Don’t miss out on all the 2011 “BEST OF” lists!

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[STREAM] Van She – “Idea Of Happiness”

by Joel on March 29, 2012

Van She along with Cut Copy were almost single (or double) handedly responsible for my absolute obsession with the Australian music scene.  Then, only to grow my infatuation with the bands from down under- came along PNAU, Empire Of The Sun, Bag Raiders, Ladyhawke and so many more.  Thats right, over any other country in the world, I dig Aussie tunes.   And let me tell you, I’ve been waiting patiently for a ridiculously long time for Van She to release a new album.  So, finally, here we have it, the first (and title) track from Van She’s forthcoming album, out on Modular July 6 (AUS) / 9 (EU/UK) / 10 (USA).  Is it my favorite track by my Aussie friends?  No, but it does show that at the very least they still are capable of creating quality, catchy and danceable music- which only feeds my excitement for their new record.  They still have it!

Facebook / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Amazon

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[MP3] Now Now – “Thread”

by Brandon on March 29, 2012

a hint of light in the dark but only enough to keep from giving up

♫ Now Now – Thread

• Who: Cacie, Jess, & Brad.
• What: Tough n’ tender indie pop, like Tegan & Sara, Death Cab for Cutie, Slow Club.
• Where: Minneapolis, MN + Facebook / Amazon
• When: 2nd LP Threads is out now.
• Why: Don’t look now but the 3 people making the Joy Formidable sized guitar jam you are hearing are quite quiet and timid. They slipped silently on stage last week at the TBE SXSW shows and if it wasn’t for the wall of sound coming from their instruments you wouldn’t even know they were there. But enough about the great live set you missed, you can still grab their Chris Walla (from Death Cab) produced 2nd LP Threads and have your own pajama rock-out at home. Catch a review of their show here and an interview here.

Photo by Lauren Marek – More of her photos from Now, Now at The Burning Ear SXSW are here.

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[MP3] 52 to ZHU

by Joel on March 29, 2012

Its been over 6th months since ZHU took on the enormous project “52 to ZHU”.  A track a week for an entire year?  Yeah, lots of people probably thought the dude was crazy.  Conservative thought would lead you to believe that maintaining quality and substance would be nearly imposible.  Well, like the Honey Badger,  ZHU don’t give a sh*t.  The production Dj hasn’t missed a beat in 28 weeks.  Now thats commitment.  Below I have singled out my preferred tracks since I last covered ZHU in week 6.

52 to ZHU

2011 is a year of innovation, technology, and dance music. No one resembles this better than Los Angeles based producer/DJ ZHU. “52 to ZHU” is a challenge that ZHU has instilled on himself. Release one track a week, for a year. It may sound simple, but coming up with new ideas, melodies, sounds, and all the subtle nuances that complete ZHU’s music can be overwhelming, yet he stays focused and determined to complete this task. This is ZHU’s journey to find his role as an artist and to share this journey with music lovers worldwide. After working with record producer/songwriter Sundafu Kawah (Katy Perry, Jojo, Jennifer Hudson), ZHU matured in his composition skills. Already supported by many DJs, with upcoming releases on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records, ZHU is ready to share his music with the world

Week 7 ♫ ZHU – Origins

Week 8 ♫ ZHU – November

Week 9 ♫ Lights – Toes (ZHU Remix)

[click for more!]

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[REMIX] Fixers – “Iron Deer Dream (RAC Mix)”

by Brandon on March 28, 2012

i’ll break our heart with a warning

♫ Fixers – Iron Deer Dream (RAC Mix)

Excuse me Sun, can you get to work? RAC is back with another shiny jam and we are gonna need you to blaze accordingly. Thanks, dude.

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[MP3] Capital Cities – “Kangaroo Court”

by Brandon on March 28, 2012

the judge pulls me aside says c’est la vie, let your darker side come out to feed

♫ Capital Cities – Kangaroo Court

Oh man! You have no idea how hard it has been to sit on this jam and not share it! Capital Cities are one of the best new bands going and their live show is a thing to behold. This jam is a glitchy groove beast! Ride the horns! Even though Capital Cities stood us up for the TBE SXSW parties we ‘aint hating. The music is just too good and I will catch them in LA soon enough.

 Facebook / Amazon

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[EP] Entrepreneurs – THE FLORIDA ROOT CANAL (w/ “I Am 3!”)

by Brandon on March 28, 2012

♫ Entrepreneurs – I Am 3!

Entrepreneurs have always made weird music but somehow I just vibe with it. New EP The Florida Root Canal is perhaps the weirdest yet but I keep coming back to it. Songs are mostly under 2 minutes and oddball interstitial moments buffer most tracks but somehow the whole things bobs, flops and twists its way through my brain and leaves me smiling. “I Am 3!” is a perfect example of the kind of dirty fun that bubbles to the surface of the insanity.

Artist links: MySpace

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[MP3/VIDEO] Bottled In England – “Change”

by Brandon on March 27, 2012

still you wanna know how i see things, i think the ship sinks, i think we’re falling apart

♫ Bottled In England – Change

• Who: August Dyrborg on drums & Daniel Vognstrup on bass.
• What: Live’n'direct drum’n'bass, like Japandroids + Jungle Brothers + Cry Wolf
• Where: Copenhagen, Denmark + Facebook / Soundcloud / Amazon
• When: Singles, remixes, & mixtapes for now.
• Why: Don’t let the name fool you, this icy body bender was hand crafted in Denmark. I’ve been hearing rumbling about this duo for some time but never had a song really grab me until “Change.” Something about that tense creeping rhythm that perfectly matches the slowly undulating vocals. And then there is the great video! Oh, kids… Always under-dressed in the winter!

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[MP3] Punches – “Dancing Together”

by Brandon on March 27, 2012

hey, you look so much better, you’ve got the light in your eyes

♫ Punches – Dancing Together

• Who: Alan Astor, Dj Never Forget, & Terry Diabolik.
• What: Disco soul house, like Gemini Club, Sam Padrul, Bastian
• Where: Brooklyn, NY + Soundcloud / Amazon
• When: It Can Only Get Better EP is out today!
• Why: Bass line! Horns! Get bendy-legged! Can you believe its been a year since “Sleepless City” swept through TBE, leaving a deep impression on the “best of” list and me hungry for more. The trio have been playing hard to get and have only now emerged with this thick slab of grade A funkiness. Just try and keep your swagger in check as you listen. Its only Tuesday for goodness’ sake.

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[MP3] Black Taxi – “Tightrope”

by Brandon on March 26, 2012

so i tried to go hide but was kidnapped by carnies when i accepted their ride

♫ Black Taxi – Tightrope

• Who: Ezra, Bill, Krisana, & Jason.
• What:  Rockin “Grit pop,” like Mother Mother, Bronze, I Am In Love
• Where: Brooklyn, NY + Facebook / Bandcamp / Amazon
• When: 2nd LP We Don’t Know Any Better is out now.
• Why: There are a handful of undisputed facts from our TBE parties at SXSW this year and one of them is that Black Taxi dominated day 1. These 4 dudes took The Firehouse by storm, mounting the bar like cheap trike and riding the room rough and dirty. Yes, we hurt after, and yes, we wanted more. Thats all I’ll say for now as I’m sure I’ll be back with more words on their latest album as soon as its finished downloading (legally, from eMusic). In the meantime grab a few jams or just go big you pansy. Also catch their fun interview in their “luxurious” tour van.

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[VIDEO] Izabo – “I Like It”

by Brandon on March 26, 2012

Damn. This is sexy. And twisted. Very appropriate for the band that I have been referring to as the Israeli Electric Six. I am really digging the video but the downside is you miss out Izabo’s freaky vibes. Watching video’s of them getting weird is one thing. Seeing it live in person is another treat altogether. What I’m trying to say here is that I have seen them live and you haven’t. Ha. (Thanks Kinetis!) But if you make it to Eurovision this year you can fix that as they are representing Israel! Go Izabo!

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