Neon Indian

Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms (2009)

link, info

“Neon Indian delivers equal parts synthetic nostalgia, Dreampop lullabies, and grinding guitar noise to create something eerier than the sum of its parts. Forged after a hazy winter gathering in Texas, this initial batch of tracks were the result of field recordings, record samples, a collection of bizarre synth sounds. Orbiting around the themes of drug induced heartbreak, weary afternoons, and lost chances, this music provides a lush soundtrack to the deadbeat exploits of teenage ennui.”

Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs (2009)

link, info

jj

jj - jj n° 2 (2009)

link, doesn't have a mypsace or a website!

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13326-jj-n-2/

Atlas Sound

[not actual album art]

Atlas Sound - Logos (Unmastered) (2009)

link, info

here's some background information on this release. it will be officially released on october 20. bradford cox (atlas sound, deerhunter frontman) has this to say:

My last album was a bedroom laptop type thing. Very introverted. Logos is an album that was recorded all over the world. It’s not about me. There are collaborations with other musicians. The lyrics are not autobiographical. The view is a lot more panoramic and less close-up. I became bored with introspection. This was also the case with Deerhunter’s Microcastle LP, which was written during the same period.

I started recording December of 2007. I recorded the first version of the album, which was not intended for release. Due to some unfortunate mistakes on my part, this ’sketch’ of the album was leaked. Many of the songs where simply ‘placeholders,’ songs I created quickly to help design the ‘arc’ of the album.

I did not react well to the leak, in retrospect. It became the kind of internet-fueled drama that I was quickly learning to despise. I had always desired to speak through music, not blog posts and interviews, etc. I considered abandoning the project.

I toured for a period in Europe with Animal Collective, whose band dynamic was very inspirational to be around. On the bus, we often played improvised iPod games. We would take turns formulating a theme or unifying concept and then play three songs. The goal would be for everyone to try and figure out the theme. During one of these games, someone played ‘What Am I Going to Do’ by the Dovers. I was amazed at the hook– a weird organ thing with drums and electric bass. I mentioned to Noah [Lennox] that someone should really sample that riff. He agreed and he taught me a little about sampling and matching up beats. This ended up as the collaborative effort ‘Walkabout’.

Each song on the album has a similar story. That might be my favorite thing about the album. It’s a collection of songs. There is no ‘filler.’ There are little scrapbook details everywhere. Sasha Vine [of Sian Alice Group] provided a double-tracked improvised violin part to ‘Attic Lights’ which was recorded backstage at a Deerhunter/Sian Alice Group show in Brighton. It might be my favorite moment of the album. I played it for some younger friends of mine. They cringed. They wanted more songs like ‘Walkabout’. Something with a big beat. I told them when they get older they will appreciate things like harmonicas and violins more.

Laetitia from Stereolab, who I idolized as a teenager and would later befriend on tour, contributed words and vocals to ‘Quick Canal.’ The song was originally about 15 minutes long. I had zero ideas for vocals and asked if she could give it a shot. Andy Ramsay [drummer for Stereolab ] took a dub of the original and recorded Laetitia’s vocals at his Press Play studio in London. It was quite a treat to hear the finished product, now at an economical nine minutes.

Almost everything you hear on the album is a first take. This makes it almost like a ‘live album’ where a band sets up in a studio and just rolls tape. There are songs on here I don’t even remember recording.

this unmastered release, though unfinished and not the final tracklist for the official release, is reeeeally good.

Why?

Why? - Eskimo Snow (2009)

link, info

In abstract, WHY? is the process of adapting to the somehow simple business of existing. WHY? is the searching for something clearly unreachable, with hopes of finding small significance along the way. The attempt to understand what’s really going on by observing, neither by telescope nor microscope, but by naked eye, the intimate details in the most mundane of life’s happenings. The attempt to describe the gist of the feeling of the tiniest modicum of The Great Universal Unutterable Joke we are all always not laughing at—except when we are. WHY? is living out the set-up of that old gag over and over, until we finally reach a punch-line. Or we die and we don't.WHY? is, most often, a trio of handsome Midwestern men with a shared past, present and future. Today, they fiddle around with skins, strings and bells through microphones attached to tape, presenting their “findings” to the waiting world. In an earlier decade they were all born in Cincinnati. And in the time in between, much did happen. Yoni Wolf, for instance, grew up the second son to an art book editor and a rabbi. He got his start recording bad poems and sloppy beats on the family synagogue’s forgotten 4-track. In junior high he discovered hip-hop; in art school he learned how to drop out. His brother Josiah played drums at worship service as a tot, dominated Concert Band as a teen, and fell in love with the compositions of Thelonious Monk on his way to University of Cincinnati’s music conservatory. Doug McDiarmid would eventually get expelled from UoC for carrying a stun gun, but was first conceived by two French teachers and taught piano while in kindergarten. He went to high school with the Wolfs, where he played in Steve Miller cover bands. In various permutations together and with other now-notables (Dose One, Odd Nosdam, Mr. Dibbs, Slug), these three created and/or contributed to a number of freewheeling rap and lo-fi bedroom-rock related projects, some still unexcavated: Miss Ohio’s Nameless, Apogee, Greenthink, Reaching Quiet, and the now seminal cLOUDDEAD. Their wildest dreams were achieved when they relocated to the West to make pop-inflected psychedelic folk-hop.Yoni was the first to make the move. For four years, two EPs and one color-drenched album (2003’s Oaklandazulasylum), WHY? was his alone. He honed his trademark delivery—that sickly sweet, half-rapped, singsong-suicide style—shined up his wry, picturesque poetry on life, love and self, and developed a clip-and-collage composition aesthetic using keyboards, toys, guitars, samplers and anything worth banging on. When Doug and Josiah joined Yoni in Oakland, they brought a hoard of instruments and the ability to wail on every last one of them. By chops and imagination, WHY? grew into a thing of flesh, bones and fully fledged songs. In 2005, the band released Elephant Eyelash, and suddenly that once tenuous future seemed solid. Critics swooned; ladies lauded; WHY? did not rest. They toured (with Silver Jews, Yo La Tengo, and Islands). They collaborated (with Danielson, Department of Eagles, and Subtle; Yoni made Hymie’s Basement with Fog’s Andrew Broder). They put out yet more music (the Rubber Traits EP and “Dumb Hummer” 7-inch).Thus, the impending release of WHY?’s latest, brightest, darkest smile-twisted opus,Alopecia, isn’t so much a return as it is an affirmation of something already in the air. In February of 2007, the trio temporarily relocated to Minneapolis and became five, officially inducting Andrew Broder and Mark Erickson of good-art friendlies Fog into the band, then recording their new work live. As can be expected, Alopecia is a fantastic offering of raw sweat and dreams inspired by nothing more or less than the infinite erring bits of daily existence.

Discovery

Discovery - LP (2009)

link, info

Side projects are often insipid and indulgent wrecks-- random noise/techno/weird experiments tossed off by people who should know better. Thankfully, Discovery-- featuring Vampire Weekend keyboardist/producer Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot singer Wes Miles-- is not one of those side projects. Started as a fun, electro-pop hobby four years ago, the duo are finally ready to release their debut album, simply called LP, on July 7 via XL.

i'm a little late on this one... get it while it's here.

Thee Oh Sees

Thee Oh Sees - Singles Collection (2009)

link, info

not the right album art but whatever, this collection fucking rocks.

The Avalanches

The Avalanches - After The Goldrush (2009)

link1, link2, info

2009 mix from the Australian Dance producers and studio boffins. This is an eclectic off the wall mix CD that starts with Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys before mixing into the Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Felix Da Housecat, DJ Zinc, Hall and Oates, Missy Elliot, Queen and lots more before ending with another appearance from The Beach Boys! (from bolachas gratis)

get this if you like to have fun and listen to music at the same time

Floating Action

Floating Action - S/T (2009)

link, info

dude named seth kauffman recorded this whole album from his home studio in north carolina. kauffman plays all the instruments on this record, as far as i know. a lot of influences coming through in this release. ooo this is good.

Real Estate

Real Estate - Atlantic City Expressway (2009)

link, info

really good surf, psych, kinda poppy, rock that is perfect for these hot summer days. i really enjoy this record.

www dot myspace dot com slash lets rock the beach !

Why?

Why? - Almost Live From Eli's Room (2008)

link1 link2, info

Former wierdo rapper and Anticon alumnus turned indie rocker, Why? or lead vocalist multi-instrumentalist Yoni Wolf, has now adopted his name to recognize his entire band which also includes his brother Josiah Wolf on drums and Doug McDiarmid on guitars. Almost Live From Eli's Live Room documents rehearsal recordings and live arrangements... making it "almost live" as they practice before the show trying different variations of their long sets and playlists. Sold recently only at tours and now available for a limited time. Longtime fans won't want to miss out.

Why? - Almost Live From Anna's Cabin (2003)

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Earlier tracks.

Hymie's Basement

Hymie's Basement - S/T (2003)

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A collaboration of anticon and cLOUDDEAD singer, lyricist, rapper producer Why? (aka Yoni Wolf) and Minneapolis singer, turntabalist, guitarist Andrew Broder, aka Fog released in 2003 via Lex Records. Combining elements of rap, folk and indie, the two men have created a superb thinking man’s melodic hip hop record.