Sound Off To Sound On

Continuing with the assault of established blog musicians, Ratatat are soon to release their new album LP4 on June 8th (XL Recordings). LP3 was one of our favorite albums two years ago, so we are excited about LP4. Sooner rather than later I hope to delve in on all the wonderful music being released this year, so keep checkin' in.

Tracklist:

1. "Bilar" - 4:14
2. "Drugs" - 4:55 (alt)
3. "Neckbrace" - 4:06
4. "We Can't Be Stopped" - 2:10
5. "Bob Gandhi" - 4:01
6. "Mandy" - 3:42 (alt)
7. "Mahalo" - 2:00
8. "Party With Children" - 2:58
9. "Sunblocks" - 3:42
10. "Bare Feast" - 2:38
11. "Grape Juice City" - 3:56
12. "Alps" - 4:21

The Boys Are Back In Town

This summer is going to be a busy with the releases of the bands that made blogs popular sources for new music. One of those bands is undoubtedly Midnight Juggernauts, who stole our hearts with Dystopia, and can hopefully replicate their success with their newest album, The Crystal Axis.

Tracklist:

01. Induco
02. Vital Signs
03. Lifeblood Flow
04. This New Technology
05. Lara Versus The Savage Pack
06. The Great Beyond
07. Cannibal Freeway
08. Virago
09. Winds of Fortune
10. Dynasty
11. Lemuria
12. Fade to Red

Bonus:
Midnight Juggernauts - Get Connected (B-Side)

The Crystal Axis is out on May 28th through Siberia/Acephale Records.

Not Your Grandma's Techno

Here's a band I missed that has been around for a while, but that I'm just getting wind of now. German electronic musician Pantha du Prince debuted his first 12" in 2002, and most recently released Black Noise this year. His "Saturn Strobe," released in 2007 really mixes things up for me. Nice techno beat with orchestral harmonies. I've never heard anything like this before.

Also check out a recent remix by Four Tet of "Stick To My Side." If you're an Animal Collective fan, but you also like German minimal techno, this one combines the two categories quite nicely. Check out his myspace for more.

Pantha Du Prince - Saturn Strobe (alt)

Pantha Du Prince - Stick To My Side (Four Tet remix) (alt)

You Can Stand Under My Coachella

Another weekend of madness is upon us, and though some of us are unable to attend (namely me) others are lucky enough to experience one of California's premier music festivals. Sweat in tents tho they might, if you love music, then you love Coachella.

Below you'll find a road map to the madness. Though I've overlapped some of the times in our gig-by-gig time map, I'll trust that you understand that it's because that's how I operate and those are all the shows I would be at. Unfortunately, you are not me, and you will probably have to relinquish some of the music spots, so choose wisely.

P.S. Send us your videos of your favorite shows, we'll be happy to post them!

Good Luck and Godspeed:

DAY 1: The Friday shows offer the most variety, going from indy-loud dance (Sleigh Bells) to tonal and gutteral psychedelia (Fever Ray, Yeasayer) to soft dream-pop (Aeroplane, Whitest Boy Alive) to huge headlining act LCD Soundsystem, on what might be the last time you catch them live.

Sleigh Bells @ Gobi (3:30-4:10),
Yeasayer @ Mojave (4:20-5:10),
Aeroplane @ Sahara (5:15-6:25),
Gil Scott-Heron @ Gobi (6:55-7:55),
Them Crooked Vultures @ Coachella Stage (7:15-8:40),
LCD Soundsystem @ Coachella Stage (9:05-10),
Vampire Weekend (9:55-10:45) @ Outdoor Theatre,
Fever Ray @ Mojave (11:10-12:20) OR The Whitest Boy Alive (11:55-12:45)

Wildcards:
She & Him @ Outdoor (5:45-6:35), Ra Ra Riot @ Mojave (5:35-6:25), Grizzly Bear @ Mojave (8:05-8:55), Erol Alkan @ Sahara (9:05-10:15), Proxy @ Sahara (4-5:10)

Don't Miss: LCD Soundsystem, Fever Ray
Avoid: Passion Pit, La Roux
Crowd Control: Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem, Jay-Z

DAY 2: The Saturday line-up is very dance-biased for me, but that's not to say you can't see other great stuff as well. The Girls-Beach House and the Dirty Projectors-Hot Chip blocks are two great back-to-back shows. From 5:20 or so you have time to kill, but the Raveonettes are great if you're in the mood for poppy rock n roll. If you want to get your party started early, head on over to Mojave for Major Lazer, the closest anything comes to Girl Talk this year; if you want to mellow out, go to MGMT, which would be the smart option seeing as Flying Lotus and 2ManyDJs will have you bouncing for three hours straight.

Girls @ Gobi (3:25-4:10),
Beach House @ Mojave (4:25-5:15),
Wildcard slot/The Raveonettes @ Gobi (5:45-6:35),
Dirty Projectors @ Mojave (6:55-7:45),
Hot Chip @ Outdoor Stage (7:35-8:25),
MGMT @ Outdoor Stage (8:50-9:40) OR Major Lazer @ Mojave (9:25-10:10),
Flying Lotus @ Gobi (10:45-11:35),
2ManyDJs @ Sahara (12:05-12:55)

Wildcards: Camera Obscura @ Mojave (3:10-3:55), Sia @ Gobi (12-12:50), Gossip @ Mojave (5:40-6:30), The XX @ Outdoor Theatre (6:25-7:10)

Don't Miss: Beach House, Dirty Projectors
Avoid: Tiesto, Muse
Crowd Control: The XX, Muse, MGMT, Dirty Projectors

DAY 3: Sunday starts with some dancey new wave bands, dubstepping galore, and hip-hop legends. From 4:30 on, though, the fun starts, with most of today's hottest blog bands playing all over the place. If you have handled the Phoenix backlash and still haven't seen them live, go see them, they were last years "it" band. And if you just wanna take it easy and replenish energy after two insane days, sit back and take in the amazing acts at the Coachella Stage, all well worth your time.

Delphic @ Outdoor Theatre (1:20-2:00),
Rusko @ Sahara (2:30-3:45),
De La Soul @ Coachella Stage (3:50-4:40),
Florence and The Machine @ Gobi (4:30-5:15),
Charlotte Gainsbourg @ Gobi (5:30-6:40),
Miike Snow @ Mojave (6:45-7:30) OR Spoon @ Coachella Stage (6:30-7:20),
Phoenix @ Outdoor Stage (7:10-8),
Gary Numan @ Mojave (7:55-8:45),
Thom Yorke @ Outdoor Stage (9-???),
Gorillaz @ Coachella Stage (10:30-???)

Wildcards: Julian Casblancas @ Mojave (5:35-6:20), Spoon @ Coachella (6:30-7:20), Yo La Tengo @ Coachella (5-5:50), Sly Stone @ Gobi (7-7:45), Little Boots @ Gobi (8:10-8:55), The Big Pink @ Mojave (9:25-10:15)

Don't Miss: Gorillaz, Thom Yorke
Avoid: Matt & Kim
Crowd Control: Phoenix, Thom Yorke, Gorillaz

Full listings DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3.

whoiswhosheis?

Well, a couple of months ago, Albie referred to a viral campaign that had everyone going nuts. Today I was a little bored so I decided to check it out again (actually now that I think of it, I must have been subconsciously thinking about it a propos of a drunken conversation I was having this weekend). It seems the teasing has continued. Many guesses have been wagered from Christina Aguilera to Little Boots. Judging from the most reason posts of "iamwhoiam" on youtube, it's neither. Check recent full lengths posted on youtube here and here (this last one is awesome).

Another wager has it that this is Jonna Lee. I had no idea who she was, but as could be expected, she's Swedish. Her music on myspace doesn't sound much like the above video, or the recently posted ones, but if you look at her nose in "o," it seems like it could be the same person.

The campaign seems to be drenched in either clues or vague personal references. There is a theme of 6's: 6 strawberries, 6 crosses. Drawings of animals are posted in each video. In any case, I like where it's going.

Shake Things Around

Earthquakes galore in my region of the world, but not so many musical ones. As promised, working diligently on a Coachella guide for next weekend, which should be substantive and informative for those of you going. Until then, the video for MGMT's "Flash Delirium" should keep you on your toes.

MGMT - Flash Delirium (alt)

Dream Trip

I'm happy for Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out, as his success in the past few months has meant that all of us have had a chance to hear his music. His Life of Leisure EP is definetely tops for me, I only wish I would've paid more attention to it last year in order to give it props sooner. I've been on "Feel It All Around" for forever, and the rest of the EP is just as good. Here a song from the upcoming Kitsune Maison Compilation that we blogged about last Saturday.

Washed Out - Belong (alt)

Bonus:

Washed Out - Feel It All Around (alt)

So Hot Right Now

Probably (hopefully) blogged a million times already. Loved it when they were Poney Poney, like it as much now that they are Jamaica. The video is great, it gets me yearning for the days of The Strokes, when they hit everybody so hard, we had trouble getting up afterwards.

Jamaica - I Think I Like U 2 (alt)

Bonus:

Poney Poney - Cross The Fader (alt)

Some Things Never Fail

Kitsune Maison is coming out quite soon, just in time for the spring. Kitsune can be characterized to provide cotton-candy electro-pop, so the nuances and trends of the music scene as of late fit in perfectly with Kitsune's musical philosophy. This might be one of the best VA's of the year. Below the tracklist, and a minimix featuring some of the songs on the compilation:

Kitsuné Maison 9 Full Tracklist:

01: WASHED OUT “Belong”
02: GAMBLE & BURKE “Let’s Go Together”
03: PENGUIN PRISON “Animal Animal”
04: JAMAICA “Short and Entertaining” (produced by Xavier from Justice)
05: CROOKERS feat. YELLE “Cooler Couleur”
06: JUPITER “Vox Populi (LIFELIKE treatment)”
07: YUKSEK “Supermenz (We’re Not)”
08: FENECH-SOLER “Stop And Stare”
09: TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB “Something Good Can Work (The Twelves remix)”
10: LOGO “La Vie Moderne”
11: SILVER COLUMNS “Brow Beaten”
12: HOLY GHOST! “Say My Name”
13: HURTS “Wonderful Life (ARTHUR BAKER remix KITSUNÉ edit)”
14: GYPSY & THE CAT “Time to Wander (JOAN OF ARC remix)”
15: FELDBERG “Dreamin’”
16: YOUR NATURE “Forward Motion”
17: THE GOOD NATURED “Your Body is a Machine (ZEBRA+SNAKE remix)”
18: MONARCHY “The Phoenix Alive (THE OCTANS edit)

Kitsune Maison Minimix by JBAG (alt)

For Your Consideration

If you haven't listened to Neon Indian's Psychic Chasms, then you don't know what you are missing. Recently, Alan Palomo, the man behind Neon Indian, released a song on Mountain Dew's Green Label Sound (just as Chromeo and other folks have) and it's definitely the kind of stuff that will keep Neon Indian in my iPod for a long time.

Neon Indian - Sleep Paralysist (alt) via