The Oedipus Project
J Mascis has given us a charming gift for the holidays.
The Dinosaur Jr. frontman and guitarist has been covering “Circle” by Edie Brickell in his solo performances. It’s become a new favorite.
“Circle” is a new Sub Pop 7” single backed by “I’ve Been Thinking”, a bonus song included on the Japanese version of Several Shades of Why, his solo album from earlier in the year.
“Circle”
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“I’ve Been Thinking”
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Phantogram is a duo from Saratoga Springs, NY.
Sarah Barthel (vocals, keyboards) and Josh Carter (vocals, guitars, drums) have recently released an intriguing EP entitled Nightlife, late-night songs for the nocturnal.
“Don’t Move” is the first single and is free in the December issue of Spin.
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Electronic duo Holy Ghost! from NYC have been producing, remixing and creating music since 2007.
This year they finally released their debut album, eponymously titled.
On their website they freely give us a Cosmic Kids remix of “Hold My Breath “from the album.
Here is unreleased track, a very cool Holy Ghost! cover of Ministry’s “I Wanted to Tell Her” featuring Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem on vocals. (Free from Green Label Sound.)
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Incan Abraham, a quartet from Los Angeles, have been creating sumptuous rich music for the past couple of years.
Ethereal vocals float over swirling vibrantly pure guitars, synth enhancements and multiple rhythms transporting us to new ambient worlds.
Ancient Vacation is their newly released 3rd EP. All three are graciously available as free downloads.
Lose yourself today in the beauty of “In Milan” from Ancient Vacation.
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Surfer Blood, the indie rock band from West Palm, released their critically acclaimed debut Astro Coast in 2010.
They follow now with the new EP Tarot Classics.
“Miranda” is the featured track. Listen here to two completely different versions of the song: the up-tempo original (a free download from the band’s website) and the dirge-like remix from School of Seven Bells (free from RCRDLB).
Which version do you prefer?
“Miranda”
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“Miranda” (School of Seven Bells Remix)
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First Aid Kit is the name of a Swedish folk duo comprised of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, 21 and 19 respectively.
Their 2nd album, The Lion’s Roar, is due in early 2012.
Here is a video of the stunning title song.
Last year Jens Lekman emerged from a 3-year broken heart with “The End of the World is Bigger Than Love”.
He is our Swedish Morrissey: introspective, vulnerable, yearning.
An Argument With Myself is his new 5-song EP with the lead track of the same name.
“An Argument With Myself”
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A few years ago Lizzy Grant’s EP failed to garner much attention, so she reinvented herself as Lana Del Rey.
Her debut single “Video Games” is a languid melancholy beauty.
As Lana Del Rey she will not live in obscurity.
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Last year Atlas Sound (the Bradford Cox solo project) freely gave us the wildly diverse Bedroom Databank, 4 volumes of experiments, demos and works in progress.
Now he has just released Parallax, his 3rd studio album. It was recorded this past summer, before the nervous breakdown he suffered while on tour with his band Deerhunter.
Both “Te Amo” and “Terra Incognita” are such a lovely songs from the album and are available as free downloads.
“Te Amo”
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“Terra Incognita”
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Expect the new The Black Keys album El Camino in early December.
Their 2010 album Brothers, featuring the song “Tighten Up”, was one of the best of the year.
The boys from Akron return with “Lonely Boy”, the tremendous first single.
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Frightened Rabbit, the indie band from Scotland charmed us last year with The Winter of Mixed Drinks.
Lead singer Scott Hutchison has a most distinctive Scottish brogue.
The band is giving away a free 3-song EP on their website.
The EP begins with “Scottish Winds”.
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Spin’s November offering of free downloads includes the band Veronica Falls.
This quartet from London recently released their eponymously titled debut.
Hear charming indie pop in the song “Bad Feeling” via Spin and “Right Side of My Brain”, free from the band’s website.
“Bad Feeling”
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“Right Side of My Brain”
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Moby is set to release a deluxe version of Destroyed, his latest album.
It will be a 3-disc set consisting of the original album from earlier in the year, a bonus CD and a full-length DVD.
“The Poison Tree” is the lead track from the bonus disc. He also donated this song to the David Lynch Foundation album Music That Changes the World.
It is now a free download on Moby’s website.
“The Poison Tree” is Moby at his finest, an electronic slide-guitar blues rocker.
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Class Actress is a Brooklyn-based trio fronted by Elizabeth Harper.
Born in Los Angeles, she moved to New York and began as a solo acoustic performer.
Teaming with Mark Richardson and Scott Rosenthal, the synths now ring true on their Rapprocher album.
“Weekend” is a free download from the Class Actress website.
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Radiohead has remixed their superb The King of Limbs album.
It’s entitled TKOL RMX1234567 and features remixes by various producers of the 8 songs from The King of Limbs. 19 remixes in all. Obviously some songs are remixed multiple times.
Here are two remixes of “Lotus Flower”. Almost like new songs. (The original here.)
Lotus Flower (Jacques Greene RMX)
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Lotus Flower (SBTRKT RMX)
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