
Some disappointments and some new discoveries. This past Tuesday was a big day at record shops.... Recommended: Fleet Foxes : Sun Giant EP (Sub Pop) – These young Seattleites were the highlight of SXSW for me. The first thing you notice is that the lead singer, Robin Pecknold, sounds a lot like Jim James from My Morning Jacket. The second thing you notice is the great three and four part harmonies from the rest of the band. There are elements of early [...]

Before I get into this week's ridiculous amount of new releases, I would like to announce the two winners of The Swell Season prizepack that we ran last week. The amount of people who participated was staggering to say the least, and there were so many great comments to read through. I enjoyed it so much, that I had to include a few of my favorite scenes as well. Unfortunately, I could only choose two winners, though, I wish there could've been more. Anyways, congratulations to both Chris and Tiffany R. [...]

It appears to be another solid week of new releases. So if you're heading down to your local record store here are a few SDM recommendations. Let us know what you pick up. Also let us know if we've left anything off our list. New Releases, Cover Art, and MP3's after the jump...

Today, the CD version of the Nine Inch Nails project Ghosts I - IV ships for those still clinging to the material products. You can order the album in its various forms, digital or physical (the $300 "Ultra-Deluxe" edition has sold out), at the NIN website or on Amazon. Just as Trent Reznor has kept the project purposefully open ended - what with all the unnamed songs - he has created his own "film festival" and asked fans to create videos of their own for the songs. From the videos submitted on the Nine Inch [...]

If some were worried that 2008 wasn't going to have the same share of great albums we've seen in recent years, a slew of this week's releases should alleviate most (if not all) of those concerns. Last week I poached Foals great debut on Sub Pop and yesterday I wrote about Tapes n' Tapes' sophomore release , which is fortunate, since I probably wouldn't even be able to get to either this week with all the rest of the riches that dropped. To wit, we have the latest from Nick [...]
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: Astrid Williamson : "Hozanna (acoustic)" [mp3] other Astrid Williamson music blog posts: @lhb @hype @elbo.ws Flight of the Conchords : "Ladies of the World" [mp3] from Flight of the Conchords (out April 22nd) other Flight of the Conchords music blog posts: @lhb @hype @elbo.ws [...]

Drum and bass and, er, violin. There comes a time in every listener's life when he/she starts to realize that using classical instruments in punk-infused new wave is so fucking hardcore it's nearly unreasonable. Portland, Oregon all-female three-piece New Bloods have known this for a while and we couldn't be more honest about how exciting it is to hear these sounds. It's refreshing, sweaty, dancey, ridiculously catchy and undeniably well-done. If you've been jonesing for funky rhythms that are as forward-thinking as they as descendant, look no further. The band's first [...]

Mining 2008.sxsw.com Part 11 a/k/a Part, The Last Have fun at SXSW ! And don't forget about... "Casualty" (mp3) by Look See Proof "For Halloween" (mp3) by No Kids "Good Voodoo" (mp3) by The Teenage Prayers "Jack Bauer" (mp3) by Dub Trio "Jubilee" (mp3) by The Willowz [...]
Who: New Bloods Title: The Secret Life Release Date: April 8th Label: Kill Rock Stars Thoughts: Who could possibly have foreseen that a trio of women, featuring violin, bass, and drums, would coagulate to form a sick ass, sort of punk (for lack of a better term) band? Not this guy for one, but goddamn, listening to the new New Bloods album is like a revelation of sorts. It's a bit on the slower