play the Fox'. If you're into punk/twinkle/emo in the vein of Deer Leep, Everyone Everywhere, or TWIABP then give these guys a listen, this is a great song. With Beach Boys references.

#I Can See Mountains #I Play the Fox #Life on a House Boat #Panic Records #Punk #Emo #New Music #Music Video #Crooked Haze

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12 track album

As announced earlier, Bike Tuff have a new album entitled Into Shore. It was finally released today, so you can stream or purchase it at the link above. 

#bike tuff #into shore #kalamazoo

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A new music video for Topshelf Records recording artist Enemies. This is their song 'Indian Summer', off of their upcoming album Embark, Embrace. There's paint going all over the place, and the song's sweet!

#Enemies #Indian Summer #Embark Embrace #Topshelf Records #New Music #Music Video #Indie Rock #Crooked Haze