Project Playlist: South America

Future Perfect Radio has over 25 35 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 couple of tracks that come up in the radio player. This way, you get a more in-depth look at what's playing on our channels!



At long last, it's here! South American indie -- a whole channel of it! This week Project Playlist takes a look at a tiny selection of the music you can discover on this vibrant channel. These were the first 5 songs to play on my Future Perfect Radio player:

1. Cerouno - "Altura" from Atari Amor (Fan Zinatra, 2008)

A playful electro-pop piece with a heavy dash of twee. Reminds me strongly of The Postal Service if Ben Gibbard had a preference for Spanish. Cerouno hail from Venezuela. You can find out more about them at http://www.myspace.com/cerouno

2. Glivers - "Crise de Consciência" from Single 2008 (Self-Released, 2008)

A straight-up rock track with a catchy melody and heavy rock instrumentals. The Portuguese vocals add a bit of spice (Gulivers are from Porto Alegre in Brazil). The band list Britrock as a strong influence on their music and that can definitely be felt. More here: http://www.myspace.com/guliversrock

3. Quiero Club (feat. Jorge Gonz) - "Minutos de Aire" from Nueva America (Nacional Records, 2009)

Ok, so technically Quiero Club is from Mexico which, according to my atlas, isn't exactly in South America. But you'd have to agree their style fits in perfectly with their fellow bands from Brazil, Argentina and other South American countries. So can we let this geographical error slide? Cool. This is an upbeat tune with a quick-n-silly guitar riff. As with most of the music on our South American channel, it has its spicy moments -- adding a touch of flavor you just don't get with music from other regions. The song evolves into a hand-clapping melody that would sound oh so brilliant live. More here: http://www.myspace.com/quieroclub

4. L.A.B. - "Seguando Andar" from Less a Bullshit (Self-Released, 2009)

If you've heard and love Working for a Nuclear Free City (here: ), you'll fall in love with L.A.B. too. They offer the same blend of other-worldly vocals, subtlety dance-able electro mixes with plenty of rock influences thrown into it all. "Segundo Andar" is particularly worthy of dance floors but offers a hint of the type of expansive instrumentals you usually find in post-rock. A dynamic track. Find out more about L.A.B. here: http://www.myspace.com/labrocklab

5. Homiepie - "Flying Machines" from Fireworks EP (Self-Released, 2008)

A lo-fi mash-up of messy guitars, off-kilter vocals but plenty of hooks. The only track on our list that features English vocals, "Flying Machines" eventually develops into a quirky twee-pop track that would make Architecture of Helsinki proud. I get a Tokyo Police Club vibe, too. More here: http://www.myspace.com/hellohomiepie


The point of it all is that, though I can make comparisons to well-known acts, nothing is a carbon copy. There's something indefinably unique about this music, something that should make you sit up and take notice. Like the next big act out of Austin, Portland or some pretentious university, these bands take what you love and tweak it, make it better, make it more interesting. And there's a whole continent worth of this stuff to discover. Tune in!

Treasure Island on Future Perfect Radio

The Treasure Island Music Festival kicks off this weekend (10/17-18) in San Francisco! Future Perfect Radio has been providing the radio jams for the festival on their website (here), where you can hear music from all of the great acts set to perform! MGMT, The Flaming Lips, Girl Talk, Yo La Tengo, MSTRKRFT, The Decemberists, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Beirut, Dan Deacon, Brazilian Girls, Bob Mould, The Streets, DJ Krush, Sleepy Sun, Thao and more awesome groups will be performing on the island.



To celebrate the kick-off of the Treasure Island Music Festival, here's a sample of what you can hear on our Treasure Island Radio channel!

1. Thao - "Beat (Health, Life and Fire)" from We Brave Bee Stings and All (2008)



2. LTJ Bukem - "Music" from Logical Progression, Level 1 (1996)



3. Passion Pit - "Swimming in the Flood" from Manners (2009)



4. The Flaming Lips - "Fight Test" from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)



5. Murs - "Love and Appreciate II" from Murs for President (2008)



6. The Walkmen - "The Blue Route" from You & Me (2008)



7. Grizzly Bear - "Alligator" from Horn of Plenty (2004)



8. MGMT - "Kids" from Oracular Spectacular (2008)



9. Beirut - "Elephant Gun" from Lon Gisland (2007)



10. Girl Talk - "Play Your Part (Pt. 1)" from Feed the Animals (2008)



(P.S. If it's San Francisco music you're after, our San Fran radio channel is just for you! Nothing but the best indie artists from the Bay area. Click here to tune in!)

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.

Project Playlist: The Big Apple

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. This way, you get a more in-depth look at what's playing on our channels!

(Previous Project Playlists: Chamber Pop)

Featured channel:

1. The Fiery Furnaces - "Charmaine Champagne" from I'm Going Away

One of my favorite tracks from The Fiery Furnaces' new album, released on Thrill Jockey on July 21. We liked the new album so much here at Future Perfect Radio, we featured The Fiery Furnaces as a Future Perfect Pick here (even though they did abandon Chicago for New York).

2. Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard - "Roll Bus Roll" from 'Em Are I

There's something so wonderfully charming about Jeffrey Lewis' half-spoken vocals. In "Roll Bus Roll," they're complemented by an unceasing beat that imitates the feeling of a bus rolling on. Together, this simple song about spending way too much time traveling on Greyhounds ends up pulling at my heartstrings.

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

This was it. This was the song. After hearing this self-titled track off the Everything with You EP, I was hooked on The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. After hearing the chorus ("We will never die") repeated over Jesus and Mary Chain guitars, pulled straight from the '80s, I was a complete fan. I heard it for the first time driving to pick up pizza back in January...yeah, it's one of those songs.

4. A.C. Newman - "Miracle Drug" from The Slow Wonder

Before there was Get Guilty there was 2004's The Slow Wonder. It was Canadian-born singer/songwriter A.C. Newman's debut LP (at least, debut under the A.C. Newman moniker) and, in our humble opinion, still outshines Get Guilty.

5. Gabriel Kahane - "North Adams" from Gabriel Kahane

Singer/songwriter and pianist Gabriel Kahane creates chamber pop tunes, heavily populated by a quick-moving piano and often featuring strings. "North Adams" is sort of what I imagine New York to feel like, walking down a busy street on a partly-cloudy summer day--an off-kilter melody, batches of happy and sad that all somehow works itself out in the end.

6. The Depreciation Guild - "Digital Solace" from In Her Gentle Jaws

What do you know? One of our Future Perfect Picks for the week! The Depreciation Guild features members of the buzz band of the year, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and thus not surprisingly sounds as if it's been (almost) transported directly out of the '80s. There are more Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine comparisons to be made here, but The Depreciation Guild is a little more conscious of the decade they happen to be living in. "Digital Solace" is a good representation of this--there's plenty of blips, bleeps and other 8-bit goodies to remind us all that we are, in fact, almost 10 years into this new millennium.

7. Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks" from Veckatimest

Speaking of buzz bands, here's one that could give The Pains of Being Pure at Heart a run for their money. Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest was one of the most anticipated albums of the year and certainly did not disappoint. "Two Weeks" is one of (if not the) best tracks on the record. There's a bit of Vampire Weekend here, but with a smoothly somber chorus.

8. Excepter - "Give Me the Cave" from Ka

"Give Me the Cave" comes from Excepter's debut LP Ka from way back in 2003. It's not for everyone and definitely has a happy home in our Flux channel. The group is made up of experimental DJs from New York, who came together to explore just how far they could push the envelope.

9. St. Vincent - "Just the Same but Brand New" from Actor

Singer/songwriter Annie Clark (better known as St. Vincent) really hit a home run with her new 2009 album Actor. She first caught our attention with 2007's Marry Me, but Actor floored us. "Just the Same but Brand New" was a big reason why, developing from a soft and somber opening to a strong, drum-led anthem.

10. Vivian Girls - "When I'm Gone" from Everything Goes Wrong

Didn't think we could do a New York playlist without the Vivian Girls did you? "When I'm Gone" is from their (very very) anticipated new album Everything Goes Wrong scheduled for release on September 8. Like the new album, "When I'm Gone" is a tad longer than their earlier work, but features all of the same fuzzy garage rock we know and love.

Project Playlist: Chamber Pop

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. This way, you get a more in-depth look at what's playing on our channels!

Featured channel:

(click to tune in!)

1. Tarkio - "Devil's Elbow"

Colin Meloy, pre-Decemberists (though the differences are minimal). The group released two albums before disbanding in 1999 -- I Guess I Was Hoping for Something More and the EP Sea Songs for Landlocked Sailors. They were combined in Omnibus, which was released in 2006.

2. My Brightest Diamond - "Feelin' Good"

This beautifully haunting cover comes off of the Dark Was the Night compilation, the 20th in the Red Hot series. The album is jam-packed with big indie names (Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, The Decemberists, Jose Gonzalez) but My Brightest Diamond's contribution is one of the most notable.

3. Brendan Canning - "Snowballs & Icicles"

Another chapter in the Broken Social Scene Presents series, "Snowballs & Icicles" comes from founding member Brendan Canning's Something for All of Us... LP. It's a quick track, but the accompanying thoughtful feeling lingers for much longer.

4. Dirty on Purpose - "Send Me an Angel"

Dirty on Purpose, though sadly now defunct, was a Brooklyn shoegaze/chamber pop fusion group that brilliantly meshed post-rock and alternative influences. "Send Me an Angel," a Real Life cover, was a stand-out track on the group's Like Bees EP--their last physical release.

5. The Dears - "Life or Death We Want You"

"Nobody wants you / But we want you..." sings Murray Lightburn in the deliciously creepy track from The Dears. The Montreal group released the track in their 2006 album Gang of Losers. Lightburn's dynamic vocals never fail to impress, and "Life of Death We Want You" is no exception.

6. The Rural Alberta Advantage -- "The Deadroads"

Seems you can't go very far nowadays without running into these rurally-nostalgic chaps from Toronto. They're clearly the band of the moment and "The Deadroads" was the track that justified the hype surrounding The Rural Alberta Advantage. There's a bit of The Shins going on, with a quick upbeat foundation, matched with Nils Edenloff's ever-pained vocals. It comes from the group's Hometowns debut, soon to be a fixture in many "Best of 2009" lists (even though it originally came out in late 2008, just sayin').

7. Belle and Sebastian - "I Fought in a War"

No chamber or twee pop list is complete without a tip of the hat to Belle and Sebastian in some way. In this case, the influential Scottish group has shown up in person with their classic "I Fought in a War" track off their 2000 album, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant.

8. Loney, Dear - "Hard Days 1.2.3.4"

Before Emil Svanängen was taking the world by storm with Loney, Dear's Dear John, he was wowing Sub Pop audiences with glittering tracks like this one off his 2007 LP Loney, Noir.

9. Windsor for the Derby - "Fallen off the Earth"

A wonderfully spaced-out groove from Tampa's ambient outfit Windsor for the Derby. The track comes off of the group's latest LP, How We Lost.

10. The Aluminum Group - "Two-Bit Faux Construction"

These guys have been pushing chamber pop since before it was cool. Chicago's The Aluminum Group formed in the early '90s, releasing their third album Pedals (on which "Two-Bit Faux Construction" appeared) in 1999. It remains one of (if not the) group's best albums to date.