Featured Band: Malajube

It's interesting how different vocals sound when they're sung in a language you can't understand. Suddenly the voice itself becomes a more important instrument. It must convey all the emotion or meaning of a song through tone and pitch—the foreign listener no longer has the mere words to rely on. Such is the experience when listening to Canada's French-speaking (and singing) noise rock act Malajube. The blend of harsh guitars and French language would be interesting enough to warrant popularity for the group, but they also throw in catchy hook after hook as if they were a dime a dozen. Their 2006 LP Trompe-l'Oeil won the group numerous awards in Canada and critical acclaim. Now they're back with Labyrinthes, out March 31 on Dare to Care Records.

Try If You Like: Super Furry Animals, Mew, The Delgados

Listen to Malajube on: Future Perfect Radio, New Music, Noise Rock, Maple Leaf Citizens

Malajube - "Montreal '40°C" from Trompe-l'Oeil

Or, the Whale announce tour dates

Or, the Whale, a folk collective out of San Francisco, have announced a series of May tour dates. The band can be both uplifting and downtrodden, sweet and haunting, powerful and quiet. I recommend getting out seeing them if you can. Dates below.

May 20th--Silverlake Lounge--Los Angeles, CA
May 21st--The Viper Room--Los Angeles, CA
May 22nd--Beauty Bar--San Diego, CA
May 23rd--The Hangar(t)--Tucson, AZ
May 25th--Hi-Dive--Denver, CO
May 26th--Kilby Court--Salt Lake City, UT
May 27th--Visual Arts Collective--Boise, ID
May 28th--Red Room--Kennewick, WA
May 29th--Tractor Tavern--Seattle, WA
May 30th--Doug Fir--Portland, OR
June 5th--Sophia's--Davis, CA

New The Pains of Being Pure at Heart video for "Young Adult Friction"

You know what to do.



Hear them now on our New Music channel.

Free Tracks from Passion Pit, Wolfmother

Man, when was the last time we heard anything from Wolfmother? Glad to see Australian vintage rock group (or rather, just guitarist/singer Andrew Stockdale as the other two members called it quits) back again though, and with a free track! "Back Round" is classic Wolfmother, which is to say classic rock happily transported to 2009. Trippy, catchy and sounding just a little Black Sabbath-like (or am I going crazy?), "Back Round" is a great "comeback track" of sorts for Stockdale's Wolfmother.

Pick it up from RCRD LBL here.

RCRD LBL also has a free track from Passion Pit called "Moth's Wings." You can pick up the shimmering package of dance-rock wonderfulness here.

Featured Band: Great Northern

It's hard to concentrate when listening to Great Northern. The Los Angeles' group's dreamy rock is so easy to get lost in. The lush melodies and soaring riffs are daydream fodder. The group won tons of acclaim for their debut album Trading Twilight for Daylight and the hit single "Home." Their follow-up EP Sleepy Eepee failed to make the same impression (at least to me). But the west-coast duo is back with an album that is sure to pick up just as much critical acclaim as their debut: Remind Me Where the Light Is lands April 28 on Eenie Meenie and can be heard here on Future Perfect Radio.

Try If You Like: The Arcade Fire, Earlimart, Morning After Girls

Listen to Great Northern on: Future Perfect Radio, New Music, Los Angeles, Chamber Pop

Great Northern - "Home" off Trading Twilight for Daylight

Blank Dogs preps release of LP "Under and Under"

The online enigma that was Blank Dogs may be no more, but the incredible new wave tracks are not only still there--they're getting better. Yes, Mr. Blank Dog (now known as Mike) has been unmasked and the online mystery surrounding his music is gone. But, the music keeps on coming and we now have a new full-length record to look forward to. Under and Under comes out 5/26 via In The Red.

The album is said to be chocked full of the lo/fi, noise rock tracks we've been treated to over the past few years. "Each Blank Dogs song is like its own planet with a distinct internal logic, landscape, and atmosphere."

Check out "Tin Birds" from the new album at Stereogum here.

Ear Pwr announces tour dates

Blistering thumpers with infectious melodies, Disco chants with wild-eyed electro anthems: all part of the unique electronic vision of Baltimore's Ear Pwr. Devin and Sarah, the fiery young duo known as Ear Pwr, have blended together bits of Italo Disco, Baltimore Club, and twee indie pop to create a nuclear party grenade that will blow your mind. Their booty-shaking aesthetic has never sounded more enticing than on their new record Super Animal Brothers III. This scorcher of an album is hitting the pavement at full throttle. No party is complete without it!

Tour dates below.

Future Eyes - Ear Pwr

May 2nd - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Docs
May 13th - Chapel Hill, NC @ The Nightlight
May 17th - Baltimore, MD @ The Zodiac*
May 19th - Brooklyn, NY @ Death By Audio*
May 22nd - Washington, D.C. @ Comet Ping Pong*
May 23rd - Philadelphia, PA @ Pilam*
May 24th - New York, NY @ Cake Shop*
May 25th - Providence, RI @ Min Pin 4 Ever
May 26th - Boston, MA @ Church of Boston
May 27th - Kittery, ME @ Buoy Gallery
May 28th - Montreal, QC @ Zoo Bizarre
May 29th - Toronto, ONT @ Primary Color Presents
May 30th - Detroit, MI @ Division Street Boutique
May 31st - Chicago, IL @ Ronny's
June 1st - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
June 3rd - Kansas City, MO @ The Pistol Social Club
June 4th - Denver, CO @ Rhinoceropolis
June 6th - Seattle, WA @ Healthy Times Fun Club
June 7th - Olympia, WA @ Northern
June 10th - Portland, OR @ Holocene*
June 12th - San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern*
June 13th - San Jose, CA @ Nickel City Arcade*
June 14th - Los Angeles, CA @ BBQ at Art and Mayhem*
June 15th - Los Angeles, CA @ Pehrspace*
June 16th - Irvine, CA @ Acrobatics Every Day*
June 19th - Austin, TX @ Beauty Bar*
June 20th - Dallas, TX @ The Handsome Kitten*
June 21st - Houston, TX @ Mango's Cafe*
June 22nd - New Orleans, LA @ Saturn Bar*
June 23rd - Little Rock, AK @ Rad Hizzy*
June 24th - Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light*
June 25th - Asheville, NC @ Mo Daddy's*
June 26th - Atlanta, GA @ 529*
June 27th - Durham, NC @ The Pin Hook*
June 28th - Greenville, NC @ Spazz Haus*
June 29th - Charlottesville, VA @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar*
June 30th - Baltimore, MD @ The Zodiac*

* with Adventure

Featured Band: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Just imagine what the world would be like if New York's Yeah Yeah Yeahs had stuck with their original name, when Karen O and Nicolas Zinner were playing folk-like rock under the moniker Unitard. Chilling. Lucky for us the group switched names and genres. They've been playing together since 2000, developing and polishing their sleek garage rock sound over the course of nine years and three full-length records. Their third LP, It's Blitz! hit record stands (or rather, online store websites) on March 10. In it, the group strips away some of the more oppressive guitar sounds to reveal a sleek, savvy synth-led melodies. Check it out on Future Perfect Radio.

Try If You Like: The White Stripes, Carolina Liar, Peaches

Listen to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on: Future Perfect Radio, New Music, New York, Noise Rock

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero" from It's Blitz! (embedding disabled by request)

The Michigan Bug

Don't know why, but I've suddenly got an itch for awesome Michigan music. We've of course got the Great Lakes Soundtrack channel at Future Perfect Radio, filled with indie pulled straight from the The Wolverine State. But we need more, ever so much more (or, perhaps more honestly, I want more...please).

Here are 3 great bands I've recently come across thanks to Future Perfect Radio's awesome fans on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook:

Lightning Love! (courtesy of @christinajacobs on Twitter)
"Everyone I know is no good at nothing at all." What a depressing line. But it's bouncy and sunshine-esque in Lightning Love's track "Everyone I Know." The group from Ypsilanti, MI have an album out called November Birthdays out that will most definitely be on Great Lakes Soundtrack very soon. Great twee-pop tracks that pull from Au Revoir Simone's vocals and The Little Ones' happy-go-lucky instrumentals. Find them on MySpace here.

The Decks
From Grosse Pointe, The Decks remind me very strongly of The Arctic Monkeys, minus the annoying British swagger. More quaint underground charm here, with some moments of raw fuzz (their cover of "Strutter" is an especially fun listen). Find them here.

Millions of Brazilians
Maybe I'm not the last person in the world to come across these guys from Woodbridge, MI, but I have a feeling I'm a little late in the uptake. Their razor-sharp guitar licks and dance-floor melodies are like a mash-up of Foals, Klaxons and The Arctic Monkeys (can't believe I've referenced them twice in one blog post). Find them on MySpace here.

What are your favorite Michigan indie acts? Tell us in the comment section, on Twitter, through Facebook or on MySpace to get your bands added to Future Perfect Radio. Remember, you can always find great Michigan indie on our Great Lakes Soundtrack channel.

