Cymbals Eat Guitars to release debut LP on 9/22

The genre of indie is expanding so quickly, reaching out to include so many genres and sub-genres that it's frankly impossible to keep track of it all. After all, what the heck do you say when someone asks, "What is indie?" Independent groups? Nope, not any more. Underground of rock? Maybe, but that's A) a useless answer and B) not strictly true as indie is now directly competing with pop for control of the mainstream. Just what the heck is all of this about?

That's why it's so fun to come across a group like Cymbals Eat Guitars. They're independent. They have an enjoyable new sound. They're actually, physically calling record shops, asking them to stock the band's new album Why There Are Mountains. The album comes out on September 22 and has been hyped from this side of the Atlantic and back. The are the ideal answer to the question of indie.

You'll be able to hear the new album on Future Perfect Radio sooner than September though. We'll keep you posted on that front.

The band is also starting up on tour starting tomorrow. Check for dates after the break.



May 27 2009 8:00P Southpaw Brooklyn, New York
May 28 2009 9:00P Black Cat w/ Title Tracks Washington DC, Washington DC
May 29 2009 8:00P Metro Gallery w/ Title Tracks Baltimore, Maryland
Jun 4 2009 8:00P Mercury Lounge w/Art Brut New York, New York
Jun 5 2009 7:00P Reward - Free Show!!! Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jun 6 2009 8:00P Johnny Brenda’s w/ Art Brut Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 2 2009 8:00P MOKB Presents @ Vollrath Tavern Indianapolis, Indiana
Jul 4 2009 5:00P 80/35 Festival Des Moines, Iowa
Jul 18 2009 12:00P Pitchfork Music festival Chicago, Illinois

Featured Artist: Double Dagger

Double Dagger is a punk band from Baltimore who use the deceptively simple instrumentation of bass, drums and vocals to create a cacophonous wall of sound that is as aggressive and noisy as it is articulate and undeniably melodic. The group released their third full-length, More on May 5. It's the first for the band on Thrill Jockey, and their closest attempt yet at capturing their ferocious live sound and explosive energy. If they haven't quite hit their stride yet, you can't really blame them—they're busy guys after all. Drummer Denny Bown tours with Dan Deacon's 15-piece band, while bassist Bruce Willen and vocalist Nolen Strals are graphic designers who created Thrill Jockey's "Records Toreism" Record Store Day exclusive LP cover.

Listen to Double Dagger on: Future Perfect Radio, New Music, Noise Rock

Double Dagger - "We Are the Ones" off More [Live]

Find more here.

Deastro adds (even more) tour dates

Jeez, is there anything Deastro can't do? Deastro, also known as Randolph Chabot -- an electronica producer from Sterling Heights, MI -- has somehow found time to record a full-length full-band debut(Moondagger, out June 23 on Ghostly International), record and release a free EP (Grower) and tour like nobody's business. And here he goes, adding even more tour dates. Makes a normal person feel downright lazy.

Check out the tour dates after the break.



05.23 Detroit, MI @ Ghostly 10 Year Anniversary
06.05 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot Ballroom
06.10 New York City, NY @ Mercury Lounge
06.12 Brooklyn, NY @ Studio B
06.13 Montreal, QC @ Le Divan Orange
06.15 Cleveland, OH @ B-Side Lounge
06.16 Toronto, ON @ The Drake
06.17 Chicago, IL @ Double Door
06.18 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
06.21 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
06.22 Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
06.23 Portland, OR @ Holocene
06.24 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
06.25 Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
06.28 - Indianapolis IN @ The Vollrath (MOKB)
06.30 - Detroit MI W/ Black Moth Super Rainbow @ The Magic Stick

Fun Find: thecocknbullkid

thecocknbullkid (yep, spelled exactly like that) is actually Anita Blay, and Anita knows her pop. Her influences range from Madonna and M.I.A. to Moz and Little Richard. All of those roots can be felt, more or less, in the tracks made available on her MySpace page (here).

Blay will be releasing her debut EP, Querelle, stateside on August 4 through IAMSOUND Records. Looks like she already has critics stirring ("That she's a megastar in waiting isn't in question: how long it takes the rest of the planet to catch up is" - NME), but you have plenty of time to decide whether you'll pick up the 4-song Querelle when it hits shelves in August.

Music for Your Eyes: Tortoise - "Prepare Your Coffin"

New video from Tortoise for "Prepare Your Coffin," off their new album Beacons of Ancestorship (coming out June 23rd).

'Nuff said.

Tortoise - Prepare Your Coffin from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Black Dice kick off their summer tour

Brooklyn's Black Dice kicked off their tour in Chicago last night and will eventually bring their hard-core noise rock to every corner of the country. Check after the break to see if your locale is included in their campaign in support of new album Repo. Video for "Glazin" is also below.





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 #
Thu 05/28/09 Retrofit Studios Sacramento, CA #
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 $
Wed 06/17/09 Gladstone Hotel Toronto, ONT $
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
^ = w/ Earthless

Ra Ra Riot / Vampire Weekend super-side-project to release LP on July 7

Looks like Ra Ra Riot singer Wes Miles and Vampire Weekend keyboardist/producer Rostam Batmanglij have teamed up to create Discovery, a smooth indie-electronica effort mixing elements found in both members' main bands. It's really what can only be described as a "super-side-project," and is bound cause the indie scene to blow its top (or rather, it already is).

Discovery will release a self-titled LP on July 7 through XL. The album will feature contributions from Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig and Dirty Projectors' Angel Deradoorian.

You can sample two tracks from Discovery over at the their MySpace page.

I'm going to try to bite my tongue until the album comes out, or more music comes to light, but -- being more of a Ra Ra Riot fan -- I'm a little underwhelmed. What do you think?

Music for Your Eyes: Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun - "Like It Or Not"

Video from up-and-coming Atlanta indie-electronica act Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun for their track "Like It Or Not." It's the first video from their recent album The Lightning Exhibit. Fun melody, ready for the dance floor, and some interesting vocals from Lauren Gibson. Check it out below.

Good News for Sunset Rubdown Fans: Pre-order, get a digi copy tomorrow!

That's right, anyone who pre-orders Sunset Rubdown's new album Dragonslayer starting tomorrow (from here) will get a digital copy of the new album the same day. That means you'll have a nice copy of Dragonslayer on May 21 while all your friends will be stuck waiting until the official release date of June 23 (or the 22nd in the UK).

Check out "Idiot Heart" from the new album, set for release on Jagjaguwar 6/23 below.

Sunset Rubdown - "Idiot Heart"

Free Track from Passion Pit: "The Reeling," but even dancier

Now that Passion Pit's debut LP Manners is out, you all have no excuse to go out and check out its excellence. It meshes incredibly poppy electronica-fused dance tracks (including one that gives me flashbacks to Sonic the Hedgehog on the good ol' Sega Genesis) with some dark lyrics and weighty topics. It's a combination that should keep Manners in the minds of everyone by the time those "Best of 2009" lists start to pop up in December.

Back to the present though. If you're still wavering on Passion Pit, or have the new album and want more, RCRD LBL is here to help. They've released(for free mind you) the brilliant track "The Reeling," Shuttle’s Super Club Mega Mix ’99 edition. It's a dance track remixed to be even more dance floor-friendly.

That's about all you need to know. Go, download.

Portland Cello Project cover "Toxic"

In our continuing efforts to steal mainstream hits and bring them to the underground, we've come across this clip of the Portland Cello Project covering Britney Spears' "Toxic." The Portland Cello Project is a really cool group of classically-trained musicians that take on, well, anything. The point is to take tracks not usually thought of as well-suited for a cello adaption, and then go ahead and prove everyone wrong. This clip proves that, featuring vocals from John Brophy.

(You can also hear Portland Cello Project's studio-recorded version of "Toxic" at Future Perfect Radio on our New Music and Portland channels).

No contest: Best tambourine player of SXSW was in Pomegranates' set

We recently featured Pomegranates here on Future Perfect Radio (here in fact) but we had no idea they played host to this sort of talent.

Apparently, a fan jumped on stage during Pomegranates' SXSW set and well, stole the show with his tambourine skills. Check it out below:

Lollapalooza on Future Perfect Radio!

So, let's say you're too far away from Chicago come August 7. Or maybe that ticket price is just too much for your wallet? Perhaps the thought of ambling around all day in Chicago's oppressive heat, with Chicago's oppressive crowds, really turns your stomach--no matter what band is playing. Or maybe you just can't wait for August to come?

Whatever the case, Future Perfect Radio is doing its part to bring you a little slice of Lollapalooza 2009 to you, right here, right now. We've added a Lollapalooza channel to our free web radio line-up, featuring all the great bands set to perform at this year's Chicago festival. You can listen to them all, whenever you want, wherever you want.

Tune in today by clicking below, or heading to Future Perfect Radio's homepage!

American Dust to release Judee Sill tribute album

Judee Sill was the first artist signed to David Geffen's Asylum Records and released two cherished cult LPs, 1971's Judee Sill and 1973's Heart Food, before vanishing from the music scene and eventually dying of a drug overdose in North Hollywood, California in 1979. Though forgotten for years, her music has enjoyed a period of rediscovery since her two studio albums were reissued on CD in 2005.

Now, American Dust will be releasing a tribute album to Sill on September 22. The album will feature two new Sill tracks, performed by Beth Orton and Bill Callahan. Other guest performers include Ron Sexsmith, Final Fantasy, Nicolai Dunger, Marisa Nadler & Black Hole Infinity, Colossal Yes (with members of Six Organs of Admittance and Comets on Fire), Meg Baird, Frida Hyvönen, and Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles.

Looks to be a great album, even if it only included the guest artists and not Sill's timeless music. Should be an excellent way to work your way into a classic artist's body of work.

Featured Artist: Anathallo

It's one of those underground-to-mainstream stories so commonly (but not often enough) found in the indie music world. Anathallo began in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan with Matt Joynt at the helm in 2000. Six years passed, with many EPs and line-up changes passing, before the group's debut full-length Floating World – a concept album based on a Japanese fairy tale – was released. In the nick of time, while the group was taking residence in a Chicago church, the group landed a line-up slot at Coachella for 2007. The rest is history (what a cliche). Anathallo (which means "blooming again" in Greek) released their second LP Canopy Glow in late 2008.

Listen to Anathallo on: Future Perfect Radio, Great Lakes Soundtrack, The Chicago Scene



Find more here.

Weezer tries to cover MGMT...

And it's kind of painful. Judge for yourself:



Thanks to You Ain't No Picasso for bringing this to light ("in no way should Rivers ever be allowed to have both hands free during a song"), and to Twitter user @rorris for alerting us ("Weezer covers MGMT hoping to stay relevant, but it doesn't work"). I agree. Just icky.

Bowerbirds release track from "Upper Air"

North Carolina freak folk rockers Bowerbirds have released a track off their upcoming album, Upper Air. "Northern Lights" is simply beautiful, filled with backwoods guitars and twinkling piano riffs. Check it out for yourself below.

Upper Air is the group's second LP and will be released on July 7th through Dead Oceans.

Bowerbirds - "Northern Lights"

The Antlers sign to Frenchkiss Records, debut LP to be re-released in August

The premise behind The Antlers' debut LP Hospice is certainly eye-catching: "Hospice came from the idea of caring for a terminal patient who’s mentally abusive to you," said Antlers' frontman Peter Silberman. "You don’t have the right to argue with them, either, because they’re the one who’s dying here; they’re the one that’s been dealt a wrong hand. So you take it, but you can only take so much. Eventually, you realize that this person is just destroying you." Yikes. Musically speaking, the album meshes pop likability and post-rock/shoegaze instrumentals, a combination I can't get enough of.

