New Music Adds, 8/26

Here's the run-down of the new tunes you can hear on Future Perfect Radio. Hear them all, and tons more great indie, on our New Music channel (click to tune in!).

YACHT - See Mystery Lights
Taken by Trees - "Watch the Waves" from East of Eden
Starlight Mints - Change Remains
Dappled Cities - Zounds
Japandroids - Post-Nothing

Project Playlist: Great Lakes Soundtrack

Future Perfect Radio has over 25 channels, thousands of artists and even more songs. It's a lot to take in and maybe it's tough to find your feet. That's where Project Playlist comes in. At (ir)regular intervals, we'll break out one of our channels and post the first 10 tracks that come up in the radio player. This way, you get a more in-depth look at what's playing on our channels!

(Previous Project Playlists: Chamber Pop, The Big Apple, Lollapalooza 2009)

Featured channel:



1. Deastro - "Day of Wonder" from Moondagger

What a perfect way to kick off the Great Lakes Soundtrack playlist. Deastro is indie electronica producer Randolph Chabot who, upon returning to his childhood state of Michigan, was inspired to start Deastro and create Moondagger. Fans of MGMT, M83 and Animal Collective should take note of this up-and-coming musician.

2. Anathallo - "The River" from Canopy Glow

Another Michigan indie favorite, Anathallo's Canopy Glow from 2008 follows the chamber pop group's 2006 ground-breaking debut Floating World. The seven-piece, hailing from Mt. Pleasant, is a perfect find for fans of Mason Proper, The Decemberists or Sufjan Stevens.

3.Matthew Dear - "Juice" from Spectral Sound, Vol. 1

Though born in Texas, Matthew Dear found his musical feet at the University of Michigan and rose to fame from Ann Arbor. The club DJ knocked the indie scene on its ass in 2003 with Leave Luck to Heaven, his debut LP. "Juice" appears on the first volume of Spectral Sound's compilations.

4. Benoît Pioulard - "Ragged Tint" from Temper

Another Ann Arbor resident, Benoît Pioulard -- the on-stage moniker of Thomas Meluch -- has been experimenting with the limits of indie rock since the early 2000s. In 2008, Pioulard followed up his debut LP Précis with Temper, from which "Ragged Tint," a track all Grizzly Bear fans woud love, comes from.

5. Lightning Love - "Warmer Days Ahead" from November Birthday

Michigan's Lightning Love pairs unique female vocals (similar to Lykke Li) with lyrical subject matter delving into dark and introspective waters. On the surface, their music is light and cheerful, making for an interesting blend. Future Perfect Radio interviewed the group's Aaron Diehl a few months back, find it here.

6. Child Bite - "Never-Ending Mountain Slammer" from Fantastic Gusts of Blood

This punkish outfit from Ferndale in Michigan should appeal to fans of Deerhunter. "Never-Ending Mountain Slammere" comes from the group's fourth album, Fantastic Gusts of Blood from 2008.

7. Sh! The Octopus - "Red State Soil" from The Carrot Chase

Detroit's Sh! The Octopus takes the cake for one of the best (or silliest, or worst, depending on your temperament) band name ever. The group's indie pop should earn them a place in the music collections of fans of The Shins, The New Pornographers or Wilco.

8. Blasé Splee - "Everybody Needs a Way" from Blasé Splee

The name may be "ghetto French slang," it may not. That's not really important. What is, is that Blasé Splee's indie pop is addicting, well-assembled and fun. Blasé Splee is the group's self-titled EP.

9. Kinetic Stereokids - "Twisted Thoughts" from Kid Moves

The Flint, MI act Kinetic Stereokids have worked their way up from jamming in basements to releasing one of the most anticipated albums of 2009. I'm referring, of course, to Kid Moves from which "Twisted Thoughts" is taken. It's "junkyward folktronica" at its best. More here.

Tune in to the Great Lakes Soundtrack channel on Future Perfect Radio to hear all of these tracks -- and tons of more great music -- straight from the great state of Michigan.

What iTunes could learn from Sony: Music "Check-Outs"

The music industry is in trouble. No surprise there. CD sales are falling as digital services try to figure out how to entice consumers to buy music they could download for free elsewhere. Interestingly, music fans have again and again said (in survey format) that they'd happily use legal options to listen to music, if any half decent ones existed.

But, they don't.

Enter Sony and the company's new e-book reader, just announced today. The reader itself is nothing special, similar to Amazon's own Kindle DX but minus any sort of web browser. What is impressive is the addition of a "check-out" or "rental" system for borrowing e-books from your local library. Without going into details (find them at Ars Technica here) you can download a DRM'd e-book for a few weeks. At the end of those weeks, the book disappears, just as if you had "returned" it to the library.

This could work for the music industry.

iTunes, or a similar service, could offer music "rentals" or "check-outs" for free -- no strings attached. Users have that music to listen to for two weeks at most (any longer and you might think you actually own that music and it's important that no impression of ownership is imparted, see below). At the end of that time, the DRM yanks the music back into the online library of music, but not before offering to sell you the music for $0.99 or whatever.

Why would this work when previous DRM schemes have failed? Because there's no impression of ownership. When I buy a track for $0.99, I assume I now own that track. In the same way, when I buy a candy bar for $0.99, I eat it because I own it. If someone were to come along and take away my candy bar, I'd be pissed because I paid for it. In the same way, people get pissed when music they paid for gets taken away by DRM for whatever reason.

If they don't pay for it, there's no anger. If a service makes it clear you are "borrowing" music for a limited amount of time, no one complains.

The library service, if replicated properly digitally, could take a bite out of illegal file sharing and -- gasp -- even push music sales by letting people legally try music before buying it. That's what I -- and most other consumers -- want after all.

So, iTunes, where can I apply for my library card?

Japandroids, Sufjan Stevens, Yo La Tengo and more join Pop Montreal line-up

More than a few big names have been added to the roster for the upcoming POP Montreal International Music Festival. They include:

Sufjan Stevens, Yo La Tengo, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Jay Reatard, Micachu & The Shapes, Clues, Slim Twig, Think About Life, Cadence Weapon, Sam Shalabi's Egyptian Light Orchestra , Japandroids, The Dø, Lullaybe Arkestra, Duchess Says, Dragonette, Joel Plaskett, Kid Koala Presents: The Slew, Ariane Moffatt, Young Galaxy, Aids Wolf, Tanlines, Katie Stelmanis and Ninjasonik.

Whew. And the festival assures us that they still have "hundreds" of other artists to announce. Sheesh.

Artists already on the line-up include Fever Ray, Butthole Surfers, Diamanda Galas, Os Mutantes, Roxanne Shante, Krautrock Faust, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Mono, DJ /Rupture, Tobacco, Lemonade, (Ghislain) Poirier, Matt & Kim, Iris Dement, Loudon Wainwright III, Wovenhand, Destroyer, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Thee Oh Sees, The Intelligence, The Homosexuals, Bajofondo, tUnE-YaRdS, Zombie Disco Squad, Mike Simonetti and more.

Best to get your tickets now when they're cheap ($175, as opposed to $225). More info, special deals and tons more can be found at Pop Montreal's site here!

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart hit the road with The Depreciation Guild, Cymbals Eat Guitars

Everyone's favorite '80s throwback noise/shoegaze act The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are hitting the road this fall with Future Perfect Radio favorites The Depreciation Guild and Cymbals Eat Guitars. Pinch yourself people, with a line-up like that you may just be dreaming. Tour dates below.

Listen to The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Depreciation Guild and Cymbals Eat Guitars on our personalized radio streams (click to launch your player). Guaranteed to spice up your weekend or totally distract you from work.

9/05 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East (18+)
9/06 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa (All Ages)
9/07 - Toronto, ONT - The Legendary Horsehoe Tavern (All Ages)
(more dates after the break)

9/08 - Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium (All Ages)
9/09 - Madison, WI - Orpheum Stage Door (All Ages)
9/10 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown (All Ages)
9/12 - Morrison, CO - Monolith Festival (All Ages)
9/13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court (All Ages)
9/14 - Boise, ID - Neurolux (21+)
9/15 - Seattle, WA - Neumos #^
9/17 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir (21+)
9/18 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
9/19 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour (All Ages)
9/21 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah (21+)
9/22 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress (All Ages)
9/24 - Fort Worth, TX - Lola’s (All Ages)
9/25 - Austin, TX - Mohawk (All Ages)
9/26 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks (18+)
9/27 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Down Under/FSU (18+)
9/28 - Atlanta, GA - Earl (18+)
9/29 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 (18+)
9/30 - Washington, DC - Black Cat (All Ages)
10/01 - Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar (All Ages)
10/03 - New York, NY - Webster Hall (18+)
10/05 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church (All Ages)

Buy tickets here.

New Music Adds, 8/20

Here's the run-down of the new tunes you can hear on Future Perfect Radio. Hear them all, and tons more great indie, on our New Music channel (click to tune in!).

Division Day - Visitation
Elizabeth and the Catapult - Taller Children
Riceboy Sleeps - Riceboy Sleeps
Florence and the Machine - Lungs
Apse - Climb Up
Viva Voce - Rose City
Amanda Blank - I Love You
Kava Kava - Forwards
Plastiscines - About Love
Royksopp - Melody A.M.
Various Artists - Weezer: The 8-bit Album
Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor
Thom Yorke - "All for the Best"
Torngat - La Petite Nicole
Science Fiction Theater - Science Fiction Theater

Featured Artist: Blind Pilot

Forget "green buses," BLIND PILOT reduced their collective carbon footprint on tour by biking along the west coast. Hardcore. On stage, the group achieves a nice blend of folk, chamber pop and rock--basically exactly what fans of Sea Wolf or The Decemberists have been looking for. Listen in to our interview with Blind Pilot backstage at Lollapalooza 2009 below.



Listen to Blind Pilot's music, and tunes from all the great bands that performed at Lollapalooza 2009, on our Lollapalooza Radio channel:

Lollapalooza: Highlights from Day One

Now halfway through the second day of Lollapalooza, we can look back on Friday and pick out some of the clear highlights for Future Perfect Radio:

1. Interview with Perry Farrell
Correspondent Scott Fleischer caught up with the king of Lollapalooza himself: Perry Farrell. He spoke to Future Perfect Radio about the success of this year's festival so far, the history and struggle of Lollapalooza and the failure of FM radio. Farrell: "Internet radio is wonderful. Better than ever."



2. The Decemberists play Hazards of Love in full
Expectations were high as The Decemberists took the stage Friday night. It didn't help that they were 6 minutes late -- the crowd, quickly grumbling, was silenced by the appearance of a spectral figure in a white wedding gown. From then on, The Decemberists had us in the palm of their collective hand. From beginning to end of their set, the band never laid down their instruments, never paused for mid-song chatter, but performed the entirety of Hazards of Love as if it were one long song -- which really, after hearing it played that way, it is. The performance was almost like a theatre production, with different characters coming forward to sing their part in the strange and magical story of the Hazards of Love. Check out photos from the performance here.

3. Interview with Ben Folds

Fleischer (or, perhaps, "Dan") spoke with famed singer/songwriter Ben Folds to discuss the history of Lollapalooza and the differences between the festival's tour incarnation and the stationary "take-over" of Chicago. Listen in below!



4. The Builders and the Butchers for Best Show of the Day!

While The Decemberists, Hey Champ and a few other acts certainly made a case for it, our choice for "Best Show of the Day" can only go to The Builders and the Butchers. Their energy, on-stage mash-ups of songs and fun crowd interactions (...did we mention their energy?) made their songs come alive. Like any live show is supposed to, it made us reevaluate songs we thought we didn't like so much, fall even deeper in love with treasured tracks, and long for a much longer set. While the band may have deserved a bigger crowd, the intimacy of the BMI stage certainly added to the show's impact. Find pictures from the performance here!

Be sure to keep an eye at Future Perfect Radio's Lollapalooza page for continuing updates: interviews (Chairlift already posted, No Age and The Builders and the Butchers up soon!), Twitter updates, photos and more! To hear the music from Lollapalooza's line-up of artists, click the radio image above or here.

Future Perfect Radio at Lollapalooza!

Future Perfect Radio is now backstage at Lollapalooza, prepping for the first day of music-packed fun. We'll be posting interviews soon, starting with our conversation with Passion Pit (look for them here).

Click the above image to launch Lollapalooza Radio! (What's playing on Lollapalooza radio? Find out here!)

To get live updates from the festival, be sure to follow our Twitter feed @fpradio.

Project Playlist: Lollapalooza 2009

Future Perfect Radio has over 25 channels, thousands of artists and even more songs. It's a lot to take in and maybe it's tough to find your feet. That's where Project Playlist comes in. At (ir)regular intervals, we'll break out one of our channels and post the first 10 tracks that come up in the radio player. This way, you get a more in-depth look at what's playing on our channels!

(Previous Project Playlists: Chamber Pop, The Big Apple)

Featured channel:


Future Perfect Radio will be backstage at Lollapalooza this weekend (more on that here), so it's only right that Project Playlist takes a look inside our Lollapalooza radio channel.

1. Andrew Bird - "Mx Missiles" from The Mysterious Production of Eggs

Mr. Bird, a Windy City hometown hero, is one of the biggest indie names on the Lollapalooza ticket (especially since the Beastie Boys pulled out). The whistling singer/songwriter made a big splash with The Mysterious Production of Eggs back in 2005. More recently, Noble Beast is one of this year's strongest efforts. We're unsure about how well Bird's subtle skills will translate to Lollapalooza's festival atmosphere, but we're looking forward to being proven wrong.

2. Bat for Lashes - "Siren Song" from Two Suns

Natasha Khan, the wonderful talent behind Bat for Lashes, rocketed onto the scene with "What's a Girl to Do?" from her debut LP Fur and Gold back in 2006. With Two Suns this year, Khan beat the sophomore slump and gave us a rich supply of luscious indie pop hits. Bat for Lashes is one of our Top 5 acts to see at Lollapalooza (more here).

3. Dan Deacon - "Woof Woof" from Bromst

Seems more and more people are jumping on the Deacon wagon everyday. The electro-infused songwriter sixth studio album Bromst is certainly our favorite, narrowly edging out his previous work Spiderman of the Rings. Like many of his tracks, "Woof Woof" is filled with inviting synth beats, unexpected melody jumps and vocals that, well, you just won't hear anywhere else. He should thrive at Lollapalooza.

4. Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal" from Fleet Foxes

Though not our favorite Fleet Foxes track, "White Winter Hymnal" seemed to seal the group's popularity last year--encapsulating everything you could get from the Seattle group. A folk, back-woods, sitting-round-the-campfire feel without sacrificing our rock roots. It's hard to believe Fleet Foxes was released more than a year ago -- one would think that after all that time the group would have some new tunes to show off. But maybe they need the right time to whip 'em out, like a huge multi-day festival...

5. The Decemberists - "The Sporting Life" from Picaresque

Picaresque is definitely our favorite Decemberists album. Except maybe Castaways and Cutouts. Or, maybe except The Crane Wife. Well, and Hazards of Love. Uhm. Well, suffice to say that we love Picaresque and "The Sporting Life" is a big reason: it perfectly sums up our youthful ever-successful, never-embarrassing sporting adventures. We caught The Decemberists live in Millennium Park a few years back and they were amazing -- expect the same in Grant Park. Another one of our Top 5 acts to catch at Lollapalooza.

6. No Age - "Keechie" from Nouns

No Age's impressive noise pop earned Nouns on countless "Best of 2008" lists, and for good reason. The fuzz and noise dominates the listener. These guys should rule the day at Lollapalooza.

7. Lou Reed - "I'm So Free" from Transformer

Well, here we come to it. THE guy playing at Lollapalooza. His tumultuous career is unmatched in the music world and with nearly 40 years of music to pull from, Reed's live set should be memorable to say the least. "I'm So Free" comes off his sophomore, and possibly best album Transformer, which was released by RCA way back in 1972. (For more classic underground rock like this, check out AccuRadio's Vintage Violence station!)

8. Passion Pit - "Fold in Your Hands" from Manners

We've written and raved so much about Passion Pit already, this feels like walking over well-beyond-trodden ground. Suffice to say that Passion Pit produce killer synth-dominated indie pop. Their debut LP Manners is amazing. You should go listen to it right now, if you haven't already. (And if you haven't: what's taking so long?) Another one of our Top 5 acts to see at Lollapalooza. Expect to find an interview from them here late Friday.

9. Santogold - "Creator" from Santogold

The collaboration between Santi White and John Hill was a stunning success, pulling ahead of slurs about ripping off M.I.A. to establish themselves as a formidable name in the indie club/dance scene. "Creator" was the song that launched the act to fame, and still sounds pretty darn good here in 2009.

10. Silversun Pickups - "Lazy Eye" from Carnavas

Before there was Swoon, there was Carnavas. The 2006 album took the music world by storm with its nostalgic combination of shoegaze and alternative rock (harking back to the Smashing Pumpkins). Though "Lazy Eye" has sadly been played to death in the meantime, it's still a killer track. Silversun Pickups are another one of our Top 5 acts to see at Lollapalooza, and we may just be bringing you an on-demand interview from them on Sunday.

Music for Your Eyes: YACHT's "Psychic City (Voodoo City)"

Slightly creepy video from YACHT for their track "Psychic City (Voodoo City)" from their See Mystery Lights album, released on July 28.

Future Perfect Radio's Top 5 Lollapalooza Picks

With 5 days left to Lollapalooza, we here at Future Perfect Radio thought it appropriate to pick our Top 5 Picks for the festival weekend. Here's the five bands you should definitely not miss:

(Also, don't forget that Future Perfect Radio will be backstage at Lollapalooza! Find out more here!)



1. Passion Pit (Sunday 5:00pm, on the Citi stage)

Dance-pop synth rockers Passion Pit wowed us with their debut LP Manners. It's still our favorite album of 2009 thus far. Their music is dynamic and engaging, providing glittering electro beats, inescapably catchy melodies and some introspective lyrics for those looking for some depth in their music.

2. The Builders & the Butchers (Friday 1:45pm, on the BMI stage)

Portland's The Builders and the Butchers are an incredible live act. Their darkly enticing folk rock is made for the stage, with swells and dramatic climaxes made all the better by the group's dual drummers and strong energy. Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well is an amazing album, which will sound all the more amazing live.

3. The Decemberists (Friday 6pm on the Budweiser stage)

Not that they weren't on your list already, right? Not only did The Decemberists came back strong from The Crane Wife with Hazards of Love this year, but they've been showcasing some new songs on tour lately that are nothing less than spectacular. The chance to hear some new Decemberists tunes alone should make these Portland chamber pop, English-lit rockers a must see.

4. Bat for Lashes (Sunday 1:30pm, on the vitaminwater stage)

England's singer/songwriter enchantress Natasha Khan beat the sophomore slump with Two Suns this year, which did exactly what any sophomore album should: floored us AND enticed us to go back and rediscover Fur and Gold all over again. Her amazing voice, unique wardrobe and singular style should not be missed.

5. Blind Pilot (Saturday 4:15pm on the BMI stage)

I realize this is the third Portland band on this list, but can we help it that the city is pumping out so much good music? Up-and-comers Blind Pilot strike a nice balance between the indie pop of The Shins and more folk-oriented groups like Iron & Wine or The Decemberists. We've been itching to see these guys live since hearing their debut LP 3 Rounds and a Sound, and would see them over some more well-established groups in a heartbeat.

Other acts not to miss at Lollapalooza: Silversun Pickups, Chairlift, Friendly Fires, Crystal Castles, Neko Case, Vampire Weekend, Andrew Bird, The Delta Spirit, Lykke Li, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver.