Blog: Sound Bites

Alright, the ice is melting and while I avoid a list-shaped elephant in the room (blog) , here's 19 new songs, one fairly new one (Pegasvs) and an old reggae tune. I may try and write some liner notes, but no promises. This one turned out really good I think. I hope it inspires you to seek out some of these bands' albums (like Warm Soda, my favorite of 2013 so far.) Meanwhile,  Heino and roses for everyone. Please enjoy... and no shuffling! DOWNLOAD SOUND BITES OF SPRING '13 [...]

Well it's the last day of 2012 and, while I have got any of my lists up yet (just making sure My Bloody Valentine doesn't decide to drop the new album as a NYE surprise or whatnot), here are my annual year-end mixes. Unlike previous years were I took stills from viral videos and other internet memes for the artwork, I turned over duty to actually talented people who had done covers for my annual Summer Fridays series. I know I've forgotten bands/songs that should be on here, but as is you're getting about 100 great ones that [...]

A reader from France emailed me the other day asking what happened to Sound Bites, as I hadn't posted anything since August. Well, I have a full time job where I also write about music, so this site has definitely gone by the wayside though I wish it wasn't so. I also was having trouble in the mix production department, but having a little free time over Thanksgiving weekend I think I've sorted that out, so here's my first try at a mix with new audio and photo software. It's mostly new music, with a few oldies right [...]

This Sunday is the final installment of this year's Sound Bites Series and we're closing things with a doozy of a band: Brooklyn's Ski Lodge . Mixing a dash of The Smiths’ swagger with more wordly influences, the band made a splash last year with their debut EP and will release their debut full-length for Dovecote Records sometime in the very near future. The band were also picked as one of the “8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear” in The L Magazine’s annual music issue and we couldn’t agree more. Here's a sample: [...]

It's a Very Special Edition of the Sound Bites Series this at Fulton Stall Market  this Sunday (8/19) . Don't worry, no one tries drinking for the first time and nearly dies. In this case it's Brooklyn's Caged Animals getting very especially acoustic. Which could all maybe use after Eternal Summers so awesomely destroyed our ear canals last weekend. Caged Animals make manage that rare tightrope walk of being heartfelt without sap, with big catchy choruses you'll be singing along to after first listen. Which is to say they're a great pop band! The [...]

I am super-psyched to have Eternal Summers playing Sound Bites series at Fulton Stall Market this Sunday (8/12) . It's a free show, as always, and I DJ at 2PM and the band is on at 3PM sharp! The Stage is set up on Beekman just off South Street down by the seaport. Come down! Eternal Summers new album, Correct Behavior , is one of my favorites of the year, they are great live and you'd be dumb to miss this show! DUMB! Nicole , [...]

Sorry about no new mix last week. We had snafus in both the audio and visual departments and in addition to other commitments, it didn't quite come together. Anyway, we're back this Friday with a lot of good stuff for you to hear, including a song by new favorite new band, Stealing Sheep; a rarity from the Blur 21 box set; new music from Chicago's Mazes, SF's Sic Alps, Welsh oddballs Race Horses, oddball oddball Lawrence's Go Kart Mozart, and some "classic cuts" from The Wedding Present, New Order, T. Rex and a tip of the hat to late astronaut [...]

It's that time of year again - well a month later than usual - and the 2012 Sound Bites Series kicks off this Sunday (8/5) down at the Fulton Stall Markets with Habibi , one of Brooklyn’s most promising new bands. Barely a year old, these four girls make irresistible pop informed by ‘60s girl groups but have a dreamlike style all their own. The band just finished a tour with Sub Pop band King Tuff, and are currently working on their debut album. In the meantime you can check this track out: [...]

Okay, okay this is a day late but ... hey, man, things got crazy . (Not really.) Lot of great music on this week's mix, which is basically new stuff and semi-obscure '90s UK indie. Sleeper and The Poplinjays still sound good! Ditto Family Cat and Milltown Brothers. As for the new stuff, dig mix-opener by Toy  and that Melody's Echo Chamber track. Yes, I'm repeating some bands but back when I made real mix tapes on a weekly basis, you'd just run through your favorite new albums track-by-track anyway... good songs are what counts. Cover art this week [...]

This week's cover art was made by yearly Summer Fridays contributor and renegade digital street artist King of the Streets (KoS) who, as you all know by now, values graffiti and property rights in equal measure. Hence, all his tagging is done via MS Paint. He also loves to shred and requested that this mix be something you can skate to. Well I did my best. There are some of the most aggressive songs ever committed to a Summer Fidays on this one (like GvsB) and maybe one of the most annoying (forgotten '80s band The Sicilian Vespers, [...]

This is an odd mix. I generally do one "cocktail" themed one a year but it kind of strays into early -'80s burundi beat new wave, tropial disco, girl groups and other territory. It all started with me wanting to use that Bill Wyman song "Je Suis Un Rock Star" and while we're jetting around genres, it's all pretty breezy. Only three new songs on this one, as can happy with the high concept mixes. Jack "Skippy" McFadden, a former Brooklynite who now books Emo's in Austin, did the art this week which sort of looks like a [...]

Hello and welcome to this week's mix. It's hot here in NYC, with temperatures sticking in the '90s for the next five days so they're predicting. The kind of heat that can make you crazy. (As documented by David Lee Roth in 1985.) Way up near the North Pole, it's much colder but still warm for there I guess. Also, it'd daylight 22 hours of the day. Which can make you crazy, as documented by Robin Williams in that movie Insomnia. But cover artist Kevin Alvir, who also fronts The Hairs  (who can be heard [...]

So far, every day of Summer 2012 has hit 90 and my A/C has already blown my fuses once. The latter is why this is going up so late. On the plus side, one of the best covers in a long time I do think, as done by longtime SF contributor Kate Bryant . Yes, I put another song from Saint Etienne's new album on here. If you haven't picked up Words & Music, you really should. There's mostly new stuff this week. Enjoy. DOWNLOAD SUMMER FRIDAYS 5.5 [...]

I won't lie, this was a race to the finish line. The mix itself I really like. The art...you'll forgive me I hope. Next week I get other people to do it so it's going to be much better. Anyway, enjoy. I'm not sure what prompted me to put Dwight Twilley's biggest hit on this week's mix, but there it is. DOWNLOAD SUMMER FRIDAYS 5.4 Tracklist: 1. Fastbacks - In the Summer 2. CUFFS - Private View 3. The dB's - Neverland 4. [...]

These kids just went swimming in the East River I think. Was going to write "...back when it was safe to do so," but it was probably more polluted whenever this was taken (around 1911). Anyway, a swim sounds nice, doesn't it? Maybe you have a pool in your backyard. Well this mix is perfect for your next pool party and should sync up pefectly to a game of Marco Polo. Or maybe a beach party. There are two "beach" bands on this mix and though I think there should really be a moratorium on that word in band names both of [...]

I'm late enough as it is with this one, so I'm just gonna say that regular Summer Fridays design contributor Greg Morris has come up with another winning cover here and makes me think I should open a beach bar. Personally, my drink would be a michelada which I'm actually having right now as I write this. (Valentina sauce is the key.) As usual with the mixes Greg does covers for, this one's on the dancey side. If you haven't heard the Saint Etienne album, by the way, go get it now. It makes any day [...]

Are you ready for the summer? Are you ready for the good times? Are you ready for the birds and bees? The apple trees? And a whole lot of indie rock? Well you're in luck because that's what we have here with the first mix of Summer Fridays 2012.* I am hoping to do these every Friday, though I'm gainfully employed now (we don't get summer Fridays at my job, unfortunately) and have a lot less time - and energy - than I have the last four years. Which is good! Anyway, we'll see how I do. This kickoff mix [...]

Not that we had a winter this year on the East Coast, but Spring is in full bloom here in Brooklyn. Post-bloom actually, which is a good thing for you allergy sufferers. And so thaws my blog which has been on deep freeze since February. So here we are with this year's Spring Fever mix and I think it turned out pretty good! Lots of great new sounds, covering a lot of sonic territory (well, within a certain pale milieu, let's face it). Anyway, here you go, do enjoy. DOWNLOAD SPRING FEVER 2012 [...]

We haven't had more than seven days that've dropped below freezing, but it is still technically winter. I keep hoping we'll get one snowstorm before it's over. Maybe. Here for you, there's two bands from Finland, four from Australia, Dreams and Dreems, Cats and Cates, guitars and synths. One Dinowalrus. I think this will be the last Wintry Mix of 2012. But look for Spring Fever in April. DOWNLOAD WINTRY MIX 2.22.2012 Tracklist: 1. Eux Autres - Right [...]

I don't know about where you are, but we are having a very mild winter. Not so mild that I should have been eating at outdoor burger joint Shake Shack last night, but I was and is where I snapped the picture that is now this week's cover art. There's lots of good new music on here, including the returns of a few favorite bands. Dig in: DOWNLOAD WINTRY MIX 2.03.2012 Tracklist: 1. Burning Hearts - Into the Wilderness [...]