Faraway Places to release album in May

I have to, perhaps shamefully, admit that this is the first I've heard of Faraway Places -- a Los Angeles group that captures a soulful, vintage feel in their music. The group is releasing their second album, Out of the Rain, the Thunder & the Lightning on May 12 through Save It Records.

The release was apparently recorded over the course of a few years in Paris, which surprised me. The feel of the music doesn't exactly scream, "I'm in Paris, lalala." I guess another way to say that would be that Faraway Places captures a "sonic expansiveness that's sincere without taking itself too seriously," as their press release says. Whatever. Judge for yourself when Out of the Rain lands on May 12, or by checking out the free track below.

Faraway Places - "The Sun Goes West"

Black Kids vs. Mates of State

Mates of State are gearing up to co-headline a tour with The Black Kids this April and, in its honor, DJA of Mad Decent crafted a mash-up of the two groups. Layered Casio synths, house break beats, and high-energy claps and cheers—it’s doses of cheeky, sunny pop distilled into a seductive, danceable potion. You can download it now for free from RCRD LBL.

Black Kids Vs. Mates of State - DJA of Mad Decent Mash-Up

Featured Band: Ghostwood

Is, in fact, Ghostwood's debut EP solely about Pokemon? Their eponymous 2007 EP features haunting dream-pop hits like “Red Version” and “Blue Version,” which any child of the late '90s could tell you refer to the first Pokemon Nintendo Game Boy games. Indeed, Ghostwood singer/songwriter has stated that “Red Version” is about the Pokemon Trading Card Game (“I'll trade you the best one for keeps / You're playing too fast just to win”)—but the rest of the EP is not. For someone who spent too much of his childhood on Pokemon cards, this makes Ghostwood a gold mine. All collectable Japanese monsters aside, the Sydeny quintet is a treasure find for their lush, borderline shoegaze tracks alone. They've toured with Silversun Pickups, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Red Riders and Maximo Park, which gives you a good idea of the type of bands and genres they run with. The group is working on a few new singles, but a full-length can't come soon enough.

Hear Ghostwood on Future Perfect Radio!

Giveaway: Eleni Mandell's "Artificial Fire"

Want a free copy of Eleni Mandell's latest album Artificial Fire? Sure you do!

Here's how you can win: Tweet the song you're currently listening to on Future Perfect Radio with the topic code #futureperfectradio (or in a reply to @FPRadio). It's that easy!

Winners will be selected randomly. And, oh yeah, there's no entry limit, so getting tweeting people!

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour in Chicago Tonight, Eleni Mandell Tomorrow

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (pictured) are touring on the massive success of their debut EP, and partly in preparation of their upcoming LP Fruit which drops May 19. Tonight they play Schubas in Chicago! The band formed less than a year ago and is already can be found in the pages of Rolling Stone and Spin. More tour dates after the break.

Catch them at Schubas tonight at 9pm, 18+. Tickets are $12.

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - "The Sun Ain't Shining No More"

Playing Schubas tomorrow night is Eleni Mandell, the supremely talented and critically acclaimed songwriter with a singular gift for writing wry, literate songs that synthesize jazz, country, folk, blues, rock and pop. She just released her sophomore album Artificial Fire in February and is filled with more of Mandell’s sharp-edged tales of romance, lust and love. More tour dates after the break.

Catch Mandell at Schubas tomorrow night at Schubas, 9pm, 21+. Tickets are $12.

Eleni Mandell - "Artificial Fire"

Featured Band: Those Dancing Days

Those Dancing DaysSweden's Those Dancing Days formed in 2005, producing such sunny twee-pop indie rock that the world couldn't but take notice. After an explosion of blog attention, the group was signed to V2 for their debut self-titled EP in 2007. Their first full-length, In Our Space Hero Suits, followed in 2008 through Wichita. The all-female act is similar to Tilly and the Wall, with happy hand-claps and a slightly punkish attitude.

Hear Those Dancing Days on Future Perfect Radio.

Antony and the Johnsons to play summer symphonies

Antony and the Johnsons will play a series of unique concerts in collaboration with symphonies across Europe this summer. Presenting a wide array of material including songs from The Crying Light, the concerts will feature large format orchestras (36-52 players) presenting arrangements developed by Antony and Nico Muhly and conducted by Rob Moose.

Premiering at the Manchester Festival, Antony has also been commissioned to create a stage environment for The Crying Light inspired by Bauhaus stage lighting design and considering the dreams of crystals inside mountains. Find dates after the break.

Featured Band: The Decemberists

The Decemberists

Singing of ghosts and sailors and suicide-inclined lovers, The Decemberists are the banner act of indie folk. The Portland group, led by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy, indulges in both British folk rock and vingatge folk literature, weaving both into delicious musical narratives.

Pushing 18-minutes on some tracks (such as on the 5-part epic The Tain), The Decemberists never shy away from pushing the envelope. They easily overcame doubts of “selling out” after moving to Capitol Records with 2006's The Crane Wife – which centered around a Japanese folk tale but also featured Civil War love stories. Three years later, the group has released The Hazards of Love, their fifth full-length.

Much like The Crane Wife, Hazards sits upon an overarching story line of love and loss (oh, and a forest queen and some shapeshifters). Unlike The Crane Wife though, The Decemberists' latest album could be seen as one grand effort. There are few, if any, singles, and one has a difficult time discerning when one track begins and another ends. The bottom line is The Decemberists have produced another classic album in The Hazards of Love, one that could come to represent 2009 itself.

Stay tuned for more featured artists, and hear The Decemberists now on Future Perfect Radio.

SXSW on Future Perfect Radio

Painfully far from Austin as this year's SXSW rolls around? Or in the city, but just can't get enough good tunes? Let Future Perfect Radio help! Our SXSW channel includes the best acts performing this year, playing for you 24/7.

Here's a sample playlist to spark your desire:

Telepathe - "I Can't Stand It"
The Decemberists - "Billy Liar"
Camera Obscura - "I Need All the Friends I Can Get"
Ra Ra Riot - "Ghost Under Rocks (Passion Pit Mix)"
No Age - "Teen Creeps"
School of Seven Bells - "Half Asleep"
Gomez - "Shot Shot"
Explosions in the Sky - "Your Hand in Mine"
Gentleman Reg - "Rudy"
St. Vincent - "Paris Is Burning"
Golden Boots - "Heat Wave"
The Ettes - "I Get Mine"

SXSW for the year may end on March 22, but it keeps going on Future Perfect Radio! Tune in today!

New Thermals track available for free download!

"Now We Can See," the new track from The Thermals that's been floating about online for a while now is available for free download over at the awesome RCRD LBL.

The song is the title track of the group's upcoming album due out April 7th. It's a mid-tempo jawn with lots of “woa-ohs” and lyrics in the plural first person. Fits in right where The Body, the Blood, the Machine left off!



Download the track here!

The War on Drugs Tour with The Hold Steady

At the end of March The War on Drugs will finally embark on their first full nationwide U.S. tour since the release of their debut album -- Wagonwheel Blues -- last June. Why the long wait do you ask? The folks in the UK and mainland Europe have been gobbling up The War on Drugs' curious new take on a American highway rock with such fury and fervent that The War on Drugs have had to oblige. All their time in Europe has honed The War on Drugs into a viciously tight trio.

Even better, The War on Drugs have been invited to open for one of the most exciting live bands in America, The Hold Steady. Last year, Craig Finn listed Wagonwheel Blues in his top five albums of 2008 on Pitchfork and said "they made an amazing record that I was obsessed with for most of the year." Dates after the break.

The War on Drugs - "Taking the Farm"

New Voxtrot Track (Free!)

We haven't heard much from the Austin indie-poppers Voxtrot since their eponymous debut LP back in 2007. That LP was a bit of a disappointment for those who gobbled up each of their early EPs with relish, and I didn't have much patience for the band after the album hit shelves in May. Now that some time has passed, I'm eager for something new. Lucky for us, the band has provided.

Produced, recorded, and mixed by Jim Eno from Spoon in his Austin studio, “Trepanation Party”—a song with rolling thunder toms, gargantuan haunted house piano, some churchy synth strings on top—coincides with two shows Voxtrot are playing this week down in their hometown, including our party with Media Temple tonight, Tuesday the 17th, at La Zona Rosa.

Download the track for free at RCRD LBL.

Dent May (with ukulele in tow) adds new tour dates

Dent May (and of course, his Magnificent Ukulele) is seeing nothing but stars following his debut LP, which hit shelves earlier this year. Following what's sure to be one of the most memorable performances at SXSW, May will be embarking on a tour with his discoverers, Animal Collective (who are also riding the success of their recent masterpiece).

Further bio and tour dates after the break.

Featured Artists, 3/16

Here's the run-down on this week's featured bands. Find out more, including interviews, videos and tour dates, at Future Perfect Radio.

Fireflies
Crafting songs "into a tiny snow-globe-size universe you can curl up in and get lost for a while," FIREFLIES is a charming twee-pop act out of Chicago. Painfully unknown, Firefiles' romantincally haunting tracks deserve proper attention.

Kinetic Stereokids
Michigan's KINETIC STEREOKIDS have worked their way out of basement jams to prepping the release of one of the most anticipated albums of '09: Kid Moves, set for release on March 17. Are you ready for "junkyard folktronica"?

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Computer Club
Dripping in dance-floor swagger, Birmingham's COMPUTER CLUB exude catchy dance-rock without ranging into the cliche world of mainstream Top 40s, though they're not inventing new genres either.

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We Swim You Jump
The Netherlands' WE SWIM YOU JUMP emit highly-melodic twee-pop. They've been ascenting to the peak of musical success faster than most, releasing their first EP six months after forming and performing at the Eurosonic Festival a month after that.

New Music Adds, 3/13

As always, we're adding new music constantly to Future Perfect Radio to keep you up to date with the latest and greatest out there. Here's some of the more notable new music additions to FPR:

Kinetic Stereokids - Kid Moves
Silversun Pickups - "Panic Switch" off Swoon
Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside!
Extra Golden - Thank You Very Quickly
Fireflies - Butterscotch EP

Check out this music, and tons more, on our 25+ channels of indie rock at Future Perfect Radio!

Know of a worthy band or album we should have on Future Perfect Radio? Tell us in the comment section!

Alice Russell in Chicago Tonight

Vocalist Alice Russell will be performing at Schubas tonight in Chicago! Alice has become on of the UK’s hottest singers, having recorded with the likes of Massive Attack, The Nextmen and Quantic and performing with the likes of The Roots and The Quantic Soul Orchestra.

Catch her at Schubas at 10:30pm, 21+. Tickets are $14.

She released her sophomore album Pot Of Gold in January through her new label Six Degrees Records. It picked up quite a bit of favorable press attention, with NPR calling it "The embodiment of blue eyed soul...Alice Russell may not yet be as well known as fellow British soul divas like Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone, but she's more than their equal." More than is right, I'd call comparing Russell to Winehouse an insult to the former, but that's just me.

Check out "Got the Hunger" from her new album below, and future tour dates after the break!

Alice Russell - "Got the Hunger"

Unwed Sailor Announces Spring Tour Dates

Post-rock project Unwed Sailor will be touring the U.S. this spring. Dates are after the break.

Also, seems members from Unwed Sailor (along with members from Ester Drang, Callupsie, and Ol Savior) have formed a new group called Native Lights. They've got a melodic, lush demo up on their MySpace page, found here. Looks like a band to definitely keep an eye on.