The Antlers, though starting humbly as Silberman alone, has evolved into a trio that just signed to Frenchkiss Records. Frenchkiss will be releasing a re-mastered version of Hospice on August 18. Before that though, the outfit will tour with Cotton Jones and Au Revoir Simone. Check out the dates below:

5/21 - Bowery Ballroom W/ White Rabbits & Cymbals Eat Guitars - New York NY
5/29 - Music Hall Of Williamsburg W/ Au Revoir Simone - Brooklyn NY
5/30 - Rock N Roll Hotel W/ Au Revoir Simone - Washington DC
5/31 - Southgate House W/ Au Revoir Simone - Cincinato OH
6/1 - The End W/ Au Revoir Simone - Nashville TN
6/2 Hi Tone W/ Au Revoir Simone - Memphis TN
6/3 - Allways Lounge - New Orleans LA
6/4 - The Cavern W/ Au Revoir Simone - Dallas TX
6/5 - Walter's On Washington W/ Au Revoir Simone - Houston TX
6/6 - Mohawk W/ Au Revoir Simone - Austin TX
6/9 - Plush W/ Au Revoir Simone - Tuscon AZ
6/11 - El Rey W/ Au Revoir Simone - Los Angeles CA
6/12 - Velvet Jones W/ Au Revoir Simone - Santa Barbara CA
6/13 - Bimbos W/ Au Revoir Simone - San Francisco CA
6/14 - Drunken Unicorn W/ Cotton Jones - Atlanta GA
6/16 - Local 506 W/ Cotton Jones - Chapel Hill NC
6/17 - Outback Lodge W/ Cotton Jones - Charlottesville VA
6/18 - Iota W/ Cotton Jones - Arlington VA
6/19 - M Room W/ Cotton Jones - Philadelphia PA
6/ 21 - Middle East W/ Cotton Jones - Boston MA

Track by track walkthrough of new The Builders and the Butchers album

Let The Builders and the Butchers love continue. Their sophomore LP Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well comes out June 30 and let me assure you: it is going to make your summer. The Portland group reminds me of The Decemberists with their folk qualities (which is only natural since Chris Funk produced Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well), but these guys are far darker. Sure, Hazards of Love saw Meloy and Co. singing about murdering children and such, but there's something far scarier about The Builders and the Butchers' music. Sometimes it's just downright uncomfortable to listen to, especially when home alone.

The tracks on their upcoming LP touch on subject matters are diverse as the Spanish Civil War to Henry Darger. The group's Ryan Sollee walks us through the record, track-by-track.

Golden and Green
I wrote this song after watching “In the Realms of the Unreal” about Henry Darger who was a reclusive artist from Chicago, who worked his entire life as a janitor and wrote a 15,000 page fully illustrated novel. His life story and the plot of his life’s work I found so captivating that I wanted to write a song about it. The story of the song intertwines his life with the plot of the story, the “Vivian Girls” are the main hero’s and a General named Manley is the villan. This was the most fun song to record on the record and definitely one of the strangest Builders songs so we decided to make it the first track.

Devil Town
A song I brought to the rest of the Builders thinking it was mediocre at best, the song was transformed when Ray and Paul added the drums and suddenly I realized it’s potential. The interplay of the clicks on the bass drum rim, and the mandolin give the song a cool off kilter momentum. It’s probably one of the hardest hitting Builders songs and a common first track of a set list.

Short Way Home
The only song on the record where melodica is featured, Paul is playing it like a harmonica through a lot of the song, which really works with the banjo. The stompy tempo and call and response vocals are more similar to the early builders work. This is one of two songs that we used the 15 person Flash Choir on, when the song breaks down they sing a harmonic, “Ahhhhhhhhhh”.

Barcelona
This is one of several songs I’ve written about the Spanish Civil War, recently I spent some time in Europe and visited Barcelona and attempted capturing the feeling of being there in this song. Harvey and Sebastian (who played a lot of the trumpet that’s on the record) came up with the mandonlin/trumpet flourish on the chorus and Paul along with our friend Victor mimicked the line.



Hands Like Roots
This song was written and recorded for the first record, but never sounded like it fit. For “Salvation” we added pump organ and violin which fills the song out. It’s a tough song to pull of live since to play all the parts we’d need a sixth person.

Down in This Hole
This song is about being locked up in a small town that feels like a prison. I wrote it after a heavy doses of Tom Wait’s, wanted to write a song where the last line of the first half of the verse was the first line in the last half. The piano driving the song is played by Paul, who originally wrote this on melodica, in the studio started working out the part on piano, we all looked at each other and said, “no do that, that is amazing.”

Raise Up
This is the other song on “Salvation” that’s about the Spanish Civil War, this song also blends some apocalyptic imagery. The rim shots on the bass drum and Alex’s bass line drive the song forward with a swing that’s unique to any other Builders song. The mariachi section near the end was pulled off by countering the mandolin melody with a counter melody of 3 trumpets and violin.

Vampire Lake
This is one of the oldest Builders songs, it was recorded 3 years ago, but didn’t go on the first record, “Salvation” needed another simple straight fast rocking song so we included it here. There is a slight lyrical change that probably only the original Builders fans will catch, the original version of the song is on the split LP we did with Loch Lomond.

The Wind Has Come
The Builders only real ballad, when Chris Funk approached me originally to produce the record, he inquired if we had ever written a ballad, at the time I had just written this song and I emailed him a demo of it. At home he scored out a violin, viola, and cello string arrangement and our friends Analisa and Emily Tornfelt, and Amanda Lawrence laid down the parts. Ray has a cool meandering clarinet part and Harvey is strumming Baritone Uke through the whole thing. The booming bass sound was attained by putting one bass drum in front of another and putting a mic behind the second one. There is also French horn, Organ, Bass and Bass Clarinet on this song, definitely the most involved composition on the record.

In the Branches
Chris had the idea to blend “The Wind has Come” and this song using several violin tracks creating an eerie chord. This song is set in the same time and storyline as “The Coal Mine Fall” and “Bringin’ Home the Rain” from the record before. This is the other song on the record where the Flash Choir sings, they start with a prolonged “Ahhhhh” coming after the break near the end, and then echo the “my branches are waiting for you“ chorus at the end.

The World is a Top
In the tradition of the first record, and most likely the next, of ending a record with a gospel song. This was fully recorded in the Masonic Temple in north Portland, which has a pretty incredible natural reverb in the room. For this one Chris Funk called upon his friend Marlon Irving from Lifesavas to gather friends and family who sing in a church in north Portland to sing on this track. Originally Ryan sang the entire song, but for this version Kaysandra Irving sang the middle verse and drove the feeling and spirit of the song home.

Fun Find: The Janks

Found these guys on MySpace. The Janks are a fun listen, blending some folk/country with basic indie pop. The Los Angeles quintet claims that they are "the greatest, most original, talented, wise and attractive young men that ever decided to make music together." Don't know about that, but their music is pretty catchy. Some tracks are not that listenable, others deserve a repeat. Kind of remind me of a cross between Margot and the Nuclear So and So's (in some tracks at least) and The Elected.

Sort of wish The Walkmen had vocals like this. Then I could actually, you know, listen to their music.

Try 'em out for yourself.

The Builders and the Butchers inspire art exhibit

This makes total sense. I recently got my hands on The Builders and the Butchers' new LP Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well (due out June 30) and apart from being completely amazing, it's also very visual music -- both in the lyrics and the feel of the music (which is usually creepy and unsettling, to me at least). It's not surprising then that the group's music has inspired an art gallery. Check out the press release below.

In May 2009, Sequential Art Gallery proudly presents BLACK GOLD AND IRON ORE, an exhibit of brand new work by comic book artist, illustrator & painter, LUKAS KETNER. In addition to the original art, Ketner will also have limited edition prints of the new work.

Ketner's BLACK GOLD AND IRON ORE is a collection of oil paintings and digital paintings inspired by the music of The Builders and The Butchers. This is a dream project that Ketner has wanted to do since creating the cover art for the band's self-titled album in 2006.

"[Their] music conjures a special kind of surreal imagery for me," says Ketner, in his artist's statement. "It's an alternate world that lives somewhere between the
film Oh Brother Where Art Thou and Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass."

Lukas Ketner is a freelance illustrator from Anchorage, Alaska. With writer Brandon Seifert, Ketner is the co-creator & artist for the independent comic book, Witch Doctor. Ketner has done comics for Dark Horse Presents/Creepy Magazine ("Om Nom Nom") and Top Shelf’s Steal Back Your Vote (with Greg Palast and Robert Kennedy, Jr.). He was also noticed for his tongue-in-cheek, Harlequin Romance novel cover treatment of (then candidate) President Barack Obama, which accompanied a Willamette Week editorial.

The XYZ Affair premiere new tracks on Stereogum

New York's The XYZ Affair have been a favorite of Future Perfect Radio's for a while, so we were delighted to hear they released two, free new tracks with Stereogum recently. The aptly-titled Summer Jams includes the quaintly charming throw-back "No One That You Love Will Will Ever Die" and "Sock You In The Face With Love," that, well, socks you in the face Matt & Kim style.

If the warm weather, newly-free school children and onset of allergies haven't gotten you into the feel of summer, these tracks will.

you should see the stereogum.com mp3 player here if you have flash

Au Revoir Simone's "Shadows" remixed

"Shadows" by Au Revoir Simone, taken from their upcoming album Still Night, Still Light has been remixed by It's a Fine Line. It's a jerky, up-and-down electronica-fusion affair and not really anything to drop everything over, but Au Revoir Simone fans (read: me, and hopefully you) should find it quite enjoyable. And hey, it's a sneak peak at what we've got coming our way May 19 when Our Secret put out Still Night, Still Light. Check it out below.

Au Revoir Simone - "Shadows [It's a Fine Line Remix]"

Featured Artist: Akron/Family

The members of Akron/Family keep a pretty low profile, letting their music speak for itself—which is pretty admirable really. The quartet all come from different corners of the country but ended up together (now listed in Williamsport, PA) to create "freak folk" under the moniker Akron/Family. Playing music that mashes up traditional pop music with some of the new lo-fi folk rock that's been making its way onto "Best of" lists of late (hello Fleet Foxes), the group has released four albums thus far, with their fifth coming out May 5. Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free on Dead Oceans is a melodic collection of tracks that are smoother than some of their freak folk peers' work. Akron/Family's music, like the members, don't demand your attention—rather, it creeps into the background and sits there, happily becoming the soundtrack of your life.

Try If You Like: Fleet Foxes, Langhorne Slim, Yeasayer

Listen to Akron/Family on: Future Perfect Radio, New Music, Singer/Songwriter, Lo-Fi, The Big Apple, SXSW 2009

Free mp3: Dinosaur Jr. - "I Want You To Know"

It's Dinosaur Jr., you know the drill: walls of noise rock guitars. Dangerous fuzz. Drum beats hard and fast. "I Want You to Know" is off the group's upcoming Jagjaguwar effort, Farm. The album hits shelves June 23. Get the track at RCRD LBL below.

Dinosaur Jr. - "I Want You to Know"

McCarthy Trenching cover "Single Ladies"

Best thing I've heard all day: alt-country rockers McCarthy Trenching have covered Beyonce's "Single Ladies," featuring excellently out-of-place acoustic guitars and awkward male vocals. Hopefully it won't ruin the original for you -- and hey, if you've felt too guilty to listen to the original, here's your work-around!

McCarthy Trenching - "Single Ladies"

Jeremy Enigk releases tracks from "OK Bear"

Former Sunny Day Real Estate/Fire Theft frontman Jeremy Enigk will be releasing his new album OK Bear on on May 12 via Enigk’s label, Lewis Hollow Recordings. He's released two tracks from the upcoming album. Check them out below. What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comment section!

Jeremy Enigk - "Mind Idea"



Jeremy Enigk - "Life's Too Short"

Featured Band: Lightning Love

Lightning Love is an organic group to say the least. The Michigan group grew out an effort between Leah and Aaron Diehl, with guitarist Ben Collins eventually signing on. The trio have been playing together since fall of 2007. Their full-length, November Birthday, took a while to record—with Collins eventually acting as producer (see Future Perfect Radio's interview with Aaron Diehl below). The group's music is haunting. Leah's vocals are unique, similar to that found in Let's Go Sailing or even Lykke Li. While the lyrical subject matter ranges into the dark and depressing, the overall feeling of the music never gets gloomy—there's always a shining ray of sunshine.

(Thanks to Twitter user @christinajacobs for turning us on to Lightning Love! Got a favorite band you'd like us to feature on Future Perfect Radio? Tell us on Twitter @fpradio)

Try If You Like: The Submarines, Let's Go Sailing, Lykke Li

Listen to Lightning Love on: Future Perfect Radio, Great Lakes Soundtrack, Twee-Pop

Interview with Lightning Love drummer Aaron Diehl)

Future Perfect Radio: How/when did Lightning Love start?

Aaron Diehl: Lightning Love was officially formed in the spring of 2007. Leah and I played a mixtures of both of our songs, accompanied by a boombox/drum machine. The first (and only) show went terrible, due to the boombox breaking on stage. Ben Collins was later recruited onto guitar, I moved to drums, and we began playing strictly Leah's songs in the fall of 2007. This is Lightning Love as everyone knows it.

FPR: Where do you draw your influences from?

AD: Leah draws influences from lots of different sources, from Blur to The Smashing Pumpkins. We all just play to, and influence, each other.

FPR: What was the record process like for November Birthday?

AD: The recording process for November Birthday was a long one. There are about 5 different versions of the album floating around in various studios in Ann Arbor. When nobody could get the sound we wanted, we decided to self-produce it - Ben is actually a sound engineering student at the University of Michigan. Mixing sessions were long and stressful, but...

(continue reading here)

Music for Your Eyes: Bat for Lashes - "What's a Girl to Do?"

Bit of a throwback video for you today. I've recently been turned on to Bat for Lashes (thanks to Elizabeth on Facebook!) and absolutely love their video for "What's a Girl to Do?" Reminds me of Ghostwood's video for "Red Version" (at least, the creepy night scenes and animal masked ghouls). It comes from the group's 2006 album Fur and Gold, released by Echo. Bat for Lashes released a second LP, Two Suns, this April.

Check out more from Bat for Lashes on Future Perfect Radio and our Maple Leaf Citizens channel.



This band came to us through a Facebook suggestion. Tell us what band we're missing on our Facebook page, or through Twitter or MySpace!

Saddle Creek signs The Rural Alberta Advantage & UUVVWWZ

Two awesome new bands to bring you today thanks to Saddle Creek. The Rural Alberta Advantage and UUVVWWZ were both recently signed to the label and they're two fine choices. Without further delay:

The Rural Alberta Advantage

Born out of singer/songwriter's Nils Edenloff's exodus from Edmonton, Alberta to Toronto, Ontario in 2003 (where he was quite homesick for his native Alberta, hence the band's moniker), The Rural Alberta Advantage was begun with open mic nights, eventually evolving into a three-piece outfit with Amy Cole and drummer Paul Banwatt joining in. Their debut LP Hometowns was released in 2008, quickly becoming a blog favorite. It was featured on eMusic.com, sold thousands of copies in weeks and appeared in not a few "Best of 2008" lists. It's a charming DIY indie story. The band itself sounds a little like Sea Wolf. Judge for yourself with "Don't Haunt This Place" below.



UUVVWWZ

Sure, I was once confused on how to discuss the merits of !!! with friends, but I'm at a complete loss now with UUVVWWZ. Uh-vugh-wugh-zz? The band suggests "Double U, double v, double w, z." Right. In any case, the quintet formed in 2007 in Lincoln, Nebraska and after crafting a handful of tracks, was off and touring, eventually playing 5 shows in one day in their hometown. They've been compared to Deerhoof, Captain Beefheart and Bow Wow Wow. Again, it's up to you though, check out "Shark Suit" below.

Featured Band: St. Vincent

Annie Clark was a musical veteran before starting up as her own act under the monkier St. Vincent. She played for the Polyphonic Spree, was a member of Sufjan Stevens' touring band and was part of Glenn Branca's 100 Guitar Orchestra. Now she's on her own though, crafting indie pop that's a mash up of Feist and Joan as Police Woman—that is, sensual, romantic tunes that haven't completely given themselves up to pop riffs and aren't afraid to get downright depressing. She released the critically acclaimed Marry Me in 2007 and is now following it up with Actor, another solid and heart-warming effort that hits shelves through 4AD on May 5.

Try If You Like: Feist, Joan As Policewoman, Rosie Thomas

Listen to St. Vincent on: Future Perfect Radio, New Music, Singer/Songwriter, The Big Apple, SXSW 2009

Deer Tick announce tour dates

Deer Tick has announced a set of tour dates leading up to and following up the June 23 release date of their new album, Born on Flag Day. Check out the dates below:


Listen to Deer Tick's "Easy"



Sat-May-30 Baltimore, MD Talking Head
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 %
Sat-Jun-13 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone
Sun-Jun-14 St. Louis, MO The Pageant %
Mon-Jun-15 Lawrence, KS Granada %
Tue-Jun-16 Iowa City, IA The Mill
Wed-Jun-17 Omaha, NE Slowdown %
Thu-Jun-18 Lincoln, NE Box Awesome
Sat-Jun-20 Boise, ID Neurolux
Tue-Jun-23 Vancouver, BC Media Club
Wed-Jun-24 Bellingham, WA Wild Buffalo *
Thu-Jun-25 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
Fri-Jun-26 Portland, OR Mission Theatre
Sat-Jun-27 Napa, CA Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Tue-Jun-30 Sacramento, CA Marilyn's on K *
Wed-Jul-01 San Francisco, CA The Independent *
Thu-Jul-02 Santa Cruz, CA The Crepe Place *
Fri-Jul-03 Visalia, CA The Cellar Door *
Sat-Jul-04 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland *
Sun-Jul-05 Las Vegas, NV Beauty Bar *
Mon-Jul-06 Phoenix, AZ Modified Arts *
Wed-Jul-08 Lubbock, TX Bash Riprocks *
Thu-Jul-09 Austin, TX The Mohawk *
Fri-Jul-10 Denton, TX Hailey's *
Sat-Jul-11 Little Rock, AR Sticky Fingerz *
Sun-Jul-12 Nashville, TN The Basement *
Mon-Jul-13 Lexington, KY Al's Bar *
Tue-Jul-14 Indianapolis, IN Locals Only *
Wed-Jul-15 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle *
Thu-Jul-16 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern *
Fri-Jul-17 Toronto, ONT Horseshoe Tavern *
Sat-Jul-18 Ottawa, ON Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
Sun-Jul-19 Ottawa, ON Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
Mon-Jul-20 Montreal, QC Divan Orange *
Tue-Jul-21 Portland, ME Space Gallery *
Wed-Jul-22 Northampton, MA Iron Horse *
Thu-Jul-23 Wallingford, CT Wallingford American Legion *
Fri-Jul-24 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Fri-Oct-02 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Festival
Sat-Oct-03 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Festival
Sun-Oct-04 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Festival
Sat-Oct-10 Joshua Tree, CA Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival
Sun-Oct-11 Joshua Tree, CA Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival

% = w/ Jenny Lewis
* = w/ Dawes

The Warlocks release free track off upcoming album

The Warlocks have leaked a track off their upcoming LP, The Mirror Explodes, which is due out on May 19 through Tee Pee Records. Pick it up below, though it will make the days between now and May 19 crawl as you eagerly await the full album. You've been warned.

The Warlocks - "Red Camera" off The Mirror Explodes