Featured Band: Silversun Pickups

Los Angeles' Silversun Pickups have found sucecss through a musical formula that combines The Smashing Pumpkins' brand of alternative rock (not to mention Corgan's vocals, as SSPU vocalist Brian Aubert's voice is pretty high) blended with touches of lush swirling guitars, reminiscent of shoegaze and My Bloody Valentine. The result is explosive tracks, as well as laid-back efforts, that include the spiraling instrumentals found in post-rock but without losing pop likability. The comparisons with The Smashing Pumpkins are even more exaggerated in the group's new album Swoon, which hit shelves April 14. Guitar riffs and melodies seem taken straight out of Siamese Dream. Hear both Silversun Pickups' new album, and their 2006 debut Carnavas, here on Future Perfect Radio.

Try If You Like: The Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, Caribou

Listen to Silversun Pickups on: Future Perfect Radio, New Music, Chamber Pop, Los Angeles

Silversun Pickups - "Panic Switch" (off Swoon)



Our review of Swoon

Free new Maximo Park track!

England's Maximo Park crank out slightly somber melodic tracks well suited for the dance floor and packed full of hooks. I really enjoyed their album Our Velocity, but haven't heard much from the group since. Until now. Here's a new (free!) track from Maximo Park, courtesy of RCRD LBL. Here's their thoughts:

Let’s Get Clinical” boasts an 808 fed through a guitar amp, Ibizan synth pangs and singer Paul Smith trapped in what sounds like an art-metal breakdown about two thirds of the way in. Chastening stuff.

Maximo Park - "Let's Get Clinical"

Deer Tick release new track "Easy"

Deer Tick's new album Born on Flag Day, following up their critically acclaimed debut LP War Elephant (released in 2007, reissued the next year), is set for release on June 23. You may have already reached this conclusion, but that's far off.

Fortunately, Deer Tick have released a track from the album for free download, "Easy." Hear it below.

Deer Tick - "Easy"


Deer Tick is also on tour, with some shows accompanied by Elvis Perkins and Jenny Lewis. Check out the dates below.

Thu-Apr-23 Boston, MA Harpers Ferry
Fri-Apr-24 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel #
Mon-Jun-08 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero %
Tue-Jun-09 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg %
Wed-Jun-10 Boston, MA House of Blues %
Thu-Jun-11 Washington, DC 9:30 Club %
Fri-Jun-12 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle %
Sun-Jun-14 St. Louis, MO The Pageant %
Mon-Jun-15 Lawrence, KS Granada %
Wed-Jun-17 Omaha, NE Slowdown %

# = w/ Elvis Perkins in Dearland
% = w/ Jenny Lewis

Black Dice release new video for "Glazin"

Brooklyn's Black Dice just released their fifth album REPO on April 7. It's packed full with "concise, sonically battering, or flat-out bizarre tunes," and "Glazin" is one of them. Check out the new video for the track below. Black Dice are also on tour (with Wolf Eyes,Animal Collective and others), find some dates below the video.



Wed 05/20/09 Empty Bottle Chicago, IL #
Thu 05/21/09 Triple Rock Minneapolis, MN #
Sat 05/23/09 Palace Missoula, MT #
Sun 05/24/09 Holy Mountain Seattle, WA #
Mon 05/25/09 Biltmore Vancouver, BC #
Tue 05/26/09 Backspace Portland, OR #
Fri 05/29/09 OCD Warehouse San Francisco, CA #%
Sat 05/30/09 F Yeah Fest presents at Gilbert's Los Angeles, CA #~
Sun 05/31/09 Rialto Theater Tucson AZ *
Mon 06/01/09 Sunshine Theater Albuquerque NM *
Tue 06/02/09 Boulder Theatre Boulder CO *
Wed 06/03/09 Opolis Norman, OK
Thu 06/04/09 House Of Blues Dallas TX *
Fri 06/05/09 Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater Austin TX *
Sat 06/06/09 The Library Oxford MS *
Sun 06/07/09 Bottletree Birmingham, AL
Mon 06/08/09 State Theatre St. Petersburg FL *
Tue 06/09/09 Culture Room Fort Lauderdale FL *
Wed 06/10/09 Club Firestone Orlando FL *
Thu 06/11/09 The Earl Atlanta, GA $
Fri 06/12/09 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC $
Sat 06/13/09 Sonar Baltimore, MD $@+
Sun 06/14/09 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY $!
Mon 06/15/09 Outside The Lines Boston, MA $
Tue 06/16/09 Il Motore Montreal, QC $
Thu 06/18/09 MOFA Detroit, MI $#
Fri 06/19/09 Garfield Art Works Pittsburgh, PA $
Sat 06/20/09 Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, PA $

# = w/ Wolf Eyes
* = w/ Animal Collective
$ = w/ Awesome Color
! = w/ Soft Circle
@ = w/ Dan Deacon
% = w/ Sic Alps
~ = w/ Richard Bishop
+ = w/ Dat Politics

Review: Silversun Pickups - "Swoon"

Check out my video review of Silversun Pickups' Swoon below.



Silversun Pickups
Swoon
Dangerbird Records
April 14, 2009

Pros: SSPU is back with more shoegaze-meets-alternative jams. Fans of Carnavas should find a lot to like about Swoon. It has both the arena-ready anthems ("Panic Switch," "The Royal We") and turn-the-lights-down jams ("Growing Old Is Getting Old"), both of which we saw in Carnavas. Borrows heavily from The Smashing Pumpkins.

Cons: Borrows heavily from The Smashing Pumpkins. Not enough shoegaze-inspired guitars for my liking. Carnavas is much more exciting. Swoon feels bland, too extra smooth, almost boring at times. Lacks a certain energy and instant likability that Carnavas had.

Bottom Line: Fans of SSPU should find lots to like here. Though it fails to live up to Carnavas, Swoon is a great record worth your money and many listens. But don't get your hopes up. New fans should most definitely start with Carnavas. If Siamese Dream was The Smashing Pumpkins' break-out record after an okay but not spectacular Gish, Silversun Pickups have reversed the formula. Whatever the case, still expecting gold from SSPU's Mellon Collie equivalent.

Silversun Pickups' "Swoon" out today!

The long-awaited day has arrived! Swoon by Silversun Pickups, the Los Angeles group's sophomore LP, is out and available today from Dangerbird Records!

Purchase from iTunes here.

I'm downloading my copy as we speak and I'll post my initial thoughts soon.

AllMusic had this to say:

"[Silversun Pickups] don't attempt synthesis or reimagination [of The Smashing Pumpkins], they merely seek continuance, acting as nothing happened between Siamese Dream in 1993 and Swoon in 2009...Silversun Pickups avoid unpleasantness to such a great extent on Swoon that they rarely shift tempos or dynamics. They merely wallow in washes of sound, deriving equally from guitars and whispered vocals, never pushing forward, never achieving any sense of momentum, just glimmering in the sunlight. It's pleasant enough, particularly when the breathy vocals fade away to leave behind cascades of guitars, but even at its best, it's nothing more than an approximation of Smashing Pumpkins at their peak, with all the interesting parts stripped away."

For those of you who already have the album, what do you think? Better than Carnavas? Disappointing? Best of the year? Forgettable? Tell us in the comment section!

Björk - Náttúra (Switch Remix)

Björk has a new remix track out now for free from RCRD LBL: "Náttúra (Switch Remix)"

Download it here.

From Monument to Masses at the Empty Bottle tomorrow

Gotta admit, From Momument to Masses' music scares me a little. It's all so ominous, so dense and so overwhelming. If Explosions in the Sky is the equivalent of an orchestra of guitars, From Monument to Masses is that same orchestra, except they're hell-bent on making everyone in the concert hall shift uncomfortably in their seats. And, what can I say, they're good at what they do. Their latest album is On Little Known Frequencies, which hit shelves on March 10. You can hear it on Future Perfect Radio's New Music channel right now.

The group's engaging, politically-charged, yet sometimes unusual style of post-rock will be on showcase tomorrow night at Chicago's Empty Bottle. Buy tickets here.

From Monument to Masses - "Beyond God and Elvis"

Is "The Hazards of Love" too pretentious?

You know Hazards of Love, the new album recently released by Portland's The Decemberists, right? The concept album The Crane Wife only hinted at, featuring an overarching story of love and demons and singing zombie-children? With developing melodic themes that intertwine and build until a wonderful conclusion where they all come together? Yes, that album.

Slate took some pot-shots at the album recently (here), listing out the 8 most pretentious lines from it. Author Jody Rosen writes, "The whimsy is suffocating, and the reams of verse seem designed mostly to demonstrate book-learning and to flatter an audience of current and former English majors—listeners who like their pop songs 'literate.'"

I beg to differ. The first 4 or 5 times I listened the album, I paid the lyrics absolutely, positively no heed whatsoever. I do this with most albums--not because of some choice but because I simply can't understand people when they're singing. It's a problem. But this makes me attach myself to the sound of the lyrics and, more importantly, the actual music. And I was immediately drawn into The Hazards of Love. Not because the literary references and intricate storylines made my "pretentious," college-educated heart go a-twitter, but because it's simply good damn music. Maybe if one focused more on the actual music, the at-times high-brow lyrics wouldn't irritate so much.

In a larger-picture argument, I was say the artist's intentions are completely and utterly irrelevant once the song becomes an mp3 on your computer or iPod, or once it starts playing in your CD player or on your turntable. What matters is what's playing. Even if Colin Meloy meant to impress you with his knowledge of "medievalist gobbledygook," so what? If it doesn't have an effect on you, or if it passes you by without you noticing, it doesn't matter. If The Decemberists meant to "puzzle" listeners with confusing lyrical "runes," but listeners (like myself) end up just liking the music for what it is, the "runes" don't matter. That's my two cents at least.

As an aside: why are we attacking bands like The Decemberists and Andrew Bird for adding too much depth or challenging listeners with lyrical puzzles and multisyllabic words? As I recall, I turned to the underground and independent music scene because of the lack of intelligence and original thought in the popular music scene. Let's not throw out records just for having too much depth when many other artists can't even spell "depth" much less add it to their work.

Argue with me in the comment section.

Listen to The Hazards of Love on our New Music, Chamber Pop and Portland channels.

Subscribe to Future Perfect Radio podcasts on iTunes

You can now subscribe to our Future Perfect Radio podcasts through iTunes. Click the link below to launch iTunes and subscribe for free!

Subscribe on iTunes!

Catch our first episode, featuring a twee-pop playlist courtesy of our Twee-Pop radio channel, right here.

New Papercuts track plus remix

Papercuts' You Can Have What You Want is an exploration "into epic, hazy pop using mostly vintage organs, pulsing bass & Kraut-via-Ringo-inspired drum rhythms." Here to prove it is a new mp3 from the album, "You Can Have What You Want." Be ready to get zoned out, in a good way.

Papercuts - "You Can Have What You Want"


Also recently released is a remix of Papercuts' track "Future Primitive" The Ruby Suns Remix take the track and add some dance-floor bass, as well as some twinkling synth effects. Take a listen!

Papercuts - "Future Primitive (The Ruby Suns Remix)"

Asobi Seksu to support Yann Tiersen on tour!

Now this is a cool pairing.

Brooklyn's Japanese-influenced shogegaze-fusion act Asobi Seksu will be supporting French composer Yann Tiersen on tour! You may know the latter from his work on "Amelie" (though his album Les Retrouvailles puts Amelie to shame at some points). Tiersen blends vintage French street music with modern influences (see the harpsichord solo in "La Jetée") to create an eclectic sound that's emotive and always romantic.

Meanwhile, Asobi Seksu just released the critically acclaimed Hush where they proved they're more than just an awesome modern shoegaze group. This is an interesting pairing, one I may not have immediately guessed at, but one I'm dying to see together. See below for the dates.

You can hear Asobi Seksu's new album on our New Music channel, while Yann Tiersen's grand melodies are happily at home in our Chamber Pop channel.

5-Apr Washington, DC @ La Maison Francais
16-Apr New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
17-Apr Montreal, PQ @ Club Soda
18-Apr Montreal, PQ @ Club Soda
19-Apr Toronto, ONT @ Mod Club
21-Apr Chicago, IL @ Logan Theater
22-Apr Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
24-Apr Denver, CO @ Bluebird
25-Apr Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
27-Apr Vancouver, BC @ Richard’s on Richards
28-Apr Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
29-Apr Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
1-May San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
2-May Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey

Featured Band: The Ettes

Garage rockers The Ettes combine noisy melodies with sensual vocals from singer and guitarist Lindsay "Coco" Hames. Maria "Poni" Silver on drums and bassist Jeremy "Jerm" Cohen round out the trio's lineup. The group formed in 2004, made a move from New York to Los Angeles and released their first album Shake the Dust in 2006 on label Sympathy for the Record Industry. They followed their debut up with Look at Life Again Soon last year. On April 7th the band will be releasing a new EP, Danger Is. Fans of The Vivian Girls should find a kindred spirit in The Ettes.

Try If You Like: The Vivian Girls, The Fondas, The Stooges

Listen to The Ettes on: Future Perfect Radio, Los Angeles, Noise Rock

Seizure Alert! YACHT unveils holo-foil representation of album art

YACHT unveiled the album art for their new album See Mystery Lights, due out in July, on Pitchfork yesterday. Unfortunately, as large and detailed as jpegs and gifs are, they don't come close to the quality experience holographic foil offers in the real world. Yes, the new YACHT album will sport holo-foil just like your trading cards of yore.

To more accurately present what the glorious experience of looking at one of these real life YACHT holo-foil albums is like, the band has recreated the experience on their website here. It's only slightly seizure-inducing.

You can also preview "Summer Song" from the upcoming album below.

YACHT - "Summer Song"

Noise Pop's Treasure Island Festival set for 10/17-18

Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment have announced that their Treasure Island Music Festival will take place on October 17 and 18 this year. The 17th, a Saturday, will feature dance rock and electronica acts on two stages, with the straight-up indie artists the next day.

As usual, the festival will take place in the middle of the San Francisco Bay on Treasure Island and will also feature some non-music fun like a Ferris wheel. Whee.

Music lineup and further details will be announced later this summer.

More New Datarock: Free Remixes!

I like free stuff, you like free stuff. Who doesn't? (RIAA doesn't count).

Datarock recently released their new single "Give It Up," and to further encourage you to fork up some money for the real thing, the jumpsuit-clad clan have released some remixes for free. Check them out below (my fav is the "Kissy Sell Out" mix).

Datarock - "Give It Up (Kissy Sell Out Mix)"
Datarock - "Give It Up (Fan Death Rework)"

Also! You can make your own quick remix of "I Used to Dance with My Daddy" here. Pretty cool stuff. I would post mine but the site won't save it for some reason. Probably a commentary on my poor musical creation skills. Alas.

Mahjongg announce more tour dates, launch vid

I've come across some weird (read: stupid) band descriptions, but Mahjongg always takes the cake with the tale of their musiK crusade against The Grid (10th anniversary of The Matrix, fyi) at the bidding of the almighty Kontpab. Bands lie all the time about themselves to nosey journalists, so why not get super creative with your lies from the start?

Since Kontpab has not yet struck me down from on high for my blasphemy, I'll continue. Mahjongg have announced a few more tour dates. They're below. The group has also released a video for "Groove Rider." It's below as well! Kontpab be praised!

4/23 - Howards Club H - Bowling Green, OH
4/24 - Gooski's - Pittsburgh, PA
4/25 - Big Orbit's Soundlab - Buffalo, NY
4/26 - The Market Hotel - Brooklyn, NY
4/27 - Barbary - Philadelphia, PA
4/28 - Talking Head - Baltimore, MD
4/29 - Comet Pizza & Ping Pong - Washington, DC
4/30 - Musica - Akron, OH
5/1 - UFO Factory - Detroit, MI
5/2 - Co-Prosperity Spere - Chicago, IL

Wednesday Playlist Podcast #1

And just like that, Future Perfect Radio's podcasts are on the air. We're starting off with a Wednesday Playlist Podcast -- five or six tracks brought to you by one of our 25+ indie channels. We just launch a channel -- in this case Twee-Pop -- and use the first five or six tracks to build a playlist.

Tune in/download here.

We'll post a link where you can subscribe to Future Perfect Radio podcasts on iTunes soon. Here's the tracklist of this week's podcast:

Twee-Pop Wednesday Playlist Podcast
1. Fireflies - "Buttercup"
2. The Cardigans - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
3. We Swim You Jump - "Sparks Fade Out"
4. Miniature Tigers - "Last Night's Fake Blood"
5. Belle & Sebastian - "You Don't Send Me"
6. Say Hi - "These Fangs"

Featured Band: Dirty on Purpose

A great tragedy occured on New Year's Eve, 2008. Dirty on Purpose disbanded. Just because this shoegaze-fusion group from Brooklyn disbanded though, doesn't mean we shouldn't honor the memory of the awesome albums and tracks they released. Their sole full-length, Hallelujah Sirens, came out in 2006 filled with lush guitars that blended My Bloody Valentine and The Smashing Pumpkins much in the same way Silversun Pickups is doing now. After the LP, the group put out a series of free singles on RCRD LBL, before finally shutting down operations at the end of '08. The members can be found in their side-projects (though now sole-projects, I suppose), so all we can do is hope for some new material that harkens back to what Dirty on Purpose accomplished.

Try if You Like: Silversun Pickups, The Smashing Pumpkins, Caribou

Listen to on: Future Perfect Radio, The Big Apple, Post-Rock, Chamber Pop

Dirty on Purpose - “Light Pollution” (off Hallelujah Sirens)

Datarock Release New Single

Those dance-rock maestros in matching jumpsuits Datarock have released the first single off of their upcoming album RED. The track, "Give It Up," has -- as you might expect -- a driving dance-floor beat while super-catchy licks play overhead. Datarock's characteristically imposing vocals top it all off. Pretty spiffy track. "Give It Up," while it hints and more good things to come from Datarock, is still no "Computer Camp Love."

Buy "Give It Up" on iTunes here.

Featured Band: Pomegranates

Cincinnati's Pomegranates are an art-pop group (what does that even mean?) that play rough and catchy tracks similiar to the French Kicks. Just a year after releasing their debut LP Everything Is Alive, the quartet is gearing up to drop their sophomore effort. Come Outside! is available April 14 through Lujo Records. The album was mixed by TJ Lipple of Aloha (MGMT, Headlights, Minus Story), so you know it's good in spite of it's odd "concept album" claims (something about a time traveler). Whatever the case, Pomegranates play good music, you like good music, so you should give them a listen.

Try If You Like: Talking Heads, Brian Eno, French Kicks

Listen to the Pomegranates on:Future Perfect Radio, New Music


Pomegranates - "Whom/Who"

Music for Your Eyes: Silversun Pickups' "Panic Switch"

As promised, the Silversun Pickups released the first video from their upcoming album Swoon today. It's for the first single "Panic Switch," and is, well, filled with jittery panic. Watch it below. Share your thoughts about it in the comment section.

Silversun Pickups - New Music - More Music Videos

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart on Carson Daly Tonight!

After a nice 6 months with my head under a rock, it would appear these 3 blokes and 1 lady from New York called The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are becoming quite popular. Seems they blend vintage '80s noise rock with slick modern indie melodies, which picks up fans easier than you could shoot fish in a barrel. But in all seriousness, I'm certainly one of those fish. Their EP hooked me and the LP didn't disappoint.

But you savvy people reading this blog probably know everything about The Pains of Being Pure at Heart already, and mostly are reading this because you want to find out about Carson Daly. Right. Here you go:

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will make their network television debut tonight on Last Call With Carson Daly! The show airs on NBC, in most markets at 1:35am / 12:35am Central Time - right after Jimmy Fallon.

Since that is way past my bedtime, I'll be setting my DVR. I suggest you do the same.

Dan Deacon starts U.S. tour

Dan Deacon launches his massive U.S. spring tour in support of his new album, Bromst tonight in Philadelphia. This tour will apparently feature a full 14-piece live ensemble, similar to the one that performed with him at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple back in December, but with different members. Baltimore bands Future Islands and Teeth Mountain are set to open the entire tour. Dates below.

04/03 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
04/04 Baltimore, MD Floristree
04/05 Williamsburg, VA The Little Theater
04/06 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
04/07 Knoxville, TN Catalyst
04/08 Birmingham, AL Bottletree
04/09 Athens, GA 88/cp
04/10 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
04/11 Tallahassee, FL FSU / Club Downunder
04/13 New Orleans, LA The Candle Factory / The Heavy
04/15 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
04/16 Houston, TX Orange Show
04/17 Austin, TX Emo's
04/18 Ft. Worth, TX The Ft. Worth Modern Museum
04/20 Tempe, AZ The Clubhouse
04/21 San Diego, CA Che Cafe
04/22 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
04/23 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
04/24 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
04/25 Seattle, WA The Vera Project
04/26 Vancouver, BC Richards on Richards
04/29 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
04/30 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
05/01 Kansas City, MO Pistol S.C.
05/02 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock (2 shows, early and late - 5pm and 10pm)
05/04 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre
05/05 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
05/06 Urbana, IL Canopy Club / Club Void
05/07 Chicago, IL The Metro
05/08 Mt. Pleasant, MI CMU / The Wesley Foundation
05/09 Detroit, MI Contemporary Art Institute
05/10 Toronto, ONT The Deleon White Gallery
05/11 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
05/12 South Burlington, VT HG Showcase Lounge
05/13 Cambridge, MA Middle East Downstairs
05/15 Brooklyn, NY Danbro Studios at The Brewery
05/16 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
05/17 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

Friday Twee-Pop Playlist!

Here's a cheery playlist for you on this sunny Friday (well, sort of sunny here in Chicago). This playlist was created entirely randomly by our Twee-Pop channel on Future Perfect Radio.

Like what you see? Tune in to get your own personalized Twee-Pop radio feed!

1. Fireflies - "Butterscotch"
2. The Cardigans - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
3. We Swim You Jump - "Sparks Fade Out"
4. Miniature Tigers - "Last Night's Fake Blood"
5. Kai Reiner - "Are You Okay?"
6. Slaraffenland - "Watch Out"
7. Bears - "Letting It Go"
8. Prototypes - "Sexy"
9. Belle and Sebastian - "You Don't Send Me"
10. Say Hi to Your Mom - "These Fangs"

Want this playlist is podcast form? We're contemplating doing just that! Voice your support in the comment section (and suggest bands you think should be on the Twee-Pop channel!)

Silversun Pickups tease us, again

With the April 14 launch date for Swoon bearing down on us (though not nearly fast enough), Silversun Pickups just can't help but tease us with tastes and glimpses of the sure magnificence that is to come. First it was that MTV preview, then it was "Panic Switch" itself, and now it's a still-frame from their first video off Swoon (for "Panic Switch"). The video is set to debut on Monday, so be sure to check back here for that.

Get more info (though not much more) from Dangerbird here.

In more personal news, I just preordered the new album on vinyl and will now be checking my mailbox everyday like Calvin waiting for his propeller beanie cap. But that's only because Insound was so gracious in sending The Decemberists' Hazards of Love a few days before it was properly released. I've been spoiled.

But not as spoiled as anyone receiving the Silverun Pickups Swoon deluxe package at the hefty price of $100. But with it you get a special edition vinyl version of the record, a lithograph of the album art, a t-shirt, and some of Brian Aubert's hair. Anybody ordered this swelled basket of SSPU goodies?

Music for Your Eyes: Camera Obscura's "French Navy"

Camera Obscura has a new album coming on April 11, My Maudlin Career, and that new album has songs. Good songs. Songs that emulate the feelings of warm days and smiling friends. But what else would you expect from Camera Obscura?

The first single off the album, "French Navy," has a video. A good video. A video that...well, you get the idea. Watch below.

White Rabbits have new album? Yes.

Sweet news everybody! White Rabbits, those wonderful pop maestros that wowed me (and a good-sized handful of other people I'm betting) over in 2007 with Fort Nightly, have a new album coming out in May! Yes!

Recorded with the help of Nicholas Vernhes (Animal Collective, Deerhunter) over the course of four weeks, the new album It’s Frightening will land May 19th on tbd Records. How they found four weeks to write and record new songs amidst all that touring with The Walkmen, Spoon, The Cribs, White Denim and Tokyo Police Club I'll never know. But they have, and we get to reap in the melodious benefits. The first of which is "Percussion Gun," the first single from the new album. Check it out below.

As might be expected, the band is off on a new tour to support the new album. Dates can be found below.

White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun"



5/21 - Bowery Ballroom - New York NY
5/30 - Grog Shop - Cleveland OH
5/31 - Do Division Fest - Chicago IL
6/01 - Summit - Columbus OH
6/02 - Rock N Roll Hotel - Washington DC
6/04 - Middle East - Boston MA
6/05 - Johnny Brendas - Philadelphia PA
6/06 - Brillobox - Pittsburgh PA
6/09 - Mojos - Columbia SC
6/10 - Firebird - St Louis MO
6/11 - Bonnaroo - Manchester TN
6/14 - Emo's - Austin TX
6/16 - Club Congress - Tuscon AZ
6/17 - Casbah - San Diego CA
6/18 - Troubadour - Los Angeles CA
6/20 - Independent - San Francisco CA
6/22 - Crocodile Cafe - Seattle WA
6/23 - Doug Fir - Portland OR
6/24 - Neurolux - Boise ID
6/25 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake UT
6/26 - Bluebird - Denver CO
6/27 - Slowdown JR - Omaha NE
6/29 - 400 Bar - Minneapolis MN
6/30 - High Noon - Madison WI
7/1 - Empty Bottle Chicago IL
7/02 - Pike Room - Pontiac WI
8/1 - All Points West Festival - Liberty State Park NJ

John Vanderslice's new album: Romanian Names

John Vanderslice's new album is titled Romanian Names, and Dead Oceans says "it's the best record he’s made to date." Quite a boast, but they go on! The album is "a career-defining moment, a pitch-perfect collection written and recorded with the utmost care and attention."

Romanian Names wasn't recorded in Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone San Francisco studio. Instead, "he moved outside the normal" and set up shop in his basement (how is the basement of your own house not normal or "comfortable"?). In any case, it seems to have done the trick. The bits I've heard of the new album are pretty cool. I've never been a die-hard Vanderslice fan or anything, but this impresses me. Simple stuff: just Vanderslice, some background vocals, a guitar, drums and maybe a piano. Feels intimate, easy-going and very melodic.

Try out "Fetal Horses" for yourself below. The record lands May 19. Vanderslice is also hitting the road with The Mountain Goats (oh yeah). Dates after the break.

John Vanderslice - "Fetal Horses"

Headlights embark on spring tour

Headlights, those delightful Champaign, IL chaps (and lady) are embarking on a spring tour that will carry the quartet through the end of April. The group is also putting the finishing touches on their upcoming third full-length, which is currently unnamed. Expect to see that in fall. Dates after the break.

Headlights - "Cherry Tulips" (TJ Lipple Remix)

New Veils track, "The Letter"

The Veils will be releasing their new album Sun Gangs on April 7 (which doesn't feel that far away, now that it's actually April!). They've released the first single from the album, "The Letter." Frankly, it's brilliant. Awash in lush guitars and strained vocals, it's a pure delight. Check it out below.

School of Seven Bells to tour with Black Moth Super Rainbow

We all knew this pairing was coming someday, didn't we?

School of Seven Bells will be touring with Black Moth Super Rainbow this spring/summer, right after the former finishes up a current tour with Bat For Lashes and a headlining date with White Lies. The band will also be performing at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in the UK, the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan, and the Sasquatch Festival in Seattle, WA.

Looks like 2009 may just be School of Seven Bells' year