You can hear more from Unwed Sailor, and other instrumental/shoegaze acts, on Future Perfect Radio's Post-Rock channel.

Guess the Track, Part II

EDIT: Sadly, no one had any ideas for what our second "Guess the Track" song was, so here's another hint: This group just released an album in October, luckily just before walls came down. It was on Split Records. Seriously, finding this band will be worth your while, it's a great Brit rock act.

I like this whole "Guess the Track" business, so I thought I'd make it more of a regular thing. If you disagree, please don't hesitate to loudly state your opinion. But for now, here's the next track!

Mystery Track II

Again, guess the artist in the comment section below. Bonus points if you can nail the album and title as well! I'll post some vids and info on the artist once someone guesses correctly. Need a hint? Find one after the break!

We have a winner! User Hello_Mimi guessed correctly that Mystery Track II is none other than "Snobs" by Computer Club. The British group puts out some solid dance-rock, most recently releasing Before the Walls Came Down in 2008 through Split Records. Their track "Electrons and Particles" picked up lots of favorable attention for the group. Watch the video for the track below.

Computer Club - "Electrons and Particles"

Banner/Link Swap Opportunity!

Bloggers, music publication owners, artists and all other Internet entrepreneurs! Looking for some exposure, but finding cash hard to come by? Interested in reaching tech-savvy fans of indie music? Look no further!

Future Perfect Radio is interested in swapping banners/links. This can either be for a spot in our player (see pic), or for a link on our homepage. In return, we'd ask that you'd post our own banner, or provide a link to futureperfectradio.com. We receive thousands of listeners and visitors a day!

Anyone interested should contact mschmitt[at]futureperfectradio.com with the subject line "Banner/Link Swap."

Tortured Soul to release sophomore album 3/24

Tortured Soul, the savvy house dance act, will be following up their 2004 debut Introducing Tortured Soul with Did You Miss Me on March 24. The album title is both a tongue-in-cheek nod to the fans who have been waiting with baited breath for the band's sophomore effort, as well as an allusion to the primary motif of the album -- travel and it's various tribulations. To be honest, this is my first listen of Tortured Soul, and I almost clicked away immediately when greeted with the group's smooth, almost pop-radio vocals in "Did You Miss Me," the new album's title track.

The melody and beat kept me listening though. I'm no big house fan, but this is listenable, savvy stuff. Listen to "Did You Miss Me" below. Tour dates after the break.

Tortured Soul - "Did You Miss Me"

New Song from Great Northern, New Album 4/28

Chamber pop melody factory Great Northern will be releasing their latest album, Remind Me Where The Light Is is out on April 28. Go ahead and add it to the long list of brilliant music coming out in the next month or two.

A new track off the album, "Houses," is available now on iTunes. Purchase here.

Extra Golden's "Thank You Very Quickly" Out Today!

The cross-continental project Extra Golden release Thank You Very Quickly, their third album, through Thrill Jockey today. The group's follow-up to 2007's Hera Ma Nono deals with the bee's nest of economic and political problems facing Kenya. Extra Golden expertly wrap the serious undertones in dance-able exotic melodies, giving you a release you can use to spark deep pondering or a dance party.

Thank You Very Quickly has picked up a share of praising reviews. "Okay, Vampire Weekend, class is now in session! ...a feast for multiethnic guitar nerds but also a lively mix that anyone can dance to," said Spin, while Mojo wrote, "[Thank You Very Quickly], to be blunt, pisses all over the competition." Extra Golden's "Anyango" from the new album is posted below. Tour dates after the break.

Extra Golden - Anyango

Featured Artists, 3/9

Here's the run-down on this week's featured bands. Find out more, including interviews, videos and tour dates, at Future Perfect Radio.

Home Video
Brooklyn electro-pop duo HOME VIDEO released the latest in a string of brilliant trip-hop infused dream pop records this January: It Will Be Ok. Hear it now on Future Perfect Radio.

 

Anni Rossi
Singer/songwriter ANNI ROSSI continues her blazing recording pace with Rockwell, out March 10. She departs from her reliance on the viola, and with Steve Albini's guidance attempts to capture the energy of her live show.

 

Elvis Perkins
Singer/songwriter ELVIS PERKINS follows up his 2007 debut Ash Wednesday on March 10 withElvis Perkins in Dearland through XL Records.

New Silversun Pickups Track!

Silversun Pickups, those brilliant sonic connoisseurs who are releasing their sophomore effort Swoon on April 14, have posted the first single off the album on their MySpace page: "Panic Switch."

It's filled with heavy bass, lush guitars, and of course Brian Aubert's soothingly uneasy voice. Like many tracks off Carnavas, the group's debut LP, "Panic Switch" builds and builds until -- just before all hell breaks loose -- there's a sudden drop to whispered vocals and silent insturmentals, making the final explosive climax all the more sensational. And this is sensational. Looks like the Pickups haven't gone in a new direction with Swoon, only juiced up their old game with the heaps of confidence the success of Carnavas surely must have delivered. Swoon should be a powerful affair.

Check out "Panic Switch" at the band's MySpace page here. Tell us what you think in the comment section!

New Music Adds, 3/7

Here's the run-down of the all the new music just added to Future Perfect Radio:

Malajube -- Labyrinthes
Mirah -- (a)spera
Kai Reiner -- Kai Reiner
Mobius Band -- Empire of Love
Ill Ease -- The Whole Sha Bang
De Rosa -- Prevention
Sholi -- Sholi
tUne YarDs -- BiRdBrAiNs
The Black Lips -- 200 Million Thousand
We Swim You Run -- We Swim You Jump EP
The Portland Cello Project -- The Portland Cello Project

Find all these great artists and more on our 25+ channels of indie yumminess: Future Perfect Radio

Preview the upcoming Sonic Youth album!

This week I've been nothing but teased with hints at how great 2009 will be for music. First it was The Decemberists, then Silversun Pickups, and now Sonic Youth.

The masters of underground brilliance are set to release The Eternal on June 9. Yes, June 9. Just over 3 months away.

Want to make the wait seem even longer? Check out this preview of the album linked below. Looks to be an amazing album:

Sonic Youth The Eternal Montage

Yes, it will be a very, very, very long 3 months. Preorder info this way.

Preview 2 tracks of Silversun Pickup's upcoming album "Swoon"

MTV has an exclusive preview of Silversun Pickups' upcoming album Swoon. They play bits (not nearly enough mind you) of two tracks: "Panic Switch" and "Growing Old Is Getting Old." Both are incredible and just...I cannot wait for this album.

Which leads me to my warning: after I watched this, I was thrown into melancholy because of the 30+ day wait I must endure before hearing these tracks in full. If you're hopelessly addicted to Silversun Pickups like myself, you may want to just wait until April. Then again, if you're like me, such advice is useless. Watch on then, and prepare for a long month of waiting.

MTV's Preview of Silversun Pickups' Swoon

Guess the Track!

How sharp are your music ears?

Can you guess the artist of the track below? Bonus points if you can nail the song title and album! I'll post the link where you can download the entire album for free as soon as someone guesses correctly!

EDIT: Thanks to Aaron M., who correctly guessed the artist was Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship, you can all download the full album here. Points will still be awarded to anyone who comes up with the track title!

Let the guessing begin in the comment section! (Hint after the read link).

Mystery Track!

The Sunshine Underground new album soon, new mp3 out now

One of my favorite relatively undiscovered dance-floor rock acts from Britain, The Sunshine Underground, will soon be releasing their follow-up to 2006's brilliant Raise the Alarm. These guys top anything The Kooks put out, and frankly deserve a similar level of hype as The Arctic Monkeys' (used to) receive. But then, perhaps, I wouldn't like them as much, because I have a problem with popularity.

But that is a topic for another day! Right now it's about The Sunshine Underground! These boys from Leeds are currently mixing their next album (you can get a sneak peek at what it may sound like here.)

But somehow, in between recording and mixing and touring and whatever else bands do these days, the group hooked up with FC Kahuna to pen a new track called "From the City to the Sea." Check it out below!

You can hear The Sunshine Underground at Future Perfect Radio's Across the Pond and Dance Rock channels!

The Sunshine Underground and FC Kahuna - "From the City to the Sea"

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart announce tour dates

The band of the moment, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, have announced a heap load of tour dates including an insane SXSW schedule. The group pumps out indie-pop over a layer of retro shoegaze-inspired sonic fuzz. Pretty easy to get into, much like The Vivian Girls. You can listen to their eponymous new LP on Future Perfect Radio. Find the tour dates after the break.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Everything with You"

This Week's Featured Artists, 3/2

Here's the run-down on this week's featured bands. Find out more, including interviews, videos and tour dates, at Future Perfect Radio.

Vote for the best artist here.

Gentleman Reg
Toronto's GENTLEMAN REG, fronted by the ecclectic singer/songwriter Reg Vermue, follows up their November EP Little Buildings with Jet Black, just released through Arts & Crafts.

 

 

Laura Barrett
Toronto's LAURA BARRETT excels at the kalimba, a little-known instrument from Africa also known as a thumb piano. Her debut LP Victory Garden finds the singer/songwriter moving into mainstream territory.

 

 

Alaska in Winter
The electro-pop dance-floor favorite ALASKA IN WINTER is fronted by Brandon Bethancourt out of Santa Fe, NM. Their sophomore album, Holiday, landed last November through Milan.

 

 

Miracles of Modern Science
Armed with violins, cellos and mandolins while donned in shiny silver spacesuits, MIRACLES OF MODERN SCIENCE aren't your typical band. Formed at Princeton University in 2004, the group blends The Decemberists, Explosions in the Sky and the New York Philharmonic.

RIAA or students?

I'm a student, so I live in the dormitory of a Chicago university. Around last week, letters appeared on walls and elevator doors warning that any student found violating copyrights online will have their Internet suspended for a week or longer. In other words, stop sharing music because the RIAA is breathing down our backs. Not surprising, a whole bunch of schools have received similar warnings, and Internet-suspension in return for sharing music has been commonplace at my friends' universities for years.

Stealing music is bad. Heck, stealing anything is bad. But what gets me about punishing students caught doing this with Internet suspension is that you're harming their academic progress. Classes are increasingly online affairs -- whether it's accessing lecture notes on Blackboard, turning in papers digitally, or just doing research for a term paper. Suspending the Internet for even a week is not just taking away a luxury, it's a hamper on how well students do in school. And, so far, saying "My Internet was suspended," is not an excuse that's going to fly when professors ask why your term paper is late.

I understand students can't access free music illegally, just as I understand you can't smoke in dorms (in Chicago at least) and you can't start ripping the lights out of their fixtures. But, if you were caught ripping lights out of their fixtures, the university would not punish you by making you stay home from a week of classes, or by taking away your textbooks temporarily. You'd be charged a fee. Yes, a $100 is nasty for students struggling with high tuitions already, but at least they can go get that A in Arts & Urban Life.

As I see it, my university has chosen to follow the RIAA over their students. This is a dangerous position, as the RIAA doesn't pay tuition--students do. My university is threatening to hamper the very thing I paid thousands of dollars to come and do: learn, get good grades, and leave with a shiny diploma. Again, stealing music is wrong, but punishing offenders by hurting their ability to fulfill academic requirements is just as wrong.

So please, universities, let's start caring about students a little more than whiny trade groups representing failing industries, shall